Why Do We Celebrate Grandparents Day?

Grandparents are extraordinary people. They have stories to tell that expand our horizons and views of life formed through years of experience that we cannot even begin to fathom. We should feel lucky to benefit from their wisdom, and our grandparents feel honored that we want them to share their experiences with us.

Marian McQuade, a housewife from West Virginia, came up with the idea of Grandparents Day as a way of honoring the elderly and championing the cause of the lonely in nursing and retirement homes. Thanks to Jimmy Carter, it became nationally recognized in 1978. Now the holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday in September after Labor Day, and is one of the first holidays of the fall season.

McQuade was the mother of fifteen children and grandmother of more than forty. With so many descendants, she was well aware of the special bond that children should have with their grandparents. While mothers and fathers are the main source of discipline and example in a child's life, his or her grandparents also have a profound affect on his or her viewpoints. Without the wisdom of the grandparents, many children never learn what it was like to grow up without the technology and amenities of today's world and don't appreciate what they have nearly as much.

Grandparents help to raise us and shape us into the men and women we will become. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, and in many families, grandparents baby-sit and share in the responsibility of "bringing up baby". With both parents entering the workforce today, coupled with rising daycare costs, retired grandparents have become perhaps the most dependable source of daily child care, meaning they are becoming more prominent in children's lives. And, while they've already raised a family of their own, most grandparents are willing and even eager to take part in their grandchildren's care and development.

Overall, grandparents are a great resource for us, and if we can celebrate mothers and fathers, we should definitely recognize grandparents for their achievements in life.