Mom has no interest in great-grandchildren

[Quiet Abode]

My daughter is having twins soon and my mother isn't interested at all, even though these will be my first grandchildren and my mother's first great-grandchildren.  When my daughter and I take her out to eat, she complains that we talk about the upcoming birth too much.  It hurts my daughter's feelings that her grandmother isn't excited about it.  Do you have any suggestions for how to get my mother on board?

[MaryB]

Boy that's a good question.  My mom was the same way about her grandchildren!  I remember my sister had 3 gorgeous baby boys and my mom didnt want anything to do with them.   I can hope that when the twins are born and your mom sees them,  she will fall in love.... 

[JustUs2]

Has she said why it bugs her specifically?  Maybe you all could limit the baby chatter just a bit.  She might become less resistant then.  I wonder if the idea of great-grandchildren reminds her of her mortality.  Maybe your daughter could break the ice by asking her for mothering advice or getting her opinion about a baby product. 

[SusanWGF]

Has she always been averse to conversation about babies or children? Maybe she's not bothered, she just doesn't want to speak about it all the time. I know a few people like that, though I find it a bit rude to tell your pregnant great-granddaughter not to talk so much about her upcoming birth. How old is she?

[Quiet Abode]

My mother is in her 70s and I understand getting bored with baby talk, but we listen to her complain about her health all the time.  I'm hoping she'll warm up once the babies get here.  I've passed the idea along to my daughter about asking her grandmother for advice.  That really might work and could make her feel included.


Did your mother become more interested in her grandchildren once they got a little older, Mary B? 

[MaryB]

No, my mother never got into her grands, but she was never into her own children either.