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Original poster

Have your dc got great grandparents still alive?

153 replies

elliejjtiny · 10/05/2022 16:02

I was lucky enough to be able to choose to have my eldest dc fairly young. DH was 13 when his last great grandparent died. My DS1 is now nearly 16 with one great grandparent still alive. I think this is amazing as all my great grandparents died before I was born and by the time I was DS1's age I only had 1 grandparent still alive. Just wondering if anyone else or their dc still have/had great grandparents still alive when they were older than 15?

OP posts:
reluctantbrit · 10/05/2022 19:33

No, I lost all my grandparents before I was 13. My great-grandparents were also all dead long before I was born and in some case they died when my mother was a child.

My parents were mid-thirties when I came along in the early seventies, both had parents who were also mid- to end-thirties and we are talking here about my parent's birth in the late 1930s, so life expentency of working class with 12 pregnancies for their parents was low.

DH is the same.

LaWench · 10/05/2022 19:35

They have 2, my Grandmothers are 86 and 90, the DC are 14 and 9. They not seen much of them over the last few years sadly but we need to make the most.

tokyotea · 10/05/2022 19:37

My DC has 3 still alive. 1 he's met (lives abroad) on DHs side and the other 2 from my mothers side. He's never met as he was a lockdown baby. They were vulnerable and shielding, so were never able to meet him and they live a few hours away. We need to plan a trip soon to see them.

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bigbluebus · 10/05/2022 19:40

All my grandparents died when I was a child. DH had one remaining grandparent when I met him but she died not long after we married. So my DCs never knew their great grandparents at all. Youngest DC is now 25 and only has one remaining grandparent who is 94.

bettbburg · 10/05/2022 19:40

No, and only one grandparent.

RedRobyn2021 · 10/05/2022 19:42

Only my grandmother come to think of it

lollipoprainbow · 10/05/2022 19:46

No way !! My dd9 doesn't even have grandparents alive.

weegiemum · 10/05/2022 19:46

My 3 dc (now young adults) remember my (maternal) Gran vaguely, my Grandma (paternal) a bit more as she was lively when demented and good fun to visit. We stopped when it got distressing. Both my Grandfathers died the summer I turned 16. They didnt know the paternal grandparents on dh's side and dd1 only has a vague memory of her great grandmother who died 3 weeks before dd2 was born, and dd2 has her name.

I've no idea how it will work in the future. My parents are in their 70s but in very good health and quite lively. Mil is slowing down at 76 but still totally independent, she flew to Canada last week to visit bil and family! Fil (divorced 25 years from mil) has advanced Alzheimer's and is in a care home at only 76 so I doubt he'll be around for any great grandchildren. It's very sad.

Plus I don't really want my 22, 20 and 18 year old dcs becoming parents very soon!

TheGratefulBread · 10/05/2022 19:48

They have two still alive, both on my side. My maternal grandmother, and my paternal grandfather. Both in their 90s.

They have seen very little of my grandfather, because he is in the US (where my dad is from), and indeed we haven't seen him since summer 2019. We're heading to Cincinnati in the summer though, and I can't wait for them - and me - to see him. And for him to meet DD2 (born 21 April).

mango0 · 10/05/2022 19:54

My dd is 18 and has two on my side of the family (she doesn't have contact with her dad, but none on his). She's very lucky, and so am I. It's such a massive difference from a generation ago, neither of my parents knew any of their grandparents, my mum had a grandfather alive when she was born but he died before she was one.

cheninblanc · 10/05/2022 20:06

Yes, one left and my eldest is 18

popandchoc · 10/05/2022 21:46

Their Great Nan on their dads side is still alive (she is only late 70's). My last grandparent died when my eldest was a baby and she was the only great grandchild at that point.

RibNSaucyArseCrack · 10/05/2022 21:48

Yes both sets of my grandparents are still alive. My husbands parents had their kids quite old though so he doesn’t have any grandparents.

SmellyWellyWoo · 10/05/2022 21:50

Yes my DC have one great grandparent alive but one grandparent who died before they were born. This means I have a grandma but no mum.

AledsiPad · 10/05/2022 21:51

Yes, just one. We lost my DGM 3 years ago, but DH's is still with us. Both DGFs died long ago, when DH and I were tiny.

I had my children young, but actually it was successive young(er) parents that led to them having multiple GGP. DH's Mum had him at 19, her Mum had her early. My DGM had DM in her early 20s and my DM had me early 20s also.

Mammyloveswine · 10/05/2022 22:23

Mine are 4 and 6 and have two great grandmothers in their 90s..

WDTABNONONO · 10/05/2022 22:26

Yes, my Gran who is 82.

This time last year they had 3 my other Gran 83 and my Grandad of my Alice Gran nearly 85.

My Great Granny died when I was 26 I think she was 98.

Isausernameavailable · 10/05/2022 22:28

I'm a great grandma to a 9 year old. My Mum's still fit and well and does lots with her

RocketsMagnificent7 · 10/05/2022 22:31

My grandma is a great-great grandma, eldest great-grandchild is 32. GGGC are aged 2-8.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 10/05/2022 22:34

My Gdd1 had a GGM, my DM, until she was 3 months old. GGM
died at 97 but had advanced dementia, so no good for cuddles.

My sole GGP, my GGF, didn’t die until I was 14 - he was still with it at 94, a lovely old man. He outlived both grandfathers!

kagerou · 10/05/2022 22:38

Well my baby is only 10 months so I guess its not too impressive that she has three great grandparents but her great grandfather (my grandad) has 6 great grandchildren the oldest of whom (1 of my cousins kids) is about 22

Rupertgrintismyguiltypleasure · 10/05/2022 22:41

My last great grandparent passed away when I was 14. Dc age 14 & 9 still have my dads parents who they don’t really know. DS last saw them when he was 1 and dd has never met them. They aren’t the greatest... so we’ve not had much contact. The one they were closest who also lived with us, died 4 years ago.

BreadmanAndCake · 10/05/2022 22:43

My two have two Great Great Nans. I had four Great Grandparents, one of my Great Grandads died when I was 10 and the other when I was 24. I appreciate I'm very lucky though. My mums family all had children young.

BreadmanAndCake · 10/05/2022 22:44

Oops, make that three Great Great Nans. My husbands Great Nan is still alive too.

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 10/05/2022 22:45

No, as my family have mainly had children in their late 30s or early 40s. However, they do have a great, great aunt who is 92. Unfortunately she doesn't want anything to do with them (not illness/age related, she's just a nasty cow).

When I was born I had a great great grandma left who was in her late 90s. She died at 98 but I was too young to know her properly, sadly. I only had 1 grandparent left by the time I was 9 and she died when I was 15. I would have loved to have known my grandparents better. I doubt my kids will know much of their grandparents either as the youngest ones are already almost 70 (my kids are only 2 and newborn).