To cringe a little bit when GPs say 'thank you' for grandchildren?

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

I understand the sentiment of course, i just feel this is a slightly weird thing to say.
Why 'thank you' as if it was a present, just for them.
Maybe it's just because my PIL are vile said this...

I can sympathise op...my inlaws are vile too...even more so since ds was born. Mil said it to us and it wasn't meant in a nice way believe me! They have behaved attrociously...and expect the 'gift' just to be handed over! I've been pushed too far this time!

In short yanbu!!

DH gave me two gifts. The first was a vacuum cleaner that I had wanted for more than 2 years and didn't buy because I couldn't bring myself to spend so much (it was over $1000). The second gift was a necklace that he designed before DD was born but her gemstone was inserted a few days before she was born (early July).

The gifts were DH's way of acknowledging the fact that I had carried and delivered our baby. He said that to him parenting hadn't been equal and he was in awe of me and our DD.

If DH bought me a vacuum cleaner as a gift I would feel inclined to hit him over the head with it! It is a household item which he needs as much as me!
I would also be rather horrified to have DH in awe of me and be a senior parent! ( the necklace sound rather a nice touch).

Yeah, I had this and I thought 'hang on, i'm not giving her to you'.

Worse still was DH's ain't who kept saying 'well done' to him when we said I was pregnant!

Whatever my pil did was done with love as they were both lovely.

Not everyone analyses everything they say, do you?

It's nice, get over yourselves.

My lovely MIL burst into tears when she first came to see newborn DD2 and thanked me for giving her a grandchild. Then she gave me a beautiful silver bracelet. Her and DD2, now 8, are so close and it really helped my MIL cope with the loss of my FIL not long before she was born.
She was such a big help with the baby too, especially as I had her very late (my other DCs are 10+years older). DH is much younger than me and she was so delighted for him too.
When my SIL had her DD, she was just the same with her.
A lovely lady.

And, DH got me a lovely welsh gold bracelet- that I had chosen, as a gift after the birth and surprised me with a beautiful opal and sapphire ring as well.
From a tight-arsed welshman that is some thanks, let me tell you.

My mum, the woman with the stiffest upper lip in the world, cried and said thankyou with each of mine. I told her not to be a plum but she has continued on this soppy bent with them, and I don't mind.

You're over thinking it a tad. I don't think they're thanking the Parent for a "present" more that they're thanking them for affording them the chance to be a Grandparent. It's a privillage and one some feel thankful for.

I am joining the "some people are getting their knickers in a twist about nothing" camp on this one. My DSS wrote "thank you for my first brother" in his card when my baby was born - Obviously we didn't just have a baby to provide him with a little brother. If someone is saying something nice to you then just take it in the spirit that it was intended. Perhaps they are just thrilled to be grandparents.

Agree that its thanking for having the chance to be a grandparent,even though it wasn't done specifically for them!

exotic If it had been any other vacuum cleaner or appliance I would have also whacked him over the head with it but this was a vacuum cleaner that I really wanted. It had really bothered me that our old electrosux did such a poor job. First time he did the floors the bag as full with all the dog hair embedded in the rugs.

I've not seen anyone getting their knickers in a twist on this thread at all though.

I think people have said it's an odd expression to use is all. and inappropriate.

I think there a certain amount of bemusement about the 'provisioning' remarks. That's all.

I think that it is a shame if grandparents have to watch what they say especially as they get damned if they do and damned if they don't! If we analyse what most people say a lot is nonsense!

I wouldn't like it.. Thank me? for what having sex with your son? does not sit right with me

Sometimes it's nonsense. Sometimes it's not. Definitely depends on the person/relationship etc.

There are times when I wonder just how many more crimes grandparents can commit!

I was absolutely thrilled when dgd was born and while I didn't send a card that officially said "thank you", I felt terrifically fortunate to be the grandmother of such a beautiful baby girl and very proud of ds2 and ddil.

Would it have been more appropriate to shrug the whole event off lest I gave fearful umbrage of the sort that warranted spreading all over the internet?

glad am quite secure in my role as grandmother and don't have any pesky children in law to appease and can just be happy and excited and proud of grandson even if I didn't know I felt gratitude too (I think I do actually)

it used to be considered a good thing to be thankful for the blessings in your life, if children aren't a blessing I wonder what is?

You would be slated if you shrugged it off! The grandparent's place is in the wrong! (especially if the MIL)

Oh for goodness sakes.

How is it that a gift from your husband is frowned upon? I went through agony with IVF, had a shocking pregnancy, ruined my body and I deserve the diamonds he bought me to say thank you. How being spoilt by your husband is medieval, I just don't know. My MIL said thanks for her granddaughters, but I just put it down to another weird Yorkshire-ism!

I had this from the ILs on cards with bouquets delivered to the hosp when each of my 3 were born, but addressed to ME only, as if DH had had nothing to do with it...........

Ah, you cooked them a special baby cake in your special mummy oven.

It's probably just one of those things to say, that comes out in the heat of the moment. I remember MIL said this to DH, I wasn't included in the 'giving', she thanked him.
People have children for reasons other than making their parents grandparents.

Being thanked (post birth) for making someone the happiest man in the world is ok though if a little cheesy.