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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if anyone past 30 still has a full set of grandparents?

325 replies

ComposHatComesBack · 24/04/2015 11:45

I'm mid 30s and have one grandparent left. Most people I know of a similar age are in a similar boat 0-2 grandparents still alive.

Out of curiosity really, has anyone been lucky enough to have made it past 30 with the 'full set' of two grandfathers and grandmothers?

OP posts:
echt · 24/04/2015 11:46

I didn't have full set before I was born. Natural causes. I am 60.

IHaveBrilloHair · 24/04/2015 11:47

37, no parents or grandparents here.

Tiredemma · 24/04/2015 11:47

Up until 6 weeks ago I had my Grandad (age 96), My maternal grandmother (92) and paternal grandmother (93)

Maternal grandmother died on March 10th
Paternal GF died on March 19th
paternal GM is in hospital very unwell......

Buried GM on April 9th and GF on april 16th

Its been a shit 6 weeks

HuftysTrain · 24/04/2015 11:48

No, sadly. I only ever knew 2 out of 4 of mine. My own DCs only have 3 out of 4 and they are still very small. I'd have thought it very unlikely - unless you're from a family in which people have babies really young.

MyBalletShoes · 24/04/2015 11:48

I don't. DH doesn't either. He has 2 left - maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. I have none but my parents were late having me so based on age, I wouldn't really expect to.

MissDuke · 24/04/2015 11:48

When I was born, I had one grandparent, who then passed away when I was about 12. I am so happy that my children have 4 grandparents, and make sure they have a close relationship as I always felt it was something that I really missed out on.

kinkyfuckery · 24/04/2015 11:48

I'm 31, and have one existing 'set' of grandparents. The other set both passed within a few weeks of each other last summer.
My ex (35) had a set until his grandad passed last February.

My children have been very lucky indeed.

BucketFullOfDinosaurs · 24/04/2015 11:48

I had a friend who had her first DC when she was about 25, and he was born with a full set of great-grandparents, which I thought was quite impressive! Not sure how many were still around by the time she reached 30 though.

SunnyBaudelaire · 24/04/2015 11:49

no I only ever knew one of my six.

Grantaire · 24/04/2015 11:50

Not a full set no but both of my Grandmas are going strong at 84 and 89 respectively. DH has two grandmothers (79 and 78), a step grandfather (78) and two great grandmothers (93 and 95). We aren't doing too badly.

knittingirl · 24/04/2015 11:51

I was very lucky and had them all until I was 19. I'm now 29 and have my Granny and Grandma still :)

When I met my husband when we were 21, he only had his Nana left, and she died a couple of years ago.

Grantaire · 24/04/2015 11:51

I lost my first grandfather at 20 btw. Second died when I was 22. Until then I had all grandparents alive.

Hygellig · 24/04/2015 11:52

I had four grandparents when I was born. They died when I was 2, 18, 23 and 24.

I don't know off-hand anyone over 30 with all four grandparents (admittedly I haven't really checked!) although I know some who are mid-30s with at least two.

My children have two grandparents (my mum's parents) but no great-grandparents.

There was an article in our local paper recently about a baby whose christening was attended by all four of his grandparents and all eight of his great-grandparents!

steff13 · 24/04/2015 11:52

My husband did.

My father's mother just passed away last October at the age of 95, but my other grandparents passed away before I turned 30. Both my parents passed away before I turned 25.

Original poster
ComposHatComesBack · 24/04/2015 11:56

Six?

Paternal grandfather died of a heart attack before I was born, other two died when I was in my 20s.

Given that my parents had me in their mid 20s and my grandparents had them at a roughly similar age, they wouldn't have had to have lived much north of 80 which isn't considered desperately old by today's standards. Yet it remains unusual to stoll have all 4 grandparents living beyond 30.

OP posts:
SouthWestmom · 24/04/2015 11:57

3 when I was born.
2 left until mid thirties.
Incredibly lucky because they replaced my dad's role who died when I was very young and would have made him proud. Lost the last one last year and now very bereft without them!

sallysimpson · 24/04/2015 11:57

I do!

IAmAPaleontologist · 24/04/2015 11:59

Not me. When I was born I had 2 grandmothers and a step grandfather so no chance here! I have 1 grandmother left now.

sallysimpson · 24/04/2015 11:59

Posted too soon! Early 30 and until a couple of years ago I had 2 great grand parents here . I feel. Extremely fortunate

Stoatystoat · 24/04/2015 11:59

I have three sets (divorce and remarriage on one side). All still going. None of them have been great, two of them toxic narcissistic personalities. It makes me sad that DH lost his GPs years ago because they were wonderful loving people, the exact grandparents I would have wanted myself.

TarkaTheOtter · 24/04/2015 12:00

I had all 4 at 30. Had 2 great grandparents until mid 20s too.

Stoatystoat · 24/04/2015 12:00

I'm 35 btw. DH had lost all his by the time he was 30.

ebwy · 24/04/2015 12:02

1 greatgrandmother, 4 grandparents, 2 parents when I was a kid. by the time I was 13 it was 3 grandparents, 1 parent. by the time I was 17 it was just my mother and both grandmothers. by the time I was 23 it was mam and 1 grandmother.

from 37 it's just mam.

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 24/04/2015 12:07

I 'm 37 and have my Nan left.

I knew all my grandparents my Paternal GF died when I was 9. My Maternal GM when I was 13. My Maternal GF when I was 17.

SunnyBaudelaire · 24/04/2015 12:10

" Six? "

yes amazing isnt it?

One died in 1945
One died in 1959
One is unknown
two were estranged
One died in 1994 - that was the one that I knew