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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
bruffin · 24/04/2015 12:49

I lost all my grandparents by the age of 15. I never met my GF as he was died when my DF was 2.
My dc are 19 and 17 and just lost their last 2 GM and like me never knew DH's dad.

DrDre · 24/04/2015 12:51

I'm 38 - all my grandparents are dead (last one died three years ago). Both my parents are alive and well.

WaxyBean · 24/04/2015 12:51

No - no grandparents left. Last one passed away when I was 23, others at 2, 15 and 21.

Wannabestepfordwife · 24/04/2015 12:53

I'm nearly 28 and have all 4 left and they are all going strong. All 4 of my ggm lived to 96 so hopefully I've got a good few years of them left

ShanghaiDiva · 24/04/2015 12:54

I only started with 2 as my dad's parents were born in 1879 and 1891. I was 33 when my grandpa died -last grandparent.

My children have three at the moment.

SunnyBaudelaire · 24/04/2015 12:55

yes I also had grandfathers born in the late 1880s - incredible when you think about it.

FenellaFellorick · 24/04/2015 12:55

Yes, at 30 I did.

I am 41 now and have 1 out of 4.

My parents had me when they were teenagers, so my grandparents were on the younger side too.

YawnyMcYawn · 24/04/2015 12:56

I knew 2 of the 4.
I didn't even have parents by the time I was 30!

Anniegetyourgun · 24/04/2015 12:57

I only ever knew the one, who died when I was (iirc) 16 or so. My DC had lost all their GPs by the time the eldest was 5. Careless or what?

SmilingHappyBeaver · 24/04/2015 12:57

I lost:
Grandparent number 1 when I was 18
Grandparent number 2 when I was 27
Grandparent number 3 when I was 28
Mum when I was 30
Grandparent number 4 when I was 31
Dad when I was 33

That was a shit few years.

thetroubleis · 24/04/2015 12:57

I have at 36, but DD hasn't as both DP and I lost our dads.

itsnotmeitsyou1 · 24/04/2015 12:58

I'm not quite 30 yet, but my known grandparents have passed away. However its a bit complicated, I know my mothers 'real' father passed away either just before or after she was born. Her 'real' mother could well be still alive. I know my parental grandmother has passed away, quite likely my parental grandfather as well, but I'll never know.

My own child is due in October. Both my parents are alive (though both supposedly very ill), I'm N/C with both and that won't change. However on the kid's parental side, they will have a gran, grandad, step-grandad and great grandmother. Complicated I guess, but families generally are more so these days.

londonrach · 24/04/2015 12:59

Nope sadly lost my gran on my 30th birthday. Can the night before count?

RhinestoneCowgirl · 24/04/2015 13:01

I lost my last grandparent when I was late 20s, he was 98 when he died. DH is nearly 40 and only his Nana is still alive.

InQuiteAPickle · 24/04/2015 13:02

I haven't had any Grandparents since I was 17.

DH has almost a full set of Grandparents apart from his paternal Grandad, who died a couple of years ago. He only lost his great nana a few months ago too.

I'm 31, DH is 32.

InQuiteAPickle · 24/04/2015 13:04

My DDs don't have a full set of GPs either as my Dad died when I was 13.

Komnu · 24/04/2015 13:04

I did at 29, then my grandfather passed away. Now at 35 I have two grandmas, having lost my other grandfather in the intervening period.

mrssmith79 · 24/04/2015 13:09

I'm 36 with one set (75 + 76). They've just bought a new house - a fixer upper because they fancied a challenge Confused. I love them to pieces.

carabos · 24/04/2015 13:15

I had the full set way beyond the age of 30. My parents were teenagers when they had me. I'm 51 now and this time last year still had both GMs. Both died before Xmas, aged 98 and 96. GFs were both 83 when they died.

notsmartenough · 24/04/2015 13:15

I'm 58 and two of my grandparents died before I was born (1915 and 1945). The other two died when I was in my teens.
My nephew and nieces are in their thirties. One has no grandparents and the other two have just one left.

Flugdrachen · 24/04/2015 13:15

I'm 40, my mum's dad died while she was pregnant with me (he was only 53 Sad ), the others are all alive though (in their 90s).

SmellsLikeSurgicalSpirit · 24/04/2015 13:16

tellmemore1982

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Losing grandparents in or even before childhood is becoming an increasingly unintended consequence of people having children later in life.

Good point, but Composhat is right about greater life expectancy. Two of the GP who died before I was born were in their late fifties, very early sixties at a push which is almost unthinkable today.

My DM was in your situation tellmemore's , orphaned before she was thirty. Flowers

Flugdrachen · 24/04/2015 13:17

SmilingHappyBeaver that's a terrible few years ... very sorry Flowers

OneMagnumisneverenough · 24/04/2015 13:19

Nope, my Dad's parents committed suicide when he was 7 and my mums parents both died when i was early primary age.

My DH's dad died before we got married and my Dad died when DS1 was 3 months old and DH's Mum died when DS1 was 18 moonths and DS2 was 5 months - they are 14 and 13 and still have my Mum who isn't in great health and doesn't live locally :(

I feel so sad that they don't have full sets of grandparents to love and fuss over them but then it wasn't something i had either. They are also missing 3 uncles :(

Flugdrachen · 24/04/2015 13:20

My children's grandad (FIL) is 86 & terminally ill ... I very much hope that they will have the rest of their grandparents (60, 62, 63) around for many more years.