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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

One grandchild doesn't relate to the other due to her disability

10 replies

NanChigs · 09/08/2024 09:36

I have 2 granddaughter's, 9 months different in age but years apart in development due to the younger one being born with cerebellar atrophy.
The older one is loud, hyperactive, super intelligent, sassy and full of attitude. The younger one is happy, kind and loving but communicates at the level of probably 18 months to 36months at best.
They had little to do with each other in their early years due to the pandemic.
The older one is totally jealous of the attention and assistance that the younger one gets.
If they both had the same developmental attributes I'm sure that they would get on well, but it's got to the stage where the older one is utterly obsessive about me being "her" Nan and nobody else's (she has an older sibling who is a teenager), and she has absolutely no empathy or understanding of her cousin's needs.
Any advice to address this?
The girls are between 5 and 6 years old.

OP posts:
Snacksgalore · 09/08/2024 09:39

Do you get to spend time with them individually? At 5/6 you or her parents should have a chat with the jealous grandchild about how she feels, that her feelings aren’t wrong, how you love them equally but different people have different needs and her cousin needs more help.

titchy · 09/08/2024 09:45

Of course she doesn't have any understanding of her cousins needs - she's 6. You're expecting far too much. But yes see them separately.

WickieRoy · 09/08/2024 09:50

My 6yo is only starting to understand differences in needs among her classmates now, I think she may well struggle with a cousin getting more attention from grandparents even if it was necessary or understandable from an adult point of view.

As others have said, see them separately, and when you're all together make sure you make a big fuss and have some one on one time with her too.

When she's calm and not feeling hard done by I'd also be talking about what a lucky granny you are to have such lovely grandchildren and ask her if she knows all your grandchildren, who you're mummy to etc. At this age they don't always have a full grasp of who's who in the extended family except in relation to them.

WickieRoy · 09/08/2024 09:51

But yes I think you're expecting too much from her.

WickieRoy · 09/08/2024 09:54

Also at this age they're utterly obsessed with "fair" and don't have the maturity yet to understand that fair doesn't always necessarily equal exactly the same. Mine are 6 and 4 and we have endless rows over who got the longest cuddle with mummy, who got the milk on their cereal first, who has which cushions on the sofa etc.

All very normal, just feels more highly charged in this instance because of your other granddaughter's needs.

elliejjtiny · 09/08/2024 09:54

We don't have any jealousy issues over grandparents but I have a ds who is 2 months younger than his cousin and he has autism. His emotional development is a long way behind her as well. They have never been able to relate to each other and she says the noises he makes annoy her. I just have to accept that they will probably never get on, they are 10.

AnnaMagnani · 09/08/2024 09:55

I think you are expecting a lot of emotional intelligence from a 6 year old.

Cousins don't have to like each other in the best of circumstances.

WhatNoRaisins · 09/08/2024 10:04

At 5 or 6 I'd be doing all I could to teach my DC to be kind and respectful to their cousin but I don't think you can expect them to understand why their cousin has different needs or functions differently. Not everyone gets on with each other even within a family.

EMary12345 · 09/08/2024 10:18

Has anyone explained to GD about the differences her cousin has? As a teacher in KS1 actually explaining to the children what the needs of some SEN children are actually helps them to understand. If it is not explained to them they can view the child as annoying or naughty. She is old enough to know you are nan to both children so she does need clearly telling if she starts with you being "her nan" , I would correct her every time - "yes and I am ..... Nan too and I love you both"

bosqueverde · 09/08/2024 14:46

Hello.
First of all, I'm sure your children -and grandchildren when they become aware- are glad for your commitment. I wish you happy and rewarding times with them all.
I'm a father of two autistic young adults (now) and they have 5 younger cousins on my side, in France; 2 older cousins in the UK. They have built up a really good relationship with their younger cousins, but not so with their older English ones, so I'll try to speak from both experiences and find something about the job of being a grandmother.
How did it work out, and what worked out.

We spent long times - 3, occasionally 4 weeks in the summer, almost every summer - in France with my mum and dad. Some of that time my sister was there with her 3 DSs (mumsnetters will appreciate), every summer. But we and them also had time without my parents without cousins - typically my sister would arrive early in July, us with my daughters as UK school hols began a few weeks later, we'd have a week to maybe 10 days altogether, then my sister would be off to her in-laws and we would remain in a smaller unit. Then we coordinated our Christmases as well (we're not nearby at all!) so every other year, everyone would be at our mum and dad's, and then the next noone and they'd have a quiet Xmas as we were all with our respective in laws.

We put in common our energies and parenting talents. My brother in law selected great board games. My sister took them sailing and treetop climbing, I taught them to program computers, I adapted their furniture as they grew, dug sandheaps for them to roll balls from on the beach, made temporary seaside aquariums (please don't jusdge our holiday tastes).

But we were long there and only a week and a half together, so off before any family tiffs had time to really flare up. As they grew there's also been cooking, surfing, paid farm work in their teens. The difference with disability grew, but so did the boys' understanding and respect for my DDs.

What does it mean for you... Don't ask your grandchildren to be in each other's pocket. I had a cousin my age that was a bestie, they are close in age but won't be besties. Have privileged times with their two families, and also special times (some feasts, some birthdays, a week away or so) altogether. build in time to just be, forget the educational programme of cultural tourism that is just relentless, why do impose our kids visit all of pompeii at age 3 (!!???)

Make it a family ritual that everyone will meet. A bit. More than once a year for more than a day. But if it's hard, not more than that. Support every adult in bringing in their talent to parenting - for example, my sister helped me limit screens for my DDs, it was very helpful, while I showed her the value of what one of her DSs did in his screen time, and that was life changing for him.

Your two are young. It's natural that a 6 year old wants you to herself. Give her that some of the time and tell her that you are all hers, some of the time, but also that our hearts are always big enough to love several people. She won't mind. She knows she's not with you all the time! Look for ways that they can be together, certain games, certain stories, and as they grow they'll learn to cohabit.

Two inspirations for me about disability when I think of my DDs. Sorry if they aren't your taste, I hope you get something from them regardless.
The psalm says "the stone rejected by the builders became the cornerstone". Maybe you have to build dry stone walls to know what that means. They are assembled like a puzzle, looking to fit the stones together and which way. When a stone is really misshapen, it's piled out of the way. The misshapen pile is where you go when you're need something different, an arch, a stile, the end of the wall, it fits where nothing fits.

John's gospel talks of a blind man, Jesus' disciples ask: "who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus says, “Neither. It was so that the works of God might be displayed in him". Your granddaughter can grow into someone special, in whom the works of God are displayed in some form.

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