A younger older generation

According to a new report by the American Association of Retired Persons, the average age of today's first-time grandparent is 48

By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian

Grandparents are getting younger and are taking a more active role in the lives of their grandchildren today than they did in the past, according to a new report by the AARP.

Being called a grandmother is still taking some adjustment for Bonnie Majors, 51, of Cape Girardeau. "I'm sure I'll get used to it," she said. "It's just a natural progression of life."

Majors and Cheryl Halter both became first-time grandmothers in October with the birth of their grandchild, Claire Halter. And neither fit the stereotypical image of grandparents.

Majors and her husband, Hal, are active members of Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. Bonnie is also a FISH food pantry volunteer and serves on several committees at church. Hal Majors, 52, works as director of purchasing and distribution at Drury Hotels.

Halter, 48, recently moved to Cape Girardeau from Park Hills, Mo., taking a job at the Cape Girardeau County Circuit Clerk's office. She also attends Lynwood.

Grandparents like the Majors and Halter are replacing the stereotypes of yesterday. Today's grandparents have an average age of 64, but first-time grandparents are as young as 48.

Halter fit that statistic exactly.

Being a grandmother is wonderful, she said, but it was a little unnerving at first. "Once you see the baby, things change," she said. "Now it's OK."

She particularly likes having a granddaughter after raising two sons of her own. "It's a lot of fun so far," she said.

Sometimes Majors thinks there's still plenty of mothering left to do for her own three children so being a grandmother doesn't quite seem possible. But she expects grandmothering to get easier as Claire gets older.

Most of her friends were already grandparents, so Majors has heard their stories. "You can just tell from their enthusiasm that it's a great thing," she said.

As the Baby Boomer generation begins to move into the realm of grandparenting, society is likely to see some changes.

Today's grandparents are more involved in the lives of their grandchildren than grandparents of previous generations. And regardless of their age, grandparents report sharing more responsibility with parents. Most of them -- 68 percent -- said they see their grandchildren every one or two weeks. Another 24 percent reported seeing their grandchildren once a month or every few months.

Majors and Halter can easily drop by to see Claire, since her parents, Summer and Chad Halter, live in Cape Girardeau.

"They volunteer to watch her all the time," said Summer Halter.

And so far the grandparents aren't really spoiling her, except with their love, Summer Halter said. "She gets lots of attention."

"We're really blessed that they are so close by, and we can watch her grow day to day, and we can be there to help as much as we can," Majors said of her granddaughter.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126