Residents at Ashworth Grange Care Home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire have been sharing their treasured family memories ahead of Mother’s Day, reflecting on an age-old question – what’s better, being a mum or being a nana?
Staff at the home spent the morning chatting with the home’s residents about their experiences of motherhood, grandmotherhood and great-grandmotherhood. While opinions varied, many agreed that grandchildren often benefit from a little extra tolerance.
The general consensus among the residents was that grandchildren can get away with far more than their parents ever could – something the team at Ashworth Grange joked might be a secret grandmother code.
Some residents preferred to stay neutral, saying they love their children and grandchildren equally. Laura Coates said she still preferred being a mum, while Christine Stead said becoming a grandmother meant she could enjoy the fun parts of family life without the same level of responsibility.
Elsie Pollitt reflected on how families grow over the years, saying: “Your love grows with each new grandchild and great-grandchild.” Elsie regularly enjoys visits from her daughter and great-grandchildren and treasures spending time together.
Pat Ambler shared a similar sentiment, saying: “My heart grows bigger every time.” Eileen Warner added that having great-grandchildren had opened her heart to more love than she ever thought possible.
Meanwhile, 105-year-old resident Joyce Thick, who has generations of family including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, said she particularly enjoyed the fun she has with her grandchildren.
To continue the celebrations, the home is hosting a special afternoon tea for residents and their families this week as part of its Mother’s Day celebrations.
Care assistant Samantha Ginnely, who led the conversations with residents, said:
“ I love hearing about their families. Once they start talking about them, I can’t pull myself away from the stories.”
Deputy home manager Jade Herron added:
“We like to make everyone feel like we are one big family at Ashworth Grange. We strive to make families feel as welcome as possible and love seeing a variety of generations visiting the home. Any chance we have to get to know our residents a little better we cherish, and this has given us some lovely insight into the ladies as mums, grandmas and great-grandmas, and what brings them joy in holding some of the most important titles a woman can have.”
Ashworth Grange hopes the celebrations will bring residents and their loved ones together to reflect on the special role mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers play in families across the generations.
To learn more about Ashworth Grange Care Home, visit:
Ashworth Grange Care Home.