Everyone’s excited about our first African-American President. But I’m more excited about the new “First Grandma” in the White House—Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s mother. If she moves into the White House, it will reportedly be the first time in history that three generations of a president’s family will be sharing living space in the famous residence.
Mrs. Robinson will focus more attention on the important role we grandmothers bring to our families, and I’m also hoping she’ll raise the status of grandmothers in America.
Anthropologists have proposed something called “The Grandmother Effect.” They studied present day African communities and historical communities in Finland and Quebec and found that having a grandmother around to protect, care and gather food for grandchildren can significantly increase the longevity of grandchildren. It also explains why women evolved to live so long after menopause. According to the Grandmother Effect, grandmothers lived beyond their natural reproductive life just so they could care for their grandchildren while mother went out foraging with father. Or, nowadays, maybe just out for dinner and a movie!
Barack Obama said that one of the best decisions he made when elected to the Senate was staying in Chicago and being just 10 minutes away from Sasha and Malia’s grandmother. “She loved nothing more than to spend time with her grandkids.” She sounds “gaga” to me!
At the Democratic National Convention this year, Michelle Obama said, “My mother’s love has always been the sustaining force for our family and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion and her intelligence reflected in my daughters.” She begged her mom to come to Washington with them to help keep the kids grounded while in the White House.
With accolades like that for the new “First Grandma” you can see why I’m so excited. I can’t wait to hear more about her relationship with her granddaughters.
And for all you other grandmas, the next time your daughter or son asks you to babysit, remember you’re contributing to the longevity of your grandchildren.
