A step-grandparent can be created by various circumstances:
A childless person who marries someone whose children have children becomes a step-grandparent by marriage, having skipped the whole "children-of-their-own" phase.
Or your child may marry someone who has children by a previous marriage, thus making you an instant step-granddad or step-grandma, and possibly becoming a "blood" grandparent as well when and if this couple has children of their own.
The traditional role of grandparent is one that has existed for many generations. But the recently created label of step-grandparent is much more vague. This is both good and bad, since there are no firm guidelines, but there are also no preconceived expectations to live up to.
Most of us have warm memories of a grandmother who baked cookies for us, or read us stories, or made us feel special in some way that only she could. We remember our grandfathers as having the patience that our fathers didn't, and having the time to show us how to build or repair things. Today, there are many young grandparents and step-grandparents who, by getting an early start and living longer, will have many more years to enjoy their "grands".
How do children feel about having step-grandparents in their lives? Studies show that the answer has a lot to do with the age of the child. If a step-grandchild is born with three grandmothers, chances are they will all be loved equally. A teenager, however, may have a more difficult time with the arrangement, especially if they are a product of divorce and are adjusting not only to a new step-parent, but step-grandparents, too.
I am a step-grandmother because I married a man with children. My step-son and his wife have two boys, who are six and four. These little boys are the best thing in my life! I don't know how I could love them any more if they were my own flesh and blood. They have two "real" grandmothers, too, and have different relationships with each of us because we are each different. The boys are too young to understand that we are not related by blood, but they know that we are connected by love.
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