‘It sometimes feels like my grandkids speak a different language’

Do you find your grandchildren speak another language to you?

My grandkids are aged 15 – 3.

Today my 10-year-old grandson is here as he has apparently been suffering from a migraine. Though, thankfully he has improved out of sight since being here. It’s obviously my calming influence.

So, to occupy himself he has his iPhone and on said device is a basketball game which is clearly taking his mind of his alleged migraine. He is so excited about the game and his success that he wants to tell me all about it. As one of my sons is a basketball fan, I am familiar with some of the names he tells me are playing.

Beyond that, it is all another world.

He can buy and sell players; the better-known ones are according to him ridiculously priced.

I did ask him how he got started, as in did he have to spend money to start the game, but no, he says he wins game dollars from his efforts.

It’s obviously a very engaging game as he is constantly talking to the screen urging one player on especially if that player is on his team.

All this has had me wondering. My three little boys whom I see quite regularly will fill me in on the latest episode of Power Rangers, who’s who and who’s not.

The other afternoon I discovered the mystery of Ben 10. I’m still not sure who is who in that one.

They will always tell me that there are no scary parts as I threatened to run out of the room if there’s anything scary. No, they’ll say there’s nothing scary. Five minutes later the youngest one will tell me the next bit is scary.

My fifteen-year-old grandson is a bit of a computer nerd. One day I was having trouble with my laptop and asked him if he had any thoughts on how I might fix the problem. He looked at me with disdain before saying, “Grandad, turn it off and turn it on again.”

He was of course right and bore out what I have always known; if anything goes wrong with your computer find the youngest kid you can and ask them. They will know how to fix it.

When I was overseas on tour with a group of folk, all young, like myself, I had an issue with my iPad. Looking around there was one young couple on tour and, sure enough, the young lady knew just how to fix the problem.

Do you find your grandchildren as fascinating as I do?

Where we once used a note pad and pen, these kids have some device attached to their hand, and by pressing buttons, miracles occur.

What are the biggest difference between your grandkids and you when you were a child?