7 Valuable Lessons We Can Learn From Celebrity Grandparents

7 Valuable Lessons We Can Learn From Celebrity Grandparents

There must be something in the water... because baby fever is taking Hollywood by storm. We have a slew of new celebrity babies that are just as (if not more) famous than their glamorous parents. Little North West has made it onto the pages of fashion-bible Vogue before her first birthday. Blue Ivy has been mentioned in rapper dad Jay-Z's music. And the heir to the British throne, Prince George, stole the show with his cuteness on his first royal tour.

But here at Huff/Post50, we know that behind every happy child, there's an incredible, loving grandparent. So whether you're a grandparenting novice or a seasoned pro, here are seven valuable lessons we can learn from these adoring celebrity grandparents:

Spoil them while you can.
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Sally Field has had a number of roles under her belt, but these days you can find her playing babysitter to her grandkids -- despite her busy schedule. "I'm probably like every other grammy. I give them too much. I let them run all over me," Field told Ladies Home Journal of her four grandchildren. "They love to come over to the house and swim in the pool... When I can be with them I am a great grandmother."
Share your interests with them.
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It seems the Beatles rocker Paul McCartney has always wanted grandkids -- and now he has his wish. He penned the song, "When I'm Sixty-Four" back in the 1960s, which includes the phrase, "If it's not too dear; We shall scrimp and save; Grandchildren on your knee; Vera, Chuck & Dave."And now McCartney is the proud grandpa of eight! And it appears they've inherited some of his musical genius. He told The New York Times about how, like any cool grandpa, he plays "Rock Band" with his grandkids. "My grandkids always beat me at Rock Band. And I say, Listen, you may beat me at Rock Band, but I made the original records, so shut up," he said. Adorable.
Trust, appreciate, and respect your kids as parents.
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While Blythe Danner calls being grandma her top role and the one that's most important to her, you won't find her doling out parenting advice to daughter Gwyneth Paltrow. "I'm not quite as wise and judicious in my input. I try to just be there if needed," Danner told MSN. "My daughter is extraordinary with them," she said of grandkids Apple and Moses. "She’s a much more patient mother than I was...when she had children she just was completely devoted to that and listens to them and talks to them. They never have temper tantrums because she just knows how to sweep them aside and talk to them and they listen. She’s very rational. I just admire it. I don’t know how she does it really," Danner said in an interview with Cinema Blend.
Emulate your own grandparents.
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Prince Charles is just starting to get the hang of being a grandparent, with his first grandchild being born less than a year ago. But it's clear the future monarch has it figured out pretty well already. The heir to the throne told well-wishers on a royal visit that he's following his late grandmother's lead. "Yes, it's a different part of life. The great thing is to encourage them. Show them things to take their interest. My grandmother did that, she was wonderful."He also added the importance of developing a close bond with your grandkids early on and that he's been told he will likely have more time for his grandkids than he did for his kids. The Queen Mother had a particularly close relationship with Charles since he was a child, and reportedly even tried to help keep him from attending a boarding school far away from home.
Lead by example.
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Heartthrob Tony Danza is among Hollywood's youngest grandparents, becoming a grandpa at just 53! Danza himself was a young father, but says parenting is even more difficult nowadays. His advice? " it all goes back to showing them how to be a good person. Keep them close to you. And make dinner together," Danza told Grandparents.com. Danza says he enjoys cooking with his grandson, "Nicky Macaroni," making pizza with him. "I want to be a good example."
Draw from your own parenting mistakes.
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Parenthood was a bumpy road for crooner Lionel Richie and his reality-TV-star daughter, Nicole. Nicole had a troubled phase around the same time she shot to stardom in Hollywood, dealing with drug addiction and legal troubles. She's since become a successful fashion designer, philanthropist, and mother. "When you have a teenage daughter growing up in Hollywood, in the business, I mean, what I went through with Nicole... honestly, there is no control," Richie told omg! Insider. Richie says he's better being grandfather, than he was being a father, given his parenting experience. Richie said Nicole now comes to him for parenting advice.
Make up your own rules.
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Find out what works for you, whether it's a certain style of grandparenting, how often you see your grandkids, or how much involvement you have in major decisions in their life.Heck, you don't even have to call yourself a grandparent. Admittedly, many people are daunted by being called "grandma" or "grandpa" -- especially when they are younger grandparents. Blythe Danner, Goldie Hawn, and Priscilla Presley all prefer not to be called grandma, given the "aged" connotation of the word. Hawn calls herself a "Glam-ma." There's more than one right way. Find out what works for you and your family.

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