I was raised in a household that spanned generations. My grandmother belonged to the Silent Generation, my mother to the baby boomers, and my older siblings were Gen X. As a millennial, I grew up watching the world shift, through the rise of the internet, the explosion of social media, and the social changes brought by global events like the pandemic. But nothing shaped the way I parent my children more than the quiet strength of my grandmother’s values.
After my grandfather passed away, my maternal grandmother moved in with us. Nanna, as we lovingly called her, brought with her a way of life shaped by a very different world. One where traditions held steady and family came before all else. Her presence in our home was a constant source of calm, order, and quiet wisdom. While our world buzzed with screens and change, she stayed rooted in structure and discipline.
So many of her Silent Generation values shaped me into the mother I am today
Nanna was dignified, firm, and loving in her own way. She believed in respect towards elders, teachers, neighbors, and even household help. She taught us to sit properly, speak politely, and treat family disagreements with grace. She didn’t preach much, but her actions taught us more than lectures ever could. She welcomed guests with unmatched warmth and managed the household with a sense of pride and purpose.
I learned most of my basic life skills from her. She kept everything clean and in place. “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” she’d often say. She taught me to cook with love and patience, showing me how a few simple ingredients could become something wonderful. Whenever someone compliments my cooking today, I feel her hand in it.
She was also a natural storyteller. I remember sitting beside her as she recounted how she raised nine children with discipline, love, and limited means. Her stories weren’t dramatic. They were simple accounts of everyday life, just children learning to be kind, responsible, and resilient. She always said character mattered more than anything money could buy.
Not all of her views fit my world today
Nanna grew up in a time when institutions were trusted without question. Teachers, principals, and local leaders were seen as fair and deserving of respect. If a child was punished at school, parents supported the school. That system made sense in the world she knew, where rules were consistent, and communities were tightly knit. But things are different now. I want my children to respect authority, but I also want them to think for themselves. I want them to know that rules must be fair, and that systems should serve people, not the other way around.
Another difference lies in how we express love. My grandmother was not one for hugs or words of affection. Her love was quieter, as she showed it through worry, care, and the effort she poured into her family. Her children grew up feeling deeply loved, even without the outward signs.
I, on the other hand, am quick with hugs and kisses. I tell my children I love them almost every single day. That doesn’t make my way better. Just more in tune with the world I live in now, where emotional openness is encouraged.
My grandmother’s values are shaping a stronger home today
It has been over a decade since my Nanna passed away, but her influence is still alive in our family. I see it in my siblings and cousins, who are raising their children with the same sense of responsibility, warmth, and discipline that she once passed on to us. We have carried her values into our own homes, adapting them to fit a new time.
I talk about her with my children often. I teach them the habits she taught me, like tidy spaces, respectful words, and the importance of showing up for family. I see how these values are shaping them into grounded, empathetic individuals. Above all, the family bond we’ve built feels strong and lasting. I owe so much of that to the quiet strength of my grandmother’s values. Passed down, adapted, but never forgotten. They are working wonders in shaping a home that feels both rooted and full of love.
Even in a world that looks nothing like hers, the heart of my Nanna’s lessons still hold true.
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