How close are your children and their grandparents? How important do you think it is?

No, I don't think they should have rights. If the parents don't want their kids to see them, they have a reason for it. Granted, it might be a stupid reason, but it's their choice. That said, I'm pretty close with my grandparents and I think it's an important relationship in my life.

I love my mother's parents with all my heart, and I love my maternal grandmother more than any other person in the World.

On the other hand, I don't really like my paternal grandparents. I'm glad that they were never a very big part of my life growing up. They were sexist and believed in beating children as a punishment, so they were very disrespectful to me seeing as I was a female child.

No, I do not think that grandparents have the right to see their grandchildren if the parents don't want them to. However, if both the child and the grandparents want to see each other, the parents should not get the decision in that.

Are you talking about normal, loving grandparents? If so I think a relationship with them is damn near as important as the relationship with the parents themselves. I had one grandmother die almost when I was 13 (more than 18 years ago now), one who passed away just about 5 years ago, and I have one who is still living and unwilling to be a part of my life or my childrens lives.

I wouldn't trade the memories of my grandmothers for anything in the world. I treasure them and I always will. I miss my grandmothers and hardly a day goes by that I don't still think about them.

"Do you think grandparents should have rights if the parents are unwilling to let them see the child?"

Again, if were talking about normal loving grandparents YES!!!! Emphatically yes! I've seen too many cases of parents getting pissed at the other parent and because of that they stop loving grandparents from being a part of their kids lives. I think it's horrible.

I think if you have someone who wants to love your child like they deserve to be loved, love them like only a grandparent can, than the parents have no moral right to take that away from their children.

If I found out that my parents had kept loving grandparents away from me I'd have hated them for that.

My ex husband and I am divorced and it really does scare me that if anything happens to me he won't allow my parents to be a part of our kids lives anymore.

I can't stand my ex husbands mother. She's an evil woman who went out of her way to rip my children away from me. That being said she does love my children (although she has a bit of a warped way of showing it sometimes) and I would NEVER keep her away from them.

my daughter is fairly close to all her grandparents and great grandparents. I think it is important to have a good relationship with family, as long as the family isn't nuts.

It depends on the reason why the parents don't want there kids around the grandparents. If it is just because they don't get along, than yes. but if the grandparents were drug addicts who stole and beat up people than no.

I grew up seeing my grandparents as two extra sets of parents. They were loving, wise and protective. I wish my children had the same kind of relationship with my parents and my husband's father but unfortunately we don't live in the same states. We live in NYC, my parents in Florida and my father in law in California. I encourage my kids to call them often, to send them cards, letters and emails, and we see them as often as we can. My father in law sees them more often. My kids adore him and I love to see them together. My parents are not the traveling type. They don't like planes or being far away from their home.But we visit them when we can. The three are fantastic grandparents and next to my husband and I, they are the people who love these children the most. I want them to know and honor the memory of their grand-mama Jane who died before they were born. I'm sure she would have been a lovely grandma too.

The second part of the answer is a hard one. I think parents and grandparents who do not get along should spare no effort to behave like adults and let the children have more loving, caring people to trust and admire. However, if the relationship between parents and grandparents is so strained and negative, seeing them fight and argue could have a negative impact on everyone, the children included. So I don't think courts should "force" families to get along. If it cannot be done, it is a shame. Besides, there are pretty valid reasons why parents severe ties with their own parents, many times to protect their kids from bad role models, dangerous people and bad habits. Those motivations should be respected.

My son will be 10 months next week...and his grandmother has only seen him twice. Not because of me, mind you. She's just not interested. She was abusive toward me growing up and kicked me out at 16...now doesn't really want anything to do with me. She didn't see my son until he was 5 months old...again at 8 months.

Do i wish their relationship was better? Do i wish she was interested in him? Yes because regardless of how she was with me...i saw her was other kids and she was amazing with them. I was just something about me that she couldn't stand. And there are times when i feel guilty about him missing out on a grandparent because that grandparent just can't stand the sight of me.

However, he has 2 sets of grandparents on my fiance' side plus a great-grandmother, all who spoil him rotten and treat him like a little prince. They see him about once a month.

While i do think a child's relationship with their grandparent is important, i wouldn't go so far as saying they should be allowed to override the rights of a parent to decide who their kids have contact with and who they don't.

My MIL watches my daughter everyday, so I'd say they are pretty close. My FIL isn't around as much because he works, but he adores my daughter! My mom lives across the country as is rather self-absorbed, and her husband (my stepdad) passed away a year ago, so, sadly, my daughter will never know him. We go to visit my grandma and my bio dad a couple times a year, so my daughter knows them, too.

I think grandparents are very important. I was raised by mine in large part because my mom was single. I think that unless the grandparents are unfit for some reason, they should have rights to see their grandchildren.

I think that it is very important for a child to have a relationship with their Grandparents. It is a very special thing! Although, some Gparents cross the line and then there can be a problem. When I say cross the line, I mean, that some Gparents get upset if you aren't comfortable sending your 3 month old overnight with them.

My husband's parents live right down the road from us and they are always dropping by and we're always stopping by their house. I bet we see them 5 days out of the week, at the least. My parents live about 20 minutes away and we see them at least twice a week.

It's very important that our kids have good relationships with their grandparents. I do think grandparents should have rights unless them having a relationship with their grandchildren would be harmful. I feel very badly for kids who don't get to see their grandparents over superficial reasons.

they are not but only because the geographical distance between them. My husbands parents live 4 h plane ride away ( with nonstop flight) and mine.. well about 10 h but it takes at least 3 planes so you need about 24 h to get there with all the layovers.

When they do see them they get along really well and now my 7 y old has started saying how he misses them and he talks to them on the phone sometimes etc.

I do think its an important relationship and I feel bad they dont live closer to each other.

But should they have legal rights to see the child? no. I dont think so.