What is sexy about being a grandparent? That depends on the kind of grandparenting role you choose to take on. Unless you are handicapped or in some way limited in your ability to interact with your grandchildren, you have a wide range of options from which to choose.

Here are a few:

1. Spoil the kids by giving them everything they want, whenever they want it—just to win their approval and to keep them from throwing a fit every time you take them shopping for a basic pair of shoes. The motto here is: “Keep your wallet open and your mouth shut.” (This one is not recommended unless you are intent on helping your grown children raise their little ones to be huge pains in the butt.)
2. Be the iconic figure, which puts you at arm’s length from the younger generation, of course, but keeps you revered by them as an “elder.” You’ll get lots of respect, and—if you’re lucky—thank-you notes every year for your generous Christmas or holiday gifts, but not much affection. If you prefer living your life on the sidelines, however, this might be a natural role for you.
3. Be one of the boys—or girls. Get physically down and dirty with them—share in their activities, whether it’s riding a dirt bike or climbing a mountain. You might even start watching the “E” channel, MTV, etc, and checking out Internet sites like www.YouTube.com and www.MyFace.com just to learn about the latest fads and fashions, and to keep up with the ever-changing voice of American slang. If you want to be one of the kids, you have a lot of learning to do. The generation gap has widened considerably since you were a pup and keeps broadening all the time.
4. Be their champion. Go to all their events and applaud enthusiastically from the audience. Encourage them to do their scholastic best. Reward them for their every accomplishment. This is not the same as spoiling them because it offers incentive based on performance and therefore encourages excellence and responsibility.
5. Be a mentor. This is my favorite—particularly when combined with #4—because it allows you to give the child the benefit of your life experience—should they seek it out, of course. In the end, you can be responsible for teaching them how to respect and multiply their money, master a musical instrument, understand and interact with other cultures, speak several languages, be an expert golfer, be conversant in ancient history, and so on—depending on your background and your willingness to pass along to them the benefit of your wisdom. Being a mentor differs from being an icon in that it is an active role rather than passive, and allows you to leave an indelible legacy rather than simply an enigmatic image that fades over time.