Nannie

[greer]

What do you guys think of Nannie? I really like her in LS books--I think she and Karen have a really good relationship and she is perhaps the most understanding and gives the best advice to Karen out of all the adults. I just can't understand why she didn't help out the Thomases more after Patrick left. Thoughts on Nannie?

[sugarmonkey]

she kind of bugged me. The young-at-heart old lady that is such a "character" because she bowls and drives a pink piece of crap is just cliched and boring and bugs me.

[aln1982]

^ I didn't like that, either, and I couldn't stand her in the BSC books. I think Mr. Mom gave me a bad impression because she reminded me of my grandma with the "nobody wants me" guilt thing. I really like her, though, in the LS books (except in Karen's Birthday where I think she kind of causes the problem) It's strange how I like both her and Elizabeth more in LS books and Karen too but like Kristy and Andrew much less.

[mckay]

I kind of understood how she must have felt in Mr. Mom, though. She's moved in to take care of Watson and Elizabeth's newly adopted daughter, is basically her primary caregiver, and then is obsolete because her son-in-law suddently can't work? I'd be a little hurt too. She didn't handle it well, though.

[booboobrewer]

I never saw the problem with Nannie. I liked her - both in BSC and LS. The whole issue of her not helping out so much after Patrick skipped out, I just kinda saw as her not having retired yet and Elizabeth insisting that she could do a good job of raising the kids on her own. Elizabeth was young when she had her kids so I assumed Nannie was fairly young too and still working. And despite the chapter twos always describing her as not the knitting, cookie-baking grandmother, I like the mentions of her when she IS doing those things, like when she has cookies waiting for Kristy and Bart after softball practice, or when she knitted those presents for her grandchildren in Kristy's Big Day. She seemed very likeable in LS too.

[msstock87]

I always liked Nannie, I liked how she seemed like the "cool" grandma and then at other times seemed like the normal grandma baking cookies and knitting. I liked how she was shown in both worlds.

[macca]

She bugged me - I don't think her character was developed enough and I could definitely sense a sulky, manipulative side in Mr Mom, as others have said. Also, I wish she'd have picked Kristy up from meetings occasionally, so Kristy wouldn't have to pay Charlie (Emily and the younger kids could've been left with the older boys for half an hour, surely) ... then we could've seen a relationship between those two. Instead, it seemed like Nannie had a relationship with Emily and none of the others. I haven't read many of the LS books, though.

[aln1982]

^ I felt the same about Nannie in the BSC books. That's why I was surprised that I liked her in the LS books, though I can definitely see her manipulative side coming out in some of those, too (but maybe it's just me comparing her too much to my own grandma who actually doesn't have that much in common with her.) It also bugs me how they made such a big deal about how "cool" Nannie was.
One interesting parallel I noticed was between Nannie and Emily's relationship (potentially) and Claud and Mimi's. I wonder if this is because Nannie/Mimi is the main caretaker so has the more important role, even over the parents.

[hitzpink]

I haven't read Kristy & Mr. Mom yet and don't really pay attention to Nannie in general, but the whole "cool grandma" thing really bugs me. Nannie drives a pink car. Nannie wears pants (?!). Nannie goes bowling! What a nut!!

[alula]

^Don't you know, hitzpink? Grandmas are supposed to wear fussy dresses with lace collars and shawls, or something.

Yeah, sometimes the "she's not a normal grandma" bugs me, just as a writing quirk. I always felt like I was being talked down to, actually, with that phrase--it's like, Hi, Ann and Ghostwriter, I KNOW not all grandmas are prim little old ladies, thanks.

The Nannie and Emily thing doesn't bother me as much as some people, maybe because my grandmother was the primary caregiver for my older cousin (by the time my younger cousin was born, Nana was battling cancer and she couldn't really do it full time anyway), but maybe just because of my own experiences I relate it to that. I get the point about Elizabeth and Watson never being home, but I don't mind the special closeness Nannie and Emily seem to have, like at that sports day thing where Emily didn't want to be separated for her.

[macca]

hitzpink said:

I haven't read Kristy & Mr. Mom yet and don't really pay attention to Nannie in general, but the whole "cool grandma" thing really bugs me. Nannie drives a pink car. Nannie wears pants (?!). Nannie goes bowling! What a nut!!

You know, I really don't see why any of that makes her such a hip, cool granny. She probably bowls with a senior citizens club and lots of old ladies wear pants and drive crappy old cars. Big deal.

[liss31d]

One of the most annoying non-descript characterisations - "Nannie is such a character"

[aln1982]

I think it would be interesting to see Nannie have a love interest and to see how the family reacted. This was done a little in Karen’s Mistake. I’m thinking of this because my 76 year old great aunt whose husband died a few years ago just started dating a guy who she has known since HS. It’s really sweet and she’s super happy. Of course, my grandma who is a few years younger and also a widow is super jealous. ;D I wish she would have found someone (not that there’s not still time but she won’t even try) to be happy with after my grandpa died ten years ago. I know my mom would be happy, too, and I’m not sure how my one aunt would react but the other would freak. Maybe that’s because grandma has always baby-sat her kids…. This is what makes me wonder about the Brewer-Thomas reaction to a love interest for Nannie.

[wenonah4th]

Honestly, my own grandmothers, in some ways are like her. Maternal grandmother may have a home ec lab for a kitchen (she did teach it for a few years), but how many 26-year-olds can borrow their grandmothers' shoes without batting an eyelash?
Paternal grandmother is still working at 80. She was at home for decades, of course, but went to work as a receptionist for a doctor in her sixties and still does. (That doctor would be utterly lost without Grandma!)

[nothingtolose18]

I really liked Nannie, especially in the LS books. I remember in one book (not sure what one it was, though) when Karen says how she feels that she doesn't live her step-grandkids and adopted grandkid as much as her real grandkids, and Nannie told her how she loves all of her grandkids, and that they are all real to her. I thought that was sweet. Of course, I'm a sucker for sappiness.