The competitive race to "best" other parents has been part of family life for years: have the smartest child at the most prestigious university, have the child with the most impressive job or the fanciest wedding. Now it seems as if we're in another race: The Greatest Grandparent Ever.

What's this new race about anyway? Is it about the opinions of others? And who decides the winner?

The New Rules of the Greatest Grandparent Contest

The race to be the Greatest Grandparent Ever should never be about who's best, or about winning a prize. It should be all about serving the new baby. Your job is to work for the pleasure of your grandchild. You can still strive to be the Greatest Grandparent Ever, but you're racing against yourself, not other people. Your goal is to get better and better as a grandparent. How well you do depends on how well you meet your grandchild's needs.

As you think about what to do for your grandchild, consider that you can buy her lots of toys, but what she really needs is your love and attention - and not much more than that.

The Greatest Grandparent holds and cuddles, reads and listens, and plays. And the Greatest Grandparent gives the grandchild's parents help and emotional support. Being the Greatest Grandparent isn't easy, and it can't be done with a credit card or checkbook; it takes time, commitment, patience and forgiveness.

Can you still win the Greatest Grandparent race? Sure you can, and the prize you win is the greatest reward of all: the love of your grandchild.