Parenting poll: Do your kids have active or "part-time" grandparents?

Photo Credit: Getty ImagesAs we watch Marian Robinson, first lady Michelle Obama's mom, live in the White House to help manage the first family, some are wondering if the bar has been raised for grandparents and how they participate in their grandchildren's lives.

And in some instances, grandparents only want to visit with their grandkids. The New York Times published an article last week, "When Grandma Can't be Bothered." The story features blogger Catherine Connors from Her Bad Mother. She talks about how her mom "put her on notice" when Catherine had her first baby, letting the new mom know Grandma wasn't going to fit into a traditional role.

I grew up in a home where my maternal grandmother lived with us. She'd return to her home in El Salvador or travel with her son's family for about six weeks every year, but she was a full-time, hands-on grandma. And she played an important part of my life. My own mom and dad watched my first son once a week for nearly two years when I returned back to work, and the bond my son shares with his grandparents is magical. But the only expectation I've ever had for "the grandparents" is to love their grandkids and to spend some time with them. The fact that my mom and dad actually want to do so is icing on the cake.

I understand why some grandparents prefer to play a "part-time" role, only stepping in as a last resort. They're empty nesters and happy to be living their new, independent lives. But I do feel for those parents who can't get the support they need from family.

So let's get down to the poll: Do your kids have active or "part-time" grandparents? Did you have any expecations of how your parents would be as grandparents?