'I'm a glam nanny - people always think I'm my granddaughter's mum'
A glam gran says she regularly gets mistaken for her granddaughter's mother because of her youthful appearance, with strangers often assuming she's simply too young to have grandchildren. Dionne Smith, 45, was 16 years old when she gave birth to her eldest son, Jordan, who is now 29.
Jordan went on to become a father himself at the age of 23, making Dionne a grandmother at just 38. At the time, Dionne felt as though she was too young to be a grandma, so prefers not to use terms such "gran" or "granny", opting to refer to herself as "nanny" or "glam-ma" instead.
Now granddaughter Zariah is six, and the celebrity hairstylist says she has a hard enough time trying to convince people she has three sons in their twenties, let alone a grandchild.
Dionne has three sons in their twenties (Caters News Agency)
She welcomed her granddaughter Zariah when she was 38 (Caters News Agency)Dionne, who lives in East London, said: "I definitely thought I was too young to be a grandma when I found out my son, Jordan, was having a baby, but then again, I thought I was too young to become a mum. Jordan was much older than I was when I had him, so I couldn't really say anything.
"I didn't feel old enough to be called gran or grandma so I decided I was going to be called 'glam-ma' because lots of people were saying that I was going to be a very glamorous and young grandmother, so I came up with my own term. I knew from the start that I didn't want to be called gran because it just didn't feel right as I was in my thirties, so I either go by glam-ma, or my granddaughter calls me nanny."
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She added: "People tell me all the time that I look so young for my age, and no one ever believes me when I tell them I'm 45. They say they'd guess that I'm in my late twenties or early thirties. So, it is even more of a shock when I tell them my eldest son is 29, and that I have two more sons in their twenties, as well as a six-year-old granddaughter. Their faces are a picture.
"They say that I hardly look like a mum, never mind a gran. I have to admit that I do have really good genes because everyone in my family looks young for their age too. I also like to look after myself, live my best life, and get dressed up in stylish clothes."
Many people assume Dionne is still in her late twenties or early thirties (Caters News Agency)It's taken a bit of getting used to, but Dionne adores being a young gran and says there are a number of perms to still being youthful enough to keep up with her little granddaughter. There have been some challenges to navigate, however, and Dionne has had to learn how to balance her career with grandma duties.
According to Dionne: "Becoming a gran before 40 means that I am young enough to keep up with my granddaughter. I have that young energy and mentality and the way that I think is different from most older grandparents. I'm not traditional and set in certain ways.
"I'm more open-minded with ways of life, and I think I am more understanding too. There are definitely positives to being a younger gran, and they contribute to the special bond that I have with Zariah. However, I am still building a career and trying to do things for myself, so it can be challenging finding a balance between myself, being a mum and a grandmother.
"Sometimes I feel guilty for working hard and building a career, as it feels like I have to sacrifice quality time with my family. However, Zariah loves having a younger gran, and there is definitely a difference between the relationship she has with her gran on the other side who is older."
Dionne reckons there are plenty of perks to being a younger gran (Caters News Agency)Dionne faced a number of challenges after becoming a teenage mum and didn't receive any support from her family. She ended up having to leave school without getting her qualifications to care for her son but says this only increased her determination to do well in life.
She continued: "It was really hard. My family were disappointed in me, and so were my teachers as they had high hopes for me. My dad said I had disgraced the family, and that I was just going to be another wasted teenage parent. This just fuelled me to do better for myself and keep going.
"All of a sudden, I had a baby to take care of, so it gave me the drive to make something of my life. I always wanted to work for myself so I could make money but also have the flexibility and freedom to be there for my kids if something happened. I had to push myself and work really hard to achieve my dreams. I think becoming a mum at 16 made me the way I am today and gave me that drive. I wouldn't change my life for the world."
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