EXPECTATIONS
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GRANDPARENTS need to be clear about what they can and can’t do before any childcare starts – so if you know being at your daughter’s house for 7am every morning would affect your health/ wellbeing, make it clear right from the start.
Lara says: “Gransnet users say the trick to making this sort of childcare work is for everyone to be really clear about their expectations.
“Grandparents certainly shouldn’t be afraid to speak up if they realise they’ve taken on too much.”
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CONTINGENCY PLANS
MAKE sure you’ve discussed plans for back-up care for when grandparents or grandchildren are ill, or when grandparents go on holiday. DISCIPLINE methods have changed considerably over the generations, so it’s a good idea for grandparents to ask the parents how they deal with challenging behaviour, and what sanctions they’re happy with.
If grandparents want to bend the rules, it’s worth asking the parent first, rather than just telling them later – or having the grandchildren tell them.
A simple, “Do you mind if I let him stay up a bit later?” could avoid an argument.
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MANAGING YOUR GRANDCHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR
WHILE most grandparents aren’t paid for looking after their grandchildren, the reality is that they can be left out of pocket because of the arrangement.
Many grandcarers (21%) give up work or reduce their working hours to look after their grandchildren, and 27% say they’ve become financially unstable as a result.
To add to that, 64% say they spend up to £20 a day in the course of providing childcare.
To minimise this financial hit, it’s worth grandparents discussing the possibility of the grandchildren’s parents providing some money for the children’s expenses.