Grandparents missing contact with loved ones finding new ways to stay connected
FOR many people, one of the hardest parts of the coronavirus lockdown has been not being able to see family – and that’s been especially difficult for grandparents, who often live alone and depend on close family contact.
Indeed, at one of the recent government coronavirus briefings a question submitted online from a grandmother said: “I’m missing my grandchildren so much. Please can you let me know if, after the five criteria are met, is being able to hug our closest family one of the first steps out of lockdown?”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the question “brought home the emotional impact of lockdown” and that he hoped it would be allowed “as soon as possible” – although the UK’s chief medical adviser Chris Whitty warned that for some vulnerable groups, close contact with family may be a risk for some time.
Lara Crisp, editor of social networking site Gransnet, agrees lockdown has been particularly tough for grandparents, as they’re more likely to be in high-risk categories, and completely cut off from their beloved grandchildren. She says the impact on grandparents’ mental health is undeniable
– a Gransnet survey found 38% of grandparents were concerned about their mental health during lockdown, and even more (53%) were worried about their children’s mental health.
“This is a tough time for all of us,” says Lara, “but grandparents are finding it incredibly hard for a number of reasons. What’s interesting is that worry about their children and grandchildren and keeping those family bonds supersedes concern for their own health.”
Here, Lara outlines what grandparents are most concerned about during lockdown – and how they’re coping.
STAYING CONNECTED
GRANDPARENTS are working on new ways to stay connected, with 46% saying they’re speaking to friends and family more during lockdown, and 78% stating they’re maintaining their social relationships virtually.
“The positive side of technology has certainly proved itself in recent weeks, through family WhatsApp groups, video calls, and online communities such as Gransnet,” Lara says.
FRST-TIME GRANDPARENTS
“THE exquisite joy of having a tiny hand wrap around your finger, or that new baby smell – these simple pleasures just can’t be conveyed across FaceTIme. For now, grandparents are making do with regular calls, and new parents are sending frequent photos,” says Lara.
CHILDCARE
IN normal times, UK families rely on grandparents for childcare, and grandparents are used to having this regular contact. “Without it, many feel helpless,” Lara reflects. “They can see how hard it is for their families to juggle working from home with trying to keep the kids up-todate on schoolwork and feel they want to help in some way.”
She adds that many grandparents are supervising their grandchildren’s schoolwork on video calls, and reading storybooks to their grandkids at bedtime.
Says Lara: “This works even better if both granny and grandchild have a copy of the same book so they can read at the same time.”