How grandparents benefit families
When it comes to families, we all have more in common than we have differences. The Institute of Family Studies’ blog recently posted five facts about grandparents that looks at this golden generation here and around the world:
1. Grandparents keep on giving. Even though they’ve already raised their children, about half of all grandparents provide some kind of care to their grandkids. About one in 10 kids lived with a grandparent or two in their homes, and that number grew sharply during the recession as families combined households to save money. Black, Asian and Hispanic families are more likely to live with a grandparent.
2. Grandparents are providing a critical service caring for their grandchildren, but it comes at a cost.
Not only can it be stressful, it reduces the amount of free time grandparents have to enjoy leisure, exercise, spend time with friends and maintain other relationships. There are benefits, too, and many grandparents report that caring for their grandchildren makes them healthier and more active.
3. Not only are grandparents minding the kids, they’re also providing valuable support, and children benefit from their care.
In tough situations such as divorce or when a parent suffers from depression, grandparents play a buffering role and lessen the amount of stress a child feels. The positive impact continues as a child grows older, with people who are close to their grandparents feeling less depressed than those who weren’t.
4. Parents benefit, too. A grandparent’s willingness and ability to care for grandchildren helps a family financially, especially single-parent families. The extra help can allow a single parent to hold down a full-time job. Married mothers who can call on grandparents on an occasional or regular basis are 4 to 10 percentage points more likely to be employed than those who live far from them.
5. This is all good news for grandparents who want more grandchildren.
Grandparents who provide emotional support and child care to their adult sons and daughters make the parents’ decision to have more children more favorable.