family & friends
Keeping it in the family
As real incomes fall and childcare costs rise, grandparents are throwing a lifeline to their children by taking on the informal childcare of their grandchildren
T
oday’s families are busier than ever before. Most children are raised in households where both parents work outside of the home, and
as families struggle to cope with the rising cost of childcare, grandparents looking after their grandchildren is the only way many families cope.
A new report reveals that UK childcare costs have risen by 19% over the last year, while the most recent fi gures from Grandparents Plus and Age UK suggest the hours of childcare provided by grandparents have risen even more – by 35%. Meanwhile, another study by
vouchercloud.com found 39% of parents rely on their own parents for assistance to minimise with childcare costs. Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of
Grandparents Plus, a charity championing the role of grandparents, points out the survey also found how 54% of parents said they’d trust the grandparents more than outside childcare. “That trust in the childcare that grandparents provide is fundamental,” she says. Grandparents Plus and Age UK have estimated the economic value of grandparental childcare at £7.3 million. But for many grandparents it’s not about the
44
money – the overwhelming motivation is to help their children, and also, simply because they love their grandchildren.
Plan ahead for family fun
Parents often feel pressured to make sure that their children are involved in at least some extra-curricular activities, but they may feel bad that their busy schedules prevent them from keeping close ties with other family members. In all likelihood, grandparents and other extended family are also quite busy, so the best way to be sure that you get to spend quality time together is to make plans in advance. Gone are the days when grandparents could almost always be found at home, with plates of fresh-baked cookies and cakes ready for visiting grandchildren. Today’s grandparents may still be in the workforce themselves and if not, are likely to be involved in any number of social and community organisations. Family ties are important, though, so all family members should strive to make arrangements for regular get-togethers. It might be hard to convince your
children that they will enjoy visiting family members as much as they would like
playing with their friends, especially if family visits consist of sitting around the lunch table for long periods. If, however, families schedule fun outings and other child- friendly activities at least part of the time, children will learn that their family members can be fun to hang around with.
Grandparents and other adult family members may enjoy attending sporting events, dance recitals, or other events that youngsters are involved with – children feel great when they have large cheering sections and can recognise a smiling face in the audience!
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52