It’s a phenomenon that is becoming more common. Grandparents are stepping in when their children aren’t capable of caring for their grandchildren. While the proportion of children living in grandfamilies doubled since 1970, those numbers only captured the children who arrived at grandmas via child welfare. Many grandparents take in their grandchildren without any state or local involvement.
New additions to a home settling into retirement years can turn lives upside down. However, many find joy in the opportunity to spend more time with a beloved grandchild. They find a new sense of purpose right when others of their age feel less and less necessary. How can you not feel younger as you get up to speed with the youngest generation’s latest trends?
Studies show that children who live with their grandparents have fewer behavioral issues than those who stay with a non-relative in foster care. Grandparents who parent grandchildren are a gift to their families, and they should never underestimate the benefits they offer.
A significant challenge is the difference in stamina grandparents have today compared to when they raised children in their 20s and 30s. It is exhausting.
Read HERE for a more in-depth look at the legal and licensed foster-care issues grandparents face. There is no easy answer.
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/06/this-is-the-age-of-grandparents/561527/