Grandparents a Valuable Resource for Parents

A recent survey has revealed that a majority of grandparents help out by regularly caring for their grandchildren while their parents work. A total of 1079 grandparents were questioned during March about their caring role.

Insurance company Aviva carried out a tickbox.net poll where the results showed that large numbers of grandparents care for two children for on average 13 hours a week with very few being paid for these duties.

The poll estimated that these grandparents save their children more than £33 billion a year.

Other findings in the survey show that 28 per cent of grandparents regularly do the school run, 26 per cent sometimes cook for the children and grandchildren, 15 per cent assist with paying household bills and 13 per cent with the gardening.

Most grandparents (88 per cent) find a lot of fulfilment in forming close bonds with their grandchildren, but some do say they feel taken for granted and others are feeling the strain. A few say they are missing out on paid employment.

32 per cent don't like to say no to their children and feel guilty if they do so, while 30 per cent say that they sometimes put their own plans on hold to care for grandchildren.

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