My youngest son and his wife had a child late in life. All my other grandchildren are grown, and I have a great-grandchild older than him.
I have been honored to keep him for the last five and a half years, which has been great. I also got to keep my great-grandson until he was five.
There are ups and downs to keeping a grandchild. There can be joy but also tribulations.
You go through some testing times when you keep them for years. They want what they want when they want it. Grandparents want to spoil, not discipline, but that is unreasonable nowadays. I keep him two to three days a week. It used to be all day long until they put him in school at two. It was young, but he learned a lot then.
A lot of grandparents are raising their grandchildren these days. So things have changed. Someone has to discipline. I am not raising him but babysitting during the week. So there have to be ground rules for when I have him.
My grandchild likes video games. But he doesn't want limits. But there have to be limits and balance. A child also needs exercise and other activities. So, we butt heads on these subjects a lot.
According to https://retireguide.com
2.3 million grandparents alone provide 2.8 million children with homes, and 17% are below the poverty level.
38% of grandparents provide babysitting for their children.
64% of grandparents are women with grandchildren in their homes, and 52% are under 60.
According to the Census, in 1992, 7% lived with grandparents, which rose to 10% in 2018.
US Census reports high usage of prescription drugs in 2019 may be the result of some of the children ending up at grandparents' houses.
Here are some other causes:
Teen pregnancy
A parent in jail or prison
Military deployment
Go to the link above, which has many links to help grandparents mentally and financially. These are government links that have many programs for caregivers these days. These days can be stressful, and you must care for yourself while navigating parenthood at an older age.
My grandchild is almost six now, and it is adorable when he wants me to stay for dinner and watch Funniest Home Videos. I told him he has a 62-year-old for a best friend. He laughs.
You would think the boy would be tired of this Nana after all day. But I am so touched that he loves me and wants to spend time with me.
When he was about a year old, we would nap together. Boy, I miss those days. Even on those days, he knew when I was coming to keep him. If I had the energy he has now, so much would get accomplished.
Grandchildren are such a gift, and I wish everyone would realize this. I have all blonde and blue-eyed grandchildren except one. She looks like me. When they get grown, they have their own lives. You see them now and then after they become adults. I will see this one more often because his mom is more family-oriented. She was close to her grandmother and mom. Their family is more traditional — mom, dad, marriage, church, kid.
I hope you all enjoy being traditional grandparents and do not feel compelled to parent again at 50, 60, or even 80. We are living in tough times. People have their beliefs, and I wish children knew the situation.
Thank you for reading my article!!
Your message of cherishing the precious moments with grandchildren while also prioritizing self-care and maintaining boundaries resonates deeply, Thank you for sharing your heartfelt reflection on the joys and challenges of being a grandparent.