The Role of Grandparents in Modern Society
In this modern age, the role of grandparents is different than it was a generation ago, and it’s still changing. With couples waiting longer to have children and more and more grandparents taking an active role in raising their grandkids, the role of grandparents in modern society is definitely evolving. It can be hard to know just what grandparents are supposed to do these days!
Here are some ideas and thoughts to help orient you as to the role of grandparents in modern society.
1. Working Grandparents
Just because you’ve earned the title of “grandma” or “grandpa” does not mean you’re old, or that you’re retired. People can become grandparents in their early 40s or even in their 30s. And some grandparents are working well into their 60s. So working grandparents are a fact of life in modern times. Sometimes working grandparents take time on the weekends or evenings to connect with their grandkids and kids.
Within this demographic are grandparents who work part time, and arrange their schedules so they can watch their grandkids or do something with them each week.
2. Caretakers
In this day and age where single parent homes are more and more common, grandparents are taking an active role in raising their grandkids. Many kids live with their grandparents full time. Usually, grandparents who are full- or part-time caretakers of their grandkids no longer work outside the home, or work only part time.
Many grandparents today find themselves helping to raise their son’s or daughter’s kids because they are single parents, or because both parents work outside the home.
3. Divorce Support
When a divorce happens in a family, grandparents can play a supportive role. Watching their parents split is hard on children, and grandma and/or grandpa can help provide some stability and reassurance. Also, grandparents in divorce situations can open their homes for long-term or short-term visits with their grandkids, depending on how the visitation schedule gets worked out. And once the divorce happens, grandparents may find themselves taking on more of the caretaker role.
4. The Sandwich Generation
Modern times have given rise to what’s come to be known as “the sandwich generation.” This generation of parents is trying to care for young children and aging parents at the same time. In cases like this, one or both grandparents may need care, making their role very different from that of the independent grandparent. Grandparents in this scenario can still actively contribute to their grandchildren’s lives, but generally the parents will need to act as a go-between; grandparents in this phase of life have a hard time keeping up with young children when they need care of their own.