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A survey by Gransnet looks at the vital role of grandparents who help parents with the childcare juggling act and how nine out of ten grandparents provide childcare for their grandchildren.
The survey of hundreds of grandparents with at least one grandchild finds that:
Of those who regularly care for their grandchildren, three quarters (72%) say they enjoy "just seeing them". The most popular activity the two generations enjoy doing together is reading (69%), followed by arts and crafts (64%) and cooking and baking (61%).
In addition to providing unpaid childcare, grandparents also contribute financially to their grandchildren’s wellbeing.
One respondent said that she gives her daughter £300 per month "for extras", and another explained that the lump sum she gave her grandchild "helps with our estate planning!".
Gransnet editor Lara Crisp said: "The summer holidays are a fretful time for parents as the logistics and financial implications of childcare mount up. Many of our users sacrifice their own holiday time to help out with childcare and spend more precious time with their grandchildren. It’s not a 100% tension-free arrangement (debates over screen time and the nutritional content of snacks can be heated) but as long as there’s some flexibility on both sides, everyone wins."
Read the full survey results.
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