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Grandparenting
Grandparents and childcare survey - the results
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:
- 90% of grandparents surveyed had provided childcare for their grandchildren at some point in the last two years
- Two fifths (45%) look after their grandchildren once a week or more, with 4% looking after them every day
- Of those who look after their grandchildren on a regular basis, 91% are unpaid
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.
- A third (29%) pay for uniform and clothing
- Nearly a quarter (23%) give their grandchildren pocket money
- A fifth contribute towards holidays (21%)
- 12% pay for extracurricular lessons
- Grandparents also pay for toys (36%), schooling (2%), university fees (1%), childcare (6%), long term savings (21%)
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.
Are you providing childcare over summer? Join the discussion
Images: Shutterstock