Should Grandparents Have To Be The Primary Care Provider For Their Grandparents

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Grandparents having to be the primary care provider for grandchildren can be huge strain for those grandparents. Socially, grandparents have the freedom to spoil their grandchildren because they are usually freed from other responsibilities. Being able to spoil their grandchildren give older adults a lot of emotional satisfaction because it allows them to try to be a better grandparents than they were as a parent. But if they have are the primary care provider for their grandchildren, they it will greatly shift the dynamic in the grandparent-grandchildren dynamic. Grandparents will have to be stricter and be able to say no to their grandchildren. Grandparents would have to go through parenting all over again, this time with their grandchildren. Not only would it create emotional strain for older adults, it will create physical challenges as well. …show more content…

Grandparents who care for their grandchildren will have to be alert at all times and be willing to chase them around if they get out of control. Taking care of grandchildren and keeping up with them could take a toll on older adults, physically. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of raising a child in approximately $250,000 (for food, housing, education, and other expenses up to age 18). If grandparents are the sole providers for their grandchildren, this will be big financial burden for them, especially if they are already retired. Children who are raised by their grandparents also have a more difficult time in school. Studies have shown that children raised by grandparents experience higher levels of academic, behavioral, and emotional difficulties than their peers. And according to one article, children raised by grandparents bully more frequently

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