728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Grandparent Rights › Grandma in Charge

Grandma in Charge

When Grandparents Care for Kids

By C.J. Johnson

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Retrospect

One thing is for certain: The influence of grandparents is timeless. Michelle Smith of Chico, Calif., is proof of that.

"My grandparents cared for my sister and I during our early toddler years and on through grade school," she says. "Most of my happiest childhood memories took place with my grandparents, especially my grandma. We spent so much time singing. She taught us how to sing songs from the musical Oklahoma and how to sing in rounds."

Her grandmother also took time to create special memories. Smith recalls how they used to get dressed up and go out to a restaurant called The Copper Penny for "girl cheese" sandwiches.

Together, her grandparents were able to make her childhood magical. "Grandma and Grandpa had a pool in their backyard and we swam and swam and had barbecues and ate shrimp cocktail," she says. "Grandpa built a waterfall in the corner of their yard and we would take the stone path around the back of it, pretending to be explorers."

Although Smith's grandmother, Ardith Wilson of Montague, Calif., was not financially compensated for her help, what she gathered from the experience was priceless.

"The best part of taking care of my grandchildren was watching them grow up," Wilson says. "I was there as they began to talk and communicate."

Perhaps all parents considering this arrangement should listen to her words of advice: "The best place for children is with their grandparents rather than with a baby-sitter or in a daycare facility," Wilson says. "Grandparents are able to give the children real love, as well as attention."

How Old Is Too Old?

How does an adult child know when grandparents are too old to care for the grandchildren? Dr. Pompa believes that if grandparents have any of the following characteristics, they are too old to care for small children.

  • A grandparent with health problems who cannot keep up with the normal physical demands of caring for a child.
  • Grandparents who feel emotionally stressed at the end of the day.
  • Grandparents who feel irritable and end up yelling at or hitting the grandchildren.


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.