The Brian Lehrer Show
Grandparents as Childcare
Apr 17, 2025
Faith Hill, a staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses the increasing reliance on grandparents for childcare and the pressures this puts on their retirement plans. She explores the evolving role of grandparents in modern families, detailing how economic challenges push them into active caregiving. Personal anecdotes reveal the joys and struggles of co-parenting, as well as the impact on family dynamics. The conversation also touches on the guilt some grandparents feel as they juggle work and caregiving, highlighting the complex realities of modern grandparenting.
14:10
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Quick takeaways
- Grandparents have shifted from traditional authority roles to becoming primary caregivers, indicating a significant change in family dynamics.
- The financial burdens of rising childcare costs are leading many working parents to rely more heavily on their own parents for support.
Deep dives
Changing Expectations of Grandparents
The role of grandparents in modern American society has evolved significantly, shifting from the traditional notion of being authority figures to being active caregivers. Historically, many grandparents were not primarily seen as caregivers but were often involved in more supportive roles as authority figures or household members. Recent trends show that nearly 60 percent of grandparents provided care for their grandchildren in 2022, with more than 40 percent of working parents relying on grandparents for childcare. This shift underscores a change in family dynamics, where grandparents are now frequently stepping into caregiving roles that were previously assumed by parents or childcare services.
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