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.
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Peak Grandparenting Era
- Nearly 60% of grandparents provided care for grandkids in 2022, showing an age of "peak grandparenting."
- Over 40% of working parents rely on grandparents for childcare, increasing pressure on older generations.
Historical Role of Grandparents
- Historically, grandparents were authority figures, not primary caregivers, as many parents had young children too.
- The image of grandparents as fun helpers emerged only after grandparents gained financial independence post-Depression.
Gaps in US Childcare Support
- Rising child care costs and more working parents push families to rely on grandparents more than before.
- Lack of government support creates a dependency gap that grandparents often fill as unpaid caregivers.