When it comes to returning to work after the period of maternity leave, many parents choose to leave their children in the care of grandparents. The bad work and family conciliation forces many parents to ask grandparents for help, because first of all, what is important is the fact that it is a family member rather than a stranger who takes care of the child.
Most grandparents greatly enjoy caring for their grandchildren, but this does not mean that they sometimes feel ** overwhelmed by the effort to take care of them for so many hours **, causing what is known as the "Slave grandfather syndrome".
One in four grandparents take care of their grandchildren
In Spain, one in four grandparents takes care of their grandchildren every day, according to a survey conducted by the Mémora Foundation. And of them, only 12% decide when to take care of the little ones.
Although in other European countries there are more grandparents who take care of their grandchildren, Spanish grandparents are the ones who spend more time caring for their grandchildren, an average of 7 hours a day.
But this choice can have a high cost, a situation that exceeds their physical and psychological abilities. Many grandparents put aside their activities and sometimes even give up their own vacations to attend to their grandchildren on strenuous days. A grandfather who wants to collaborate and feel useful may end up becoming a exhausted grandfather and no time for your own personal enjoyment.
An enjoyment and not an obligation
The relationship between grandchildren and grandparents is a relationship of mutual enrichment, and very positive from the emotional point of view. Children find in the grandparents a reference figure while the elders feel rejuvenated with the affection of the little ones and there are even investigations that ensure that they live longer.
But of course the care of the grandchildren must be a real enjoyment for the grandparents and not an obligation that undermines their physical and emotional health. When this point is reached, it is time to rethink it and find another solution.
He grandfather slave syndrome It is a phenomenon that has been installed in today's society in which the elderly are those who end up paying the great social deprivations in the field of child care.
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