Residents Associations in the UK

There is no doubt that today’s grandparents are a new breed. Many are strong and independent, and every bit as “modern” and savvy as their grandchildren. Some are traditional, others decidedly not. But different as they may be, most grandparents do share one common trait—an unabashed and limitless love for their grandchildren.

Have you ever wondered how you compare to other grandparents? Here are some random “grandparent facts,” little tidbits of information about grandparents and grandparenting in the twenty-first century.

• There are over 14 million grandparents living in the UK

• Over 80% of grandparents provide at least some hands-on care for their grandchildren and over 60% of working parents rely on their own parents to help them with childcare on a regular basis

• One in every one hundred children lives with a grandparent

• The financial burden of raising grandchildren is a real concern for many of today’s grandparents, who may find themselves wholly responsible for the day-to-day care of their grandchildren. Increases in parental inability or unwillingness to provide safe and stable home environments have left many grandparents to raise a second generation of children

• It is estimated that over a million grandparents are being denied access to their grandchildren, usually because of unresolved conflicts between the children’s parents and grandparents. Except in rare cases, parents have the legal right to decide when and if others, including grandparents, can have contact with their children

• The contributions that grandparents make in the aid of their children’s children is estimated to save the economy £4 billion annually

• According to the Grandparents’ Association, the youngest grandparent that they are aware of is only 28 and the youngest great-grandparent 54

• One fifth of grandparents under the age of sixty are also step-grandparents, but many if not most enjoy warm and loving relationships with both their natural and step grandchildren

For more information, visit www.proudgrandparents.co.uk