Grandparenting Grows Up ... and Up
Professor David J. Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service (08-28-02)
"Over the river and through the woods ... to grandmother's house we go." Just about every boomer remembers singing
that song at one time or another. But, now that boomers are becoming grandparents themselves, they can appreciate
exactly why grandma chose to live so darn far away.
Yes, any new role can be quite challenging ... especially the role of grandparenting. Too bad that many families are separated by great distances, geographically and emotionally.
So where is a boomer supposed to learn the skills necessary for successful grandparenting. Help is on the way. And just in time. For growing numbers of adults, grandparenting is
not a choice. Over five million children now call grandma's house their home. That's right. 5,435,000 children, or nearly 1-in-8 children in the
United States, live in homes with a grandparent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The growing number of grandparents will impact many industries, causing unprecedented
growth in products designed to enhance the grandparenting experience. AgeVenture News predicts growth in the following areas.
1. Children's literature will incorporate a wider variety of grandparental roles and cultures.
2. Entertainment media will increasing focus on how to cope with loss, i.e. death and divorce.
3. Private agency eldercare will expand services to include emotional supports for caregivers.
4. Toys will focus on shared-entertainment partnerships between grandparent and grandchild.
5. Family albums go high-tech as intergenerational teams produce the virtual family legacy.
6. Family counseling and marital enrichment services will abound, helping families cope.
Here are two of the latest installments on grandparenting resources. They're quite good.
"Grandma U" (photo left) is authored by Jeanie Franz Ransom, a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
The book offers a new role model for America's new baby boomer grandmothers. Beautifully illustrated by Lucy Corvino, the book
introduces readers to new grandmother, Molly McCool who is a lovable, but dysfunctional grandma. Molly can't remember the old
nursery rhymes, hates rocking chairs, and her baked cookies are ... well, don't ask. Readers follow Molly as she remedies her
situation by enrolling in Grandma University in order to render a higher degree of grandparenting skills. The classes at GU
empower the mature students in the arts of diapering, baby talk, picture book reading, and making funny faces. 30 pages. 2002.
Peachtree Publishers Ltd, Atlanta, Georgia. $15.95.
"A Grandmother's Guide" by Ruth Meyer Brown is another excellent resource that offers practical advice and inspiration for extended babysitting.
Readers will find fun ideas for keeping children involved in a variety of activities. Meyers, a retired school administrator and
teacher offers suggestions for assessing your "grandparenting readiness", making your home "child-friendly", setting family
rules, and foods commonly enjoyed by children. Reference forms at the end of each chapter helps readers keep reminder notes
and checklists for future encounters with babysitting. Topics include a profile of contemporary grandparents, tips for getting
ready to babysit, checklists for routine events, behavior management strategies, handling emergencies and health problems. The
appendices are overflowing with tips for meals, bedtime routines, favorite places to go, sleep-overs, morning and afternoon
routines. 149 pages. 2001. Capital Books Inc, Herndon, Virginia. $16.95.
An AARP (2001) grandparent survey offers excellent data explaining the groundswell of interest in grandparenting. AARP's survey found that the average grandparent surveyed
became a grandparent for the first time at age 48 and almost half of those
surveyed were under 50 when their first grandchild was born. More than
two-thirds of grandparents (68 percent) see a grandchild every one or two
weeks and almost a quarter (24
percent) say they see their grandchild once a month to once every
few months. Principal barriers to more frequent contact, they
report, are living too far away (45 percent) -- almost half (45
percent) say their grandchildren live more than 200 miles away --
and their grandchildren's busy schedule (22 percent).
The survey finds that the most popular topics of conversation
between grandparents and their grandchildren are issues such as
school (84 percent), morals or values (78 percent), planning future
visits (72 percent), and daily activities (72 percent). Six percent of grandparents report having grandchildren living with
them and in almost half of these homes (43 percent) the parent is
not present. About five percent of white grandparents and 17
percent of African American grandparents have grandchildren
living in their homes. Additional information on AARP's findings appear in "The Grandparent Study 2002 Report", published by AARP, Knowledge Management, 601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC, May 2002.
Entrepreneurs looking for opportunities would do well to consider this growing segment of the population. A population with sufficient financial resources to seek out products and services
that offer dollar value and meet real needs. Afterall, grandparenting is growing on a grand scale.
Image credit: Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, Georgia.
See related articles in AgeVenture archives.
Grandparenting Growing on a Grand Scale
More Grandparents Raising Their Grandkids
America's New Boomerang Parents: Grandma & Grandpa
Read more about active seniors in the Lifestyles section.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Dr. David Demko, Editor
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