Half of Spanish grandparents spent more than 6 hours a day in the care of their grandchildren

on the occasion of the grandparents day, held on 26 July, geriatrics and Gerontology Spanish society calls for prudence to overload the tasks of caring for their grandchildren grandparents

– for the most part of the cases, this activity is done on a voluntary basis and with pleasure, but in some cases the grandparents have the sensation of making a full-time workday and feel forced a few loads of care and education of the grandchildren.

Madrid, 2011-July the current economic situation and the difficulty of reconciling work and family life of parents, forcing that increasingly more families seek help grandparents caring for grandchildren, in after-school hours. Such is the situation, that half of the Spanish grandparents spend an average of six hours a day, according to data older 2010 survey prepared by the Ministry of health and Social policy.

Shared benefits

However, this decision is not only economic, also based on the trust parents place on grandparents. Parents often agree on is their children who are better with their grandparents. Grandparents also taking advantage of this situation, that being with his grandchildren makes them feel more alive and useful and, in addition to combat loneliness is an opportunity to live a second paternity ”.

Grandparents can bring to the grandchildren many things: time, patience, experience, tolerance, a sense of family and the valuable ability to diversify beyond parental attachment relationships. And many children love being with their grandparents for various different reasons. Some because next to grandparents not so many orders or obligations, and others because they can do different things with them.

For Dr. Alfredo Bohórquez, Secretary general of the Spanish society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, regardless of age, the most important factor for the individual performance of a person is their State of health. More than 85% of older people are healthy and sufficient capacity to assume complex activities such as conducting studies in older universities, preside over major companies, directing chairs or carry out major research projects ”.

But one aspect is the ability to do something and the other the ability and desire to do so. The care of the grandchildren, usually an activity that falls in many grandmothers and grandfathers, especially in times of the year in which it is impossible to reconcile the working day of mothers and fathers and the school calendar. While it is true that in most cases, this activity is done on a voluntary basis and with pleasure, is also true that in some cases the grandmothers and grandfathers have the sensation of making a full-time workday and feel forced into a few loads of care and education ”, explains Dr. Bohórquez.

Think of the grandfather

Take care of the grandchildren should be a pleasurable activity for grandfather and grandson, but never become a burden to the mayor who feels overwhelmed by tasks to perform, since this situation may lead, eventually, stress, anxiety or depression problems if the grandparents are overloaded activities with grandchildren to the detriment of their own needs.

Therefore the SEGG recalls in Grandpa’s day, that the parents and grandparents are cautious about exercise as grandparents kangaroos and having in mind that:

– there are grandparents whose highest aspiration is to devote his time to caring for their grandchildren, but also any who wish to dedicate the free time now have (or part of it) to enjoy hobbies and activities that could not be allowed When they were younger, and that it is very respectable. They have the right to life and your time.

– others, according to the case and the age, may have reduced their forces and take care of their grandchildren can be exhausting for them, even if they say no.

-grandparents need to enjoy their grandchildren (and vice versa). Parents should not prevent this contact.

Decalogue of the Kangaroo grandfather

To take the task of caring for grandchildren in the best possible way, the SEGG recommends grandparents:

1 – do what you can and you do not overload of work. Take care of the grandchildren must be an activity of pleasure, never a burden or a work that exceeds us.
2 – Learn to say not ”. To tasks that you do not see capable, or if you have other plans or commitments, do not be afraid to tell your children that today can not take care of your grandson ”.

3 – Do not neglect your health. You know where your limits are and do not forget your checkups.

4 – Before any problem or if the situation you are hands, talk with your child. It is best to establish some basic rules and there will always be a fluid between the two communications.

5 – Book you your own space and time. Still practicing the activities that you both like and enjoy your leisure time.

6 – Stay in good physical shape, beam exercise, following a proper diet and stimulates your mind.

7 – Don’t feel guilty if you are not able to perform the tasks as before. You think that you no longer have the agility, nor the years that when your you had children and it is logical that things will not go just as well or even that you can not perform any task, you do not blame this.

8 – Tries to carry out activities with your grandson to suit you and you reconforten the two. You should also bear in mind you in planning activities, for example, take your grandson to an amusement park may be inappropriate and too stressful for you, but instead a walk in the park or a few Board games can be great for an afternoon.

9 – Put limits. Being with the grandfather does not mean that the grandson do what want you ”. It establishes a set of rules that your grandson must meet when you are with you.

10 – Enjoy your grandson and moments shared with him trying to see the positive side of things and takes advantage of the experiences with your grandson.

On the SEGG

Geriatrics and Gerontology Spanish society is a large and active European societies. Currently has more than 2,300 members of multidisciplinary areas: doctors (specialists in geriatrics, primary care, etc.), sociologists, diploma in nursing, social workers, pedagogues, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, geographers, architects, economists, pharmacists, etc.

For the SEGG, older people are its main raison d ’ être and therefore their work pursues two main lines of action: the universalization of the geriatric care specialist in order to avoid inequalities and monitoring of the law of the unit ”.