A new, nationwide study, suggests as many as 53 percent of working parents have had to take on extra hours or additional work, in recent times.
And according to the findings, as many as four in ten grandparents have pledged to take a more active role in their grandchildren’s lives to help.
The study of 2,000 retirees, by McCarthy Stone, found over half (52%) claim there is more pressure on parents now than when they were young.
Four in ten (43%) have vowed to help because they cannot stand watching their loved ones struggle with the pressures of work, finances, and family life.
Overall, 42 percent of grandparents are helping regularly with the school run, on average five times a month, while 46 percent are hosting their grandchildren for sleepovers at least three times a month.
As many as 39 percent are undertaking weekly trips to the playground, while cooking evening meals for the family (35%) and doing the bath and bedtime routine (28%) are also falling under grandparents’ remits.
A third (28%) are doing the laundry, while the same number are even helping by walking the family dog.
One in five (21%) regularly delve into their toolbox to do DIY jobs around their children’s houses.
When it comes to helping financially, 16 percent have helped with their children’s weekly shop, while a tenth (12%) will put their hands in their pockets to pay for their children’s household bills and mortgage.
In fact, one in four (26%) of grandparents have moved to be nearer to their family.
Fiona Carleton, Managing Director of Services at retirement developer, McCarthy Stone, who commissioned the survey, said:
“With parents facing increasing financial pressures they are leaning on grandparents more than ever, but they don’t always live close enough to be able to help their families as much as they’d like.”
“At McCarthy Stone we have over 500 developments across the UK and many of our homeowners move to be closer to families. By living somewhere more suited to their needs and because of the help our teams provide – which is everything from building maintenance to gardening, to additional care and support if needed – our homeowners have more time to spend on the things they enjoy. This means they can balance the enjoyment of a relaxing retirement with providing practical help to their children in these uncertain times.”
What are the main barriers to offering parents help?
Of the retirees surveyed, two-thirds (69%) say they are more than happy to help, while four in ten (41%) believe it is their role as a parent to help in any way they can.
One in three (34%) say helping out has brought them closer together as a family, with a further 32 percent enjoying being needed by the family, something that gives them a sense of pride (24%).
A fifth (18%) admit that needs must in these difficult times, with one in six (16%) worrying that if they do not help, no one else will.
Four in ten (44%) wish they could help out more, with money (39%), time (32%). health worries (31%) and living too far away (26%) stopping them.
Despite being happy to help, assisting with building work and decorating (20%) are the tasks that grandparents and great-grandparents find the most tiring, along with laundry (17%), paying bills (16%) and doing DIY (15%).
While one in three (33%) admit they have put their children’s and their family’s needs ahead of their own, grandparents and great-grandparents are still able to find time to enjoy their own interests with four in ten (43%) making sure they do not miss catching up on their favourite TV shows, getting outside for a walk (40%), as well as going on holiday with their partner (36%).
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
