Baby Boomers Raising Their Grandchildren

Grandparents are raising their grandchildren because the dynamics of the family have changed. The family is no longer the mother at home raising the children, cooking supper every night, and dad coming home to a hot meal, lively conversation with all the members around the table, and settling in his “easy” chair to read the paper. Instead of a safe environment in which to live, today’s society is dealing with high divorce rates, increasing financial burdens, and a growing drug culture.

The children of baby boomers who choose to have children are more than likely living a frivolous lifestyle, and find that they are unable to raise a child not long after it is born. Others may simply have to work too much to keep themselves afloat with a child in the hosuehold, and depend on their parents to look after the children while they work two or three jobs.

Because baby boomers are not the stay at home grandparents of the past, they too have a job and other responsibilities. It is an added burden when grandchildren are thrust upon a working grandparent. They are many times overly stressed and financially strapped. They, of course, love these children and try to give them the best care available, but often they cannot even make important decisions for the children, because they do not have legal rights with the children.

Issues like healthcare, special schools, legal matters and even public assistance are topics which grandparents often have to deal with. The answer as to why grandparents are raising grandchildren is more than likely that they are the only stabilizing factor for these children.