Do we ask too much of grandparents?

According to a recent report from the Growing Up In Ireland survey, grandparents play a role in looking after one-third of infants in childcare, while an Ipsos MRBI Family Values poll a few months ago showed that grandparents were the most utilised source of childcare (42pc) for working parents.

So parents want it and grandparents do it according to these figures. Is this alignment good for grandparents? The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda) project being carried out by researchers from Trinity College examined 7,500 older people, and it found a huge reliance on grandparents as parents seek to avoid crippling childcare costs. Read more here.