The Second Time Around: When Grandparents Raise their Grandchildren
The American Association for Marriage and Family estimates that in the United States there are 2.4 million grandparents now raising their grandchildren. This is custodial grandparents who have some sort of legal right to these children and who are primary caregivers to them. This trend has grown exponentially in the last 30 years.
These grandparents face unique challenges as they seek to parent a generation that is two generations younger than they are. These challenges include:
- Limited energy and health issues they may not have had when raising their own children
- Continued involvement from angry or disenfranchised biological parents who still wish to exert parental control over the children
- Limited support from peers who are not in similar situations
- Financial constraints due to raising a second family on a limited or fixed income
- Emotional issues regarding their children's inability to take responsibility for their grandchildren and the disappointment they may feel toward their adult children
- Legal difficulties regarding guardianship, custody or full parental rights and the expense of fighting such battles in court
- Limited time to pursue their own interests
- Guilt about how they parented their own children and how that contributed to the present situation
Grandparents parenting their grandchildren often feel isolated and have limited resources they can turn to for help. This can lead to anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns that can affect them directly but also those around them. These conditions can also exacerbate existing health problems and contribute greatly to an overall decline in health and well-being for this unique set of caregivers. Psychotherapy and counseling can help.
First, therapy can provide a private atmosphere where grandparents with parental duties can talk about their trials and disappointments in a safe and non-judgmental setting. Second, counselors and therapists can be resources for support groups and other emotional supports that grandparents may not know are available to them. Finally, counseling can help parental grandparents work through family issues which result from the inter-generational nature of the situation.
If you or someone you know could benefit from the support that counseling provides, contact Perspectives of Troy Counseling Centers at
248-288-8644.
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