Grandparents
In 1960 there were about 0.6 billion grandparents in the world. How many do you think there are now?
There are about 1.6 billion. Why is the number so much higher?
life expectancy
These days do you think grandparents have fewer or more grandchildren? Why?
On average Mexican grandparents spend much more time with their grandchildren compared to Swedish grandparents.
What has caused this?
What are the benefits of grandchildren living near their grandparents?
the women’s labor participation rate increases by 4-10% because parents have someone to babysit
in developing countries the child is more likely to go to school
children are more likely to respect the elderly
children will know more about their family history
Data shows that grandparents who care for kids have a 37% lower risk of dying.
Do you think raising kids makes you live longer or are only healthy grandparents asked to look after kids?
Are there any downsides to living near grandparents?
some grandmothers retire early to look after their grandkids
some families don’t move for better jobs to stay near their grandparents
some children become spoilt
Are you surprised by any of the countries on this list?
Young Italians say the reasons they don’t want kids are:
high unemployment
a lack of child benefits - daycare is too expensive so 50% of parents use grandparents to raise kids
a lack of protection for working mothers - many lose their jobs after they get pregnant
the government changes so often and always has different policies
Italian men have old-fashioned opinions on gender roles and don’t help raise children
Are these factors also true in Japan?
sources:
https://www.gettysburgtimes.com/life_entertainment/columns/article_d5e2690b-8330-5933-8e03-81b40d2ff0cb.html