It is true that in some countries grandparents play a significant role in bringing up children. This trend has both positive and negative sides. Let’s look at the positive side first.
In countries like India a normal family consists of parents, grandparents and children. It might even include members like uncles and aunts. In families where both parents work, it is the grandparents who look after the kids when their Dads and Moms are away. This is a good thing. Parents can go to their workplace without having to worry about the safety of their children. The grandparents, too, benefit from this arrangement. They don’t have to spend the last decades of their life in solitude. It is good for their overall wellbeing.
Studies have proved that children coming from families where they have the company of their grandparents have better social skills. They are better at interacting with other children. They also feel more secure and are less likely to get into bad habits or fall into depression. Grandparents also play a significant role in keeping the children rooted in their values and cultures. In a country like India, it is quite common for kids to be brought up on mythological stories that they hear from their grandparents. These moral stories build the foundation of their character.
Now let’s take a look at the negative side of this trend. Grandparents belong to the older generation. Some of the values that they inculcate into the children may not resonate well with the values of the modern world they have to live in. Grandparents also tend to be over indulgent; they don’t always bother to discipline the kids when they do something mischievous. This could create problems in their normal development as responsible adults. Nonetheless, these are mino issues that pale in comparison with the benefits that children get when they are brought up by their grandparents.
After looking at both sides of the question, it is safe to assume that it is generally good for the children to be brought up by their grandparents.
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