We are still the driving wheels in many segments of society!
There are approximately 70 million grandparents in the U.S. The overwhelming majority are age 65 or older, with many of them continuing to work jobs.
Grandparents provide a wealth of benefits to their grandchildren: Wise life advice, moral guidance, emotional comfort and other supports. Many of them also consider their parenting skills to be superior to their children’s.
With many multi-generational families being ethnically and racially mixed, modern grandparents tend to be open-minded about the different cultures and folkways their grandchildren might experience and the grandparents want to help them learn. Grandparents possess a wealth of information about the family tree and ancestors – especially in a mixed family. Many grandchildren are intrigued by those who came before them and they gain invaluable insight into these forebears by grandparents offering detailed information.
The interaction between grandparents and their grandchildren gives an emotional shot to both sides and can recharge grandparents’ life batteries by providing a welcome escape from the daily grind of work in their adult atmosphere.
Finally, grandparents contribute financially to their grandchildren, spending nearly $180 billion per year on a wide spectrum of items, including education, gifts, clothing, etc.
