“We laugh to survive. Then, with joy we thrive.”
– Mary Anne Radmacher
Before our oldest grandchild was born we attended a class for new grandparents. Most illuminating was a video about grandparents becoming the primary caregivers to enable their children to work while providing safe and affordable childcare. With our daughter and family being over an hour away—and since both of us were working, we knew we would only be called on for emergencies.
Now, with daycare centers limiting enrollment and schools cutting in-class time, parents are being faced with a dilemma: job, or child-rearing and education. Many grandparents, who previously had no regular duties, are being called on to help.
In the past, we would take one or both girls for a few days or a week to give the parents a break for vacation or downtime. Last month, however, both girls spent a week with us and then we spent a week in a cabin in Wisconsin with the family, where we watched the girls while their parents worked remotely. In Chicago, where they usually live, parks were closed and condo living with a small balcony was far from ideal. (The other grandmother, a retired school teacher, has provided the majority of childcare/education).
Even before the lockdown, a study found that only a third of people in the richest developed countries are thriving; the rest are just getting by. Young children are naturally energized and nurtured by the family—they are the easiest to thrive. Adults, on the other hand, face the hard realities of multiple duties. Parents, grandparents, and other family members now have greater responsibilities to help our young ones thrive.
Deepak Chopra said, “Don’t aim to survive but thrive. Give yourself time every day to experience something beautiful, something innocent, something wholesome, appreciate other people—be grateful in your heart for what is given to you that nourishes you.”
Grist for our enhanced responsibilities.
