Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Grandparents today are helping support their adult children more these days with parenting and just helping out financially with their children or their grandchildren. Grandparents are sometimes taking over parental rights of their grandchildren, due to the parent’s absence. Dysfunctional parents are a leading cause to grandparents taking over the parental role in their grandchildren’s lives (Pinson-Millburn, 1996). The parent may be abusing drugs, victims of a perpetrators of physical or sexual violence, or are suffering from mental health disorders (emotional/ neurological) which make it difficult or unable to parent (Pinson-Millburn, 1996). Many times grandparents are dealing with their own problems such …show more content…

Grandparents that take on the role of the parent to their grandchildren have to put off things such as traveling, and even some health care options in order to care for their grandchildren. Some grandparents become overwhelmed by the stress on their time, energy, and finances (Backhouse, 2012). Some grandparents are unable to adapt to the changes that need to happen in order to care for their grandchildren and then the grandchildren are better to go to foster care. Grandparent’s roles have changed many times in their lives they have been adolescences, parents, care takers, supporters, helpers, providers and still as they continue to age they are dealing with more role changes. Grandparents are expected to learn how to parent children in today’s society which is different from what they are used to …show more content…

Grandchildren and Grandparents are experiencing change in their family structure. Skipped generation households is where the parent is absent from the parenting role (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). Grandchildren whose parents have abused drugs and alcohol are born with birth defects, and possible fetal alcohol syndrome which can lead to learning disabilities, mental retardation, and even cerebral palsy (Pinson-Millburn, 1996). Parents that are incarcerated can cause their children to display emotional or behavioral problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder (Pinson-Millburn, 1996). While children that have been abused or neglected may demonstrate psychiatric symptoms like agitation or depression (Pinson-Millburn, 1996). These are just a few problems that grandparents will have to deal with emotionally and usually financially without the help of extra income from the government. If grandparents have legal guardian of their grandchildren it is not always relayed to all parties involved which can make it difficult for grandparents to get their grandchildren the counseling, educational help and so many more struggles for the grandparents. Which can cause stress on the grandparent. There have been studies that found that grandparents that care for their grandchildren experience greater health threats (Goodmen,

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