Grandparents are back

Hi everyone,

At the moment, just this entry to remind myself I intend to write something regarding a few books on the subject (maybe tomorrow)...

Hi everyone,

I wonder why I was speaking about "a few books": I know of one.

Well!

1968: nowadays' grandparents were teenagers in the sisties. They fought family and parents. They wanted freedom and often preferred their friends to their parents.

2012-2013, a few years after the 2007 crisis, the 20 to 25 year-old people suffer from unemployment or drops in their income.

Marcel Rufo, a famous French pedopsychiatrist, published a book the title of which is "Grands-parents, à vous de jouer" (Anne Carrière editor - 216 pages - €17).

This topic & book objects and questions are: do nowadays' grandparents go back to family? Do they participate and help their children & grandchildren?
... the role of grandparents in the family: is it important?

I'd like to add the French government wants to increase taxes for senior-citizens!!

I would be very pleased to read about your thoughts on the subject.

A few links:
- FNAC 16€15
- Amazon 16€15
- FranceTV with a 5m43s interview by Elise Lucet
- Le Point with a long extract
- FranceInfo with a 2m28s interview
- 20 minutes 35 octobre 2012
- 3m40s from YouTube
- 3m40s from DailyMotion

hi Gérard, hi everyone
First of all I would say that what is transmitted from generation to generation is very important. This link is major for a child development. what are the characteristics of today's grand parents ? They were young during the sixties and reacted against all form of authority. Their parents were normative. They wanted their childen to behave like this or like that because they had to behave like this or like that, that's all. Today, psychology is taken into account but what about rules ? Children must behave properly, say "Good morning " "Thank you " " good bye"
respect the others but also have freedom of thought and find their own way in life (2 opposite directions). Our children are very busy and need their parents to help...
who want to continue writing about this subject ?

Hi Muriel,

Thanks a lot for your very interesting words.

On an economic point of view, do you think today's grandparents changed their minds and behave with their grandchildren like they didn't want their own grandparents to do (due to the crisis)? Do you think they took the power over their parents in 1968 by refuse to let their children get power (in other words did nowadays' grandparents took the power and don't want to lose it now?)

I recently read that the number of hours spent by grandparents to keep grandchildren is 23 million per week (I guess it is in France) i.e. the same number as the hours of professional nannies.