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Joy Goodfellow is a grandparent and a researcher who has gathered stories of grandparents’ experiences as regular child care providers. Here she reveals some of the grandparents’ perspectives on child care and the issues raised by them.
About one-fifth of children aged below five in Australia are cared for by grandparents as regular child care providers. However, grandparents are not a homogenous group. They cover a wide age span, are found within all cultures, may be living alone or with partners, may be still in employment, may have chosen to care for their grandchildren or have the responsibility thrust upon them. The views as reported here are drawn from a study of 32 grandparents who cared for their grandchildren on a regular basis for more than eight hours a week (see Goodfellow & Laverty, 2003). These grandparents have cared for their grandchildren on a regular basis from when their grandchild was only a few months old. They spontaneously shared their views during one-on-one interviews and informal group discussions.
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Relationship building
Grandparents speak of the caring relationships that they have with their grandchildren as being ‘more than just minding’. Many grandparents enjoy and gain great pleasure from time spent with their grandchildren through strong, warm, loving and responsive relationships. Such relationships depict a sense of connectedness between the grandparent and the grandchild, a high sense of trust and feelings of empathy—‘you feel for them’.
Grandparents reported how they spent most of their regular grandparenting time engaged in their grandchild’s play:
‘I’ve really given 100 per cent to them. They now don’t like me doing other things. They’ve got used to the fact that whatever they’re doing I’m there with them. If they go outside and I don’t go out but sit and have a coffee or whatever, they’ll play there for a little while, then they’ll be back in. If I go into the computer room to do something, within two minutes they’re there.’ (Thelma).
Indeed, and particularly with very young children, joint attention episodes are significant in the development of effective relationships within the child’s whole social experience. Grandparents were (often unknowingly) aware of this.
Comments made by these grandparents provide some insight into possible reasons why they choose to care for their very young grandchildren in preference to their grandchild attending child care. They were concerned that where carers looked after ‘other people’s children’, the carers’ capacity to get to know the children was often limited—‘if you’re caring for children in general, you really are just doing the job, you’re not emotionally involved’.
The grandparents also raised a concern about the high and seemingly unnatural ratios of children to adults in child care. This is because, even with multiple births, having more than three children within an age range of twelve months is unusual. This issue of ratios is one that research suggests needs to be addressed with respect to formal and licensed child care services for many services still operate with ratios higher than 3:1. In New South Wales, for example, regulations support a 5:1 ratio which has caused considerable debate among early childhood professionals because such a ratio does not reflect best practice. However there is a cost associated with the reduction in ratios and service providers are concerned that reducing the ratios would increase child care costs and thus make care of younger children even less affordable.
The challenge to think about cost, equity and the nurturing of young children is a real issue for grandparents, parents and for child care providers alike. Indeed, a number of research studies suggest we need to be cautious about supporting maternal employment of more than 30 hours a week during the first year of life and preferably until the child is three years of age. With these issues in mind, grandparents often choose to offer themselves as alternate providers of child care for their children’s children.
No child is raised in isolation. While there was wariness on the part of grandparents with respect to the use of child care services, they had an even greater concern about society’s view of children. A theme that permeated many of the grandparents’ comments was one of concern about young parents’ perception of the role that children play within society. Indeed, a discussion within a small group of grandparents raised the issues of children being ‘accessorised’ and dehumanised:
‘I have often observed young couples out with their children. I think that they have this picture in their mind of mum and dad—the stroller, the ‘this’ and the ‘that’ … they think that the baby is going to go to sleep and wee when you want it to. The baby is not a toy—‘now be quiet; now you sleep; now you eat.’
Grandparents expressed concern about a view of parents as consumers of products and services for their children.
Consumerism and the commodification of children
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Consumerism, within the context of child care provision, refers to the increasing emphasis on viewing parents as consumers of child care; child care as a service that is purchased; and children as commodities that occupy shelf space (i.e. child care places) in an increasingly monopolised supermarket model of child care. Commodification occurs when we turn the caring of children over to the marketplace. In that marketplace we constantly talk about the availability and cost of child care places.
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Grandparents were concerned that the community may have lost sight of what child care experiences are like for the child. It is the nurturing function that grandparents were concerned about, as ‘neither the state not the market’ can provide such as function—‘for neither operates from love’ (Waterman, 2003, p. 449).
A contemporary view of the child as a strong, competent and active learner has permeated many of the professional practices child care provides. However, because young children are dependent on their caregivers for love, protection, education and health care, this may also contribute to a view of children as accessories because they are not seen as individuals in their own right (Cannella, 1997). This image of the child needs to be connected to the informed choices that the professional child care provider makes when extending each child’s learning and understandings.
Many grandparents choose to care for their grandchildren to alleviate the burden of the cost of child care. They see that it was one way in which they can support their adult children who are trying to establish themselves financially and save money to purchase a home. If grandparents are not available, then the alternative is to purchase the type of child care that is most affordable rather than seek services that are of the highest quality. Parents may not always be in a position to identify key aspects of high-quality services because they are not present in the child care centre throughout the child’s day. Therefore, they may find it difficult to judge the quality of staff–child relationships and the nature of the staffing environment.
Grandparents continue to play a significant role as child care providers. They may well need support in this role through initially being recognised for their substantial economic and social contribution to society. Their contribution needs to be valued and child/family policies and practices need to be inclusive of grandparents.
Joy Goodfellow
Hon. Associate
Macquarie University
References
Canella, G. S. (1997). Deconstructing early childhood education: Social justice and revolution. New York: Peter Lang.
Goodfellow, J., & Laverty, J. (2003). Grandcaring: Insights into grandparents’ experiences as regular child care providers. Canberra: Early Childhood Australia.
Waterman, A. M. C. (2003). Economics, love, and family values. The Independent Review, 7(3), 443-453.
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