This is a dilemma faced by parents when it is time to join work after maternity leave. Who will take care of the baby? Do we opt for kangaroo grandparents?
Starting from the base of the insufficient Spanish maternity leave and the terrible difficulties that women face when they decide to extend the time they spend with their babies asking for a leave or a reduction of the day, with no one would the baby be better than with her mom. But economic conditions often make it impossible and you have to make the difficult decision to leave the baby in the care of another person.
The first option is to make accounts and set aside any superfluous expenses. Leisure is expendable when we think about the welfare of our children. But the reality rules and for the majority by many accounts that are made there is no other solution than to continue working. And leaving the child with the family is an idea that reassures many parents.
In some cases it is possible to make compatible days if you have an occupation in shifts and stay one of the parents in the morning and another in the afternoon. It is an option to value.
If none of this is viable, it is time to choose the person who will take care of the child in our absence. Many Spanish families continue to resort to the grandparents To meet this need. For many of them, if they like children, are unemployed and have strength, staying with grandchildren is a great joy. And children reinforce their family ties and receive that attention from their "tribe."
This can be wonderful, but it also presents possible problems. The first, although the grandparents They want to consider whether the basic parenting guidelines are compatible. And even so, parents and grandparents must make an effort to redefine their roles. It is the parents who have to have the last word on things like education, food and parenting. Grandparents must be mature enough to respect this and not get too into the life of the couple.
The grandmothers, mainly, are usually those who assume responsibility for the care of the child, although in my case, the grandfather did it equally and has become a very important figure in the emotional life of my son.
When we are going to propose to our parents to do baby caregivers We must also be very responsible and not abuse them. A sincere dialogue can help you to tell us really if you wish to do this, without reproach if you do not feel encouraged.
That our son is taken care of by his grandparents can be a source of tension but also, if we understand each other, offer the child a warm family atmosphere in which they will not lack the most important: personalized attention and much, much love.
Do you think that it's a good idea to ask grandparents to babysit?
