Thereās a quiet epidemic in our culture: The fastest-growing type of family unit is grandparents charged with the task of raising their childrenās children.
Though there are myriad reasons for thisāthe death of oneās adult child, parental drug addiction, abusive living situations, or incarceration, to name a fewāthe effects tend to be the same: Senior citizens who expected to spend their golden years relaxing or traveling are now seeing their dreams dashed. Those on limited incomes are feeling the strain and are frightened about their futures. And the mental, spiritual, and physical exhaustion of parenting and disciplining children many decades their junior, exacerbated by a technology gap, is overwhelmingly real.
And yet, through their sacrificial service, these seniors are acting as kinsman-redeemers for their grandchildrenākeeping them out of the foster care system and giving them the best shot possible for a successful life.
In When Grandparents Become Parents, experienced author Rick Johnson details both the challenges and solutions these heroic seniors face, offering strategies and resources (including real advice from other grandparents) to deal with major areas of stressāincorporating humor, common sense, and practical advice along the way.