Research shows that a growing number of parents disagree about child upbringing habits and this trend
is growing. A survey clearly outlines that about half of parents in the United States don’t agree with the way their parents want them to train their children. Since grandparents get involved and want
the best for their grandchildren the issue is still under much debate. In situations where parents are
not available to offer much support because of busy schedules, the old timers are offering more
support often in giving advice and doing simple jobs such as babysitting. Some parents no longer
trust that their kids can be in care of their grannies, though grandparents are beneficial to the
upbringing of children.
Therefore, the fight between the two sets are increasing and it is causing major disturbances in
many families. Sometimes, the older generation who sees itself as owning both the parent and the
child may try to enforce rules, leading to more friction within the family. Disputes bother on matters
of discipline, meals, TV or game time, manners, safety issues, health, time to sleep, and the use of
internet. An expert in parenting said that grandparents are special in taking care of children. She said
older generations are a good resource of knowledge when it comes to giving domestic support,
advice, and babysitting. Even though there could be tensions there is need to save the relationships,
she revealed.
In a poll, it was established that discipline is the biggest source of friction and grandparents were
accused of being too harsh or overly permissive. Parents often think that the older generation are
out to undermine their authority, leading them to believe that they may lose control of their
children. While grannies may resort to methods parents think are old-fashioned, the former often
held that it is the proper way for a child to grow into responsible adulthood. Grandparents are not
open to new discoveries or research regarding child health and physical welfare. Major conflicts
often lead negative impacts between children and the grandparents.
Poll findings highlight the importance of modern values and the adherent that the older generation
must lend support and comply with new parenting choices widely accepted. They are expected to
cooperate and understand that these times are different from decades old lifestyles. Therefore, they
are to give support to parents who find it difficult to raise their children, while they also avoid
escalating disagreements that may lead to major frictions in the family.
Sometimes, children may stay with their grandparents for months or years and in such cases the
guardian could forget that the kids are not directly his or hers. It is recommended that the guardian
must understand that relaxed rules or too many rules can cause friction between them and the
parents of the children. According to the poll, some parents confessed that arguments caused them
to reduce the amount of time their children spend with their grandparents. About fifty percent of
parents claimed they have challenges with older generations on the issue of child rearing.