No rest for Spanish grannies
Source: Ekaterina Shakharova en Unsplash
70% of Spanish grandmothers care for young
Lack of state care in Spain for children under three is forcing grandparents to forget the idea of a relaxing retirement and has led to the rise of the so-called super abuela or "super granny".A government report yesterday says 70% of Spanish women over the age of 65 care for their grandchildren and 22% of them do so every day.
Of the 1.5 million children under the age of three in Spain, 45% have a place in a state or private playschool. The rest are cared for by family members, usually grandparents.
The report by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (Imserso) warns that many grandmothers may say they enjoy the experience of looking after grandchildren but in fact put themselves under extra stress.
Anna Freixas, an education specialist at the University of Cordoba, said grandmothers who looked after their grandchildren did not help the bigger problem of sexual inequality. "When grandmothers try to help out, they are stopping their daughters solving the situation with their partners, who should help out more."
A recent report from the National Institute for Statistics found that Spanish men spent 20 hours a week looking after children, while women dedicated between 40 and 60.
In a bid to allow pensioners to enjoy their retirement more, the Spanish government is to invest €1.5bn (£1.2bn) to improve child and elderly care.
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Comments
Another reason that grandmothers care for the children is because there aren´t many publics playschool, and the privates are very expensive.
Another reason that grandmothers care for the children is because there aren´t many STATE playschoolS, and the private ONES are very expensive."
I only ever knew one grandmother but she never looked after me. Both my parents worked. My Dad had a 9 to 5 office job and my Mam had a part-time evening job. My Mam would leave some dinner for my Dad to serve me when he got home from work.
I agree with Anne on that, while the women solving the situation with help of their mothers, the men won´t realize the problem and won´t understand that they have to spent more hours a day looking after their children than working out, but this changes aren´t easy and they need big changes in the society.
It´s a good idea to put a lot of measures to solve the problem of sexual equality on disposition legal but I think the important is to set the ways for to do effective this measures.
I agree with Anne that while WOMEN RESOLVE the situation with help FROM their mothers, MEN won´t realize the problem EXISTS and won´t understand that they have to SPEND more hours a day looking after their children than working OUTSIDE THE HOME. But THESE changes aren´t easy and they need big changes in SOCIETY.
It WOULD BE A good idea to PUT IN PLACE a lot of measures to solve the problem of sexual equality but I think the important THING is to CREATE THESE NEW LAWS IN A WAY THAT IS EFFECTIVE.