Time with Grammy But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. 1 Timothy 5:4 (NKJV) A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)[i] showed that in comparison with other children in kinship care arrangements, custodial grandchildren are reported by their caregivers to have higher levels of behavioral and emotional disturbances than children in the overall U.S. population. In general terms, there are two major reasons why custodial grandchildren may encounter greater risk of behavioral and emotional difficulties than children in general. The first reason is that custodial grandchildren are typically placed in the care of their grandparents because of their parents’ substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, death, illness, divorce, or incarceration. Such conditions results in adverse risks such as exposure to prenatal toxins, early childhood trauma, insufficient interaction with parents, family conflict, uncertainty about the future, and societal stigma. The second reason why custodial grandchildren may experience higher risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties has to do with the numerous challenges that grandparents face as caregivers. For many this role presents challenges which include inadequate support, social stigma, isolation, disrupted leisure and retirement plans, age-related adversities, anger toward grandchildren’s parents, and financial strain. As a result, custodial grandparents typically show elevated rates of anxiety, irritability, anger, and guilt. Recently, it was found that psychological distress among custodial grandmothers results in lower-quality parenting, which ultimately leads to higher maladjustment of custodial grandchildren. While this may sound like a negative, hopeless situation for both grandparents and grandchildren, it does not have to be so. Grandparents also have a lot more experience, time, and love which provides a safer, warmer environment for their grandchildren. Father God, help me to be surround my grandchildren with love and a healthy environment so they will have a better chance at a good life and a more promising future. [i] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2083282/ (accessed 1-11-15)
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 12:00:07 +0000
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