My parents have been a huge help with the baby, but I wish they had the choice to take it easy
I bought a book for my mother and the baby to read together. I Love My Granny talks about her “comfy tummy” and the fact that she has “lived for ages” and has “loads of time” on her hands, which frankly I find a bit rude. Nevertheless, it speaks to the loving and caring role that a grandparent can have in a child’s life. Seeing my baby bond with his grandparents has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being a parent so far.
The UK’s broken childcare system means that grandparents often have to step in to offer help, with one study finding that 85% offer some kind of support when it comes to looking after grandchildren. My parents are no different – my mum especially has been very present these past months – while my dad and stepmum, the baby’s nain and taid (Welsh words for grandmother and grandfather), practically begged to take him so we could swim in the sea and go out for dinner. His paternal grandparents have cared for his many cousins who live locally to them.
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist and author of The Year of the Cat, which will be published in January 2023
