Unsung Heroes

Protectors of our past and keepers of family traditions, grandparents play a vital role in families. By sharing unconditional love, kindness, compassion and comfort, the relationship between grandparent and grandchild can be caring, nurturing and nourishing for the whole family.

- Carrol Baker

There’s nothing sweeter than a grandchild’s chocolate-covered hug, smoochy kisses or that glorious feeling as they slip their sticky little fingers into yours for a stroll hand-in-hand to the park.

Grandparents bring with them a rich and vibrant tapestry of life and living. They are the custodians of the family’s history, the head of the family tribe. Grandparents are teachers, mentors and role models, unsung heroes who wipe runny noses and kiss away tears.

Social psychologist, Associate Professor Evonne Miller from Queensland University of Technology, says grandparents are a wonderful resource that needs to be cherished. “Grandparents are there to take the slow walk home after school, stopping at the playground, not rushing back because chores need to be done,” she says. “When their children become parents themselves, grandparents can also be that comforting voice to them, that soft shoulder to lean against when they need it.”

Grandparents pick up kids from school, babysit while mums and dads have date night and often care for the kids while parents work. Many are often still juggling paid work and coping with their own personal struggles.

Anne McLeish, director of Grandparents Australia, says grandparents offer support on a multitude of levels. “They are another layer to the family unit. Grandparents bring a sense of belonging and connectedness,” she says. According to McLeish, grandparents are becoming progressively more important in families. “With increasing pressure on families these days, grandparents can be an invaluable support,” she adds.

Grandparents are good for your health