Family life must suffer if grandparents are not valued

Family life must suffer if grandparents are not valued.”Parents don’t stop being parents when their own children start a family Their role changes but it is still vital. The world has really opened up for women of my age and it would be easy to get swallowed up by a career or a life that leaves no time to enjoy grandchildren. The course really restored my self-esteem and my belief that setting aside time for your family makes a valuable contribution to society.”The Sussex group is not unique. In Bromley, Kent, grandparenting courses are now part of the ante-natal package offered at Farnborough Hospital, although they are not connected to Parent-Link. Marian Rees, the midwife who who organises the courses, explains that they were set up in response to the number of grandparents who were taking on the day to day care of their grandchildren while parents worked. The emphasis is consequently on the practicalities.”We wanted to be able to bring those grandparents the latest views and research on breastfeeding, weaning and cot death: all areas where advice given to young mums has changed dramatically since they were young themselves Breastfeeding wasn’t encouraged a generation or so ago.

Bottle feeding was seen as a sign of affluence and if you chose to breastfeed in hospital the curtains were drawn round you and the staff would apologise on your behalf. This is an area where we really like to re-educate today’s grandmothers and emphasise the importance of encouraging young mums to breastfeed. Weaning and sleeping are two other important areas where new research has to be passed on: we like to stress late weaning and the importance of avoiding wheat products up until six months, and of course the importance of sleeping babies on their backs in trying to reduce the risk of cot death.”Anna Clarke hopes that a network of grandparenting courses will establish itself nationwide. “Being a grandparent means different things to different people but the benefits of having a support group where you can share your joys and woes in complete confidence could be appreciated by everyone alike.

Talking and listening can help keep things in perspective even if solutions are not always immediately forthcoming”.Parent-Link is developed by Parent Network Telephone 0171 485 8535 for further information. For information on the grandparenting courses at Farnborough Hospital, contact Marian Rees on 01689 814000.. In Taipei last week, the city’s main zoo was declared closed for 12 days because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on Taiwan’s pig farms. “We are not protecting the people from the animals,” a spokesman explained “Rather, we are protecting the animals from the people. Humans cannot become ill from foot-and-mouth disease but can easily spread the virus, especially to cloven-hoofed animals.”

In Weatherford, Oklahoma, last month Imogene Barnhart won the 10th Annual World Championship Hog Calling Contest. “I’m a champion hog-caller and husband-caller,” she explained.