2025-11-01T10:11:02Z
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Among the many financial responsibilities involved in raising a child, the expense of formal childcare consistently represents one of the most significant, often surpassing other major household costs. For families fortunate enough to have grandparents who are not only willing but also able to assist with care, that support can feel like an enormous emotional and financial reprieve. Unfortunately, not every family can depend on such intergenerational help, and even when it is available, the arrangement may come with complexities that go beyond simple logistics.

Securing dependable childcare has long been a formidable challenge for parents, combining issues of cost, trust, and limited availability. This difficulty is exacerbated by rapidly increasing expenses: data from Business Insider has shown that between 2023 and 2025, the national average annual cost of childcare rose sharply from $11,752 to $17,836 — a staggering surge of more than fifty percent. For this reason, when grandparents can step in to fill that need, many parents understandably describe the experience as transformative relief. Yet this solution is far from effortless. Geographic distance may render frequent help unrealistic, while differing ideas about discipline, routines, or child-rearing philosophies can sometimes provoke friction. Others do not have the option at all — their parents may face health challenges, remain in the workforce, or simply prefer not to take on that demanding commitment. If any of these dynamics sound familiar, you’ll likely recognize your own experiences reflected in the stories that follow.

Do you have a personal account to share involving grandparents and childcare? Reporter Rosemary Donahue invites you to reach out at rdonahue@businessinsider.com to contribute your perspective.

For Bethaney Phillips and her family of four, the decision to move across the country was guided by one primary goal: to live closer to her parents. Four years ago, they relocated halfway across the nation so that her mother, who had previously served as their trusted daycare provider before the children entered school, could continue to play an active role in their daily lives. Today, Phillips’s parents remain important figures in their grandchildren’s routines, regularly spending time together and strengthening bonds that distance might have otherwise frayed. Their experience exemplifies the profound emotional and practical benefits that can come from residing within easy reach of extended family.

Read further to explore how this family’s bold move demonstrates the lasting advantages of living close to relatives who provide caregiving support.

In another family’s story, Lauren Finney Harden depends on her baby boomer parents when her professional or personal responsibilities require additional childcare help. While she acknowledges that generational differences sometimes lead to discrepancies between her parenting style and that of her parents, she expresses deep gratitude for their willingness to assist. Despite occasional hiccups — such as diverging views on routines or behavioral discipline — she describes her parents as patient and well-intentioned, emphasizing how fortunate she feels to have them as such devoted allies in raising her children.

Discover why Harden affectionately refers to her children’s grandparents as her “secret weapon” in managing the demands of modern parenthood.

Jo Storm’s experience captures yet another dimension of grandparental involvement. A decade ago, when her daughter-in-law became pregnant, Storm received an unexpected yet life-altering request from her son: he asked whether she would consider leaving her job in order to care for their new baby full time. Without hesitation, she agreed, and at that time, the family established a modest payment arrangement of $10 per hour for her caregiving. Over the years, however, her motivations evolved — what began as a job transitioned seamlessly into an act of love. Today, she provides the same care free of charge, explaining that nurturing her granddaughter brings her immeasurable personal fulfillment and joy.

Read more to understand why Storm now describes caring for her granddaughter not as work, but as one of the most rewarding roles of her life.

Distance presents an entirely different challenge for families like that of Lindsay Karp. Although she and her husband live roughly five hours away from her in-laws, she remains committed to nurturing her children’s connection with their grandparents. Each year, she arranges for her two sons to spend a week or two with their grandparents, turning the visits into miniature vacations that delight everyone involved. These visits not only allow the grandparents to forge strong memories with the boys but also offer Karp and her husband the rare opportunity to relax and reconnect as a couple without the daily demands of parenting.

Read on to learn how this family’s annual tradition strengthens intergenerational relationships while giving parents a much-needed respite.

Finally, there is the perspective of Elise Seyfried, a grandmother who firmly believes she should not be obligated to provide regular childcare for her grandchildren. Having raised five children of her own without the benefit of nearby family support — relying instead on neighborhood babysitting co-ops and teenage sitters — she understands intimately the resourcefulness parenting sometimes requires. Now thriving in a full-time writing career, she cherishes her independence while still enjoying time with her grandchildren on her own terms. She emphasizes that loving one’s family deeply does not necessarily translate into regularly assuming the demanding duties of daily childcare.

Read Seyfried’s reflections on why she chooses not to babysit her grandchildren routinely and why she feels confident defending that decision as a legitimate expression of balance and self-preservation.

Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/families-asking-grandparents-help-with-childcare-2025-11