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Parenting for the Second Time Essay

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Parenting can be a challenge the first time around, but many parents are finding themselves parenting for a second time, this time around, as the child’s grandparents. Grandparents may assume the role of parent for their child’s children when there are problems of substance abuse, abuse and neglect, incarceration, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, divorce, and death. (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006, p.1) Grandparents usually are not expecting to have to parent again, this is the time most are enjoying their new found freedom. They expect to have a freedom to choose what they want to do, come and go as they please without the responsibility of another human being. Due to the many years they have not been parents, many grandparent will need to be educated on …show more content…

Forty of the grandparents interviewed, were women. (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006, p.4) Information collected from the grandparents and grandchildren included the following: “age, gender, racial background, and educational attainment, household income, relationship status, the number of years they had been raising their grandchildren, and whether their grandchildren had contact with the middle generation” (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006, p.4).Grandparents were also asked what areas they found stressful and then what they found in the grandparent relationship to experience happiness. The emotional bond found between the grandparents and their grandchildren was found to be much of the same as those with their own children. (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006, p.6) Many felt since they were raising their grandchildren just as they raised their own there was no difference in the way should feel towards them. They felt as if they should raise them in the same fashion as they did their own children. (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006, p.6) While others seen the mistakes they had made and felt they were more prepared this time around to be parents. These grandparents reported a sense of feeling more relaxed and at ease then they did the first time around with their own children. (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006, p.6) They were able to focus more on their grandchildren then worrying about how they are going to put food on the table and a roof over their head. At this point in their life, many claim to be

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