When Rita Labiche-Robinson, a 59-year-old retired project manager, is asked about her role as a grandmother, she is unable to chat because she is looking after her nine-year-old granddaughter, Nia. The pair live together in Hackney, east London, with Nia's mother, who moved back from Canada last year. On her designated days, Thursdays and Fridays, Labiche-Robinson takes Nia to school, picks her up, prepares dinner and reads to her before bed.
Labiche-Robinson is among millions of UK grandparents who are taking on a level of grandparenting that resembles parenting, driven by extended life expectancy, shifts in family life and the high cost of childcare. A 2017 report estimated that nine million British grandparents, dubbed the "grey army", spent an average of eight hours a week caring for grandchildren. A 2023 survey suggested more than half of UK grandparents provide childcare during the working week, averaging more than four hours a day.
Many grandparents say they are happy to help. Anita Pollack and Phil Bradbury moved out of east London after 50 years to be near their grandchildren in Essex. "Neither of us anticipated the quite overwhelming bond of love grandparents have for the grandchildren," Pollack said. Alan Foster, 75, from Bognor Regis, spent a month living with his daughter when his grandson was born so she could ease back into work gradually and he could get to know the child before nursery. Martin Roach, who is retired, and his wife have looked after grandchildren every Wednesday from 7am to 7pm for six years, citing the pressures parents face with working and childcare costs.
Some grandparents appreciate the slower pace of life this time around. Maria, a retired childminder in Manchester, said: "We don't have the added stress or pressures we had when our children were growing up. We have more time to just enjoy being with them." Wendy, 77, from Guildford, who cares for two grandsons once a week, said: "Grandparenting is better than being a parent." Others, like Labiche-Robinson, see it as a chance to stay active and bond with their grandchildren. She said Nia teaches her about TikTok and that she would miss out on her granddaughter growing up if someone else were paid to care for her.
Not all grandparents are able or willing to help, and the responsibility falls unevenly. Yet for those who do step in, the support can be crucial for parents struggling financially and psychologically. The phenomenon has become a lifeline for many families navigating the challenge of affordable childcare.
