Should Parents Involve Kids in Caregiving?

​The more, the merrier! That's what members of the extended family usually tell other people. The bigger the family the bigger responsibilities will be. So in order to make it work, each member should look out for one another and keep everyone in check to make sure the whole family is taking good care of each other.   

​Family Ties
In some societies, especially the conservative ones, family ties go beyond their immediate family members. It seems nuclear family doesn't exist at all. It is true in many Asian countries as well.
 
Have you thought of the situations of people still living with grandparents? How do members of a family help each other? Who in the family do you think has the most control? In this situation, caring for the older adults might become a bit of a concern.
 
Children's Responsibilities to Their Aging Parents
You may sometimes hear people say that the child owes their parent this significant chunk of their own life. Children take on the duties of caring for their elderly parents because they might feel the need to be taken cared of when they turned old. It's like paying back what they've done for you when you were still unable to take care of things for yourself. Others may think otherwise.
 
Even if, let's say, it's the children's responsibility to take care of their parents, how about the grandchildren (especially kids)?
 
Pros and Cons of Including Kids in The Family Caregiving Team
Caregiving has both pros and cons for kids and grandparents. What we are talking here is about kids taking part in taking care of their grandparents. We cannot deny the fact that busy parents, especially if both mother and father are working, need some help. Small help from kids may mean a lot for working mom and dad.
 
There are advantages of caregiving kids. One positive point that we can point out has something to do with character development. Kids who learn good manners at a very early age are more likely to become a responsible adult in the future.
 
It's heartwarming to see your kid becoming more a generous, compassionate, kind and family-oriented individual.
 
There are also some drawbacks to youth caregiving. We all know that caregiving can be very stressful. If adults are burdened, how much more are kids? Kids might feel uncomfortable, irritable and even depressed. Wouldn't be depressing if you would see other kids playing while you do some chores?
 
Since there are both good and bad points of adding kids to the family the caregiving team, it’s better for parents to talk to their kids about how much they’d like to be involved in the care of older loved ones. Be sure you have insurance when you need it. At Black and Associates Insurance, Inc., we aim to make our client's life easier with policies that are tailored to their needs. You can get more information about our products and services by calling our agency at (509) 464-0058. Get your free quote today by CLICKING HERE.