Grandparents do not mind their grandchildren, living far away makes them feel restless and miss them even more.

Taking care of grandchildren so that children can go to work with peace of mind is how many grandparents support their children - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Some people agree that having grandparents take care of their grandchildren will help young couples feel secure when they go to work, but others think it will help the grandparents rest. That depends on the grandparents' own point of view.

"We do not differentiate between grandchildren"

Mr. Pham Ba and Mrs. Dao Hop (in Hoa Binh ) have a son and a daughter. Since they retired 18 years ago, they have taken turns taking care of their grandchildren in Ho Chi Minh City. Their granddaughter is now in 12th grade. Their youngest granddaughter is also in 4th grade.

When their sons and daughters got married and had children, they both went to Ho Chi Minh City to help take care of them. They took care of their grandchildren first, then their grandchildren. Each of their children had two children. Both grandchildren were taken care of by their grandparents from birth to age 2.

"We do not discriminate between our grandchildren. Seeing our children working in the city and not having much money , we are willing to help take care of them so they can go to work with peace of mind.

At first, my children also thought about hiring a nanny to look after their grandchildren, but we thought we were retired so we tried to take care of them. Helping them not only saves on hiring costs, but also gives me peace of mind when taking care of my grandchildren myself," said Mrs. Hop.

Mr. Ba shared: "Taking care of grandchildren in old age is harder than taking care of children when you are young. That's why my wife and I both take care of our grandchildren to support each other.

Because children in urban areas have to both earn a living and take care of their children, it will be more difficult than when you live in the countryside with grandparents or relatives on both sides to help.

We also don't have money to hire a maid, and we don't feel as secure as if our grandparents themselves help take care of our grandchildren."

The grandparents said that old age also causes pain in their arms and legs, so when taking care of their grandchildren, especially when they learn to walk, their legs and knees also become tired.

"We love our children and grandchildren so we try to help. If we don't help our children, we will feel uneasy and uneasy in our hometown," Mrs. Hop confided.

Go abroad to take care of grandchildren

Taking care of their grandchildren directly makes many grandparents both happier and more secure - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu from Gia Lai is going to the US to take care of her second grandchild. She also went to the US 5 years ago when her daughter gave birth to her first child.

Ms. Thu’s daughter works in the US and is married to a Vietnamese colleague. With no relatives nearby, when preparing to welcome their first child, Ms. Thu and her husband asked Ms. Thu to fly over to help take care of the child. When the child was able to go to kindergarten, Ms. Thu returned to Vietnam.

Mrs. Thu once shared that she went to the US to take care of her first grandchild because she was afraid that her daughter would feel lonely giving birth alone in a far away place. It would certainly be very difficult for a young couple to take care of a small child.

Because she felt sorry for her children living far away and having to take care of their young children, Mrs. Thu left her husband and youngest son at home to go to the West to take care of her children and grandchildren.

Ms. Dang Thi Hong (from Thanh Hoa) also flew to Australia to help her son and his wife when they welcomed their first child. Ms. Hong said she did not differentiate between her daughter-in-law and her biological child.

She just thought that her son and his wife were living in a foreign land, without any relatives, and would need even more support when giving birth. That made her ignore the difficulties and fly to Australia to help her son and grandchild.

For Mrs. Hong and Mrs. Thu, going abroad to take care of their grandchildren so that their children can go to work with peace of mind is not only hard, but also lonely. They do not know how to communicate with anyone other than calling home to talk to their husbands and friends back home.

What do you think about young couples needing the support of grandparents to raise children? Do you think grandparents should help their children take care of their grandchildren, or enjoy life after retirement? Please share your views at hongtuoi@tuoitre.com.vn. Tuoi Tre Online thanks you.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ong-ba-khong-ne-ha-chau-noi-chau-ngoai-o-xa-cang-bon-chon-nho-nhung-20240415205420124.htm