Grandparents — Responses

The ExchangeEveryDay for October 9, "Toddlers with Grandmothers," elicited some strong responses.  Here are excerpts from just a few of them:

Sandra from New Zealand:
"This grandma values emotional well-being above reading, writing, and arithmetic.  How do studies like this assess this aspect of children's learning and development?  My mokopuna and I spent last week visiting the zoo, making cardboard carton zoos and animals, and creating our own photo book of the experience to revisit many more times in the future.  Adult input into children's learning is affected by many factors; I am not sure age has anything to do with it!!"

Vanessa from United States:
"The article only looked at single mothers on welfare; therefore, those results can only be applied to the children and grandmothers of single mothers on welfare.  To generalize it to other demographics is misleading and just bad reporting.  It also doesn't address the fact that single mothers on welfare may need child care options other than family members."

Laura from New Jersey:
"Is there a test to measure the self-confidence, the feeling of being unconditionally loved, or the potential to love learning from individual care?"

Lori from United States:
"Don't we advocate for those secure, loving relationships that are more likely to be formed with grandmothers than with the teachers, since the children change classrooms from year to year?  Every child that has come to my preschool who has been cared for by a grandparent has a much more extensive vocabulary — a natural gain from the conversation they enjoy.  What is important in the early years are trust, security, communication and love — not ABC and 1, 2, 3."

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