CAIRO: A pediatrician is pushing the idea of designating a special day to celebrate grandparents in recognition of their increasing role in brining up grandchildren to help working parents.
“There are cases where divorced, traveling and working couples have left their kids in the care of the grandmother or grandfather who have done an even better job than the parents, said Ashur who works at the National Research Center in Cairo.
In his capacity as a pediatrician, Ashur had noticed that many of his little patients were accompanied by their grandmothers whose actions are fuelled by utmost love.
Unlike the international old people’s day, Ashur’s suggestion is aimed particularly at grandparents.
Many people take it for granted that the grandmother should spontaneously care for her son or daughter’s newborn. Marking a special day for grandparents will underscore the effort they make to guide their newly-married children on how to become dutiful parents.
Ashur underlined grandparents do that to compensate for the attention they didn’t give their own children because they were too busy.
“As retired workers they make up for what could have been unintentional negligence by devoting their time to raising the third generation, said Ashur.
The grandfather might have felt guilty for not having the time to accompany his son or daughter on a picnic so he would make up for it with the son’s kid, he added.
But even if the grandparent does not play a critical role in that process, to recognize his role will certainly help consolidate family ties and boost the grandparents’ morale at an age when most of them feel that they have been left behind.
