[The Economist] The age of the grandparent has arrived

Summary

- Change of grandparenting - two demographic trend; first, "people are living longer." (global life expectance 51 (1960) -> 72); second, "families are shrinking" (fewer babies)

- As the number of grandparenting vaulted, it is expected to drive "the movement of women into paid work." 

- Once grandparents (mostly grandmothers) dawn to take care of their grandchildren, they are less likely to find another job later.

- "Looking after kids appears to be good for grandparents...lower levels of depression and lonliness"

- Sweden: loneliness but pension help: "plenty time to relax" (no need to work or rely on their children)

 

Vocab. (definition from Dictionary.com)

cherubic	of or having the nature of a cherub, or an angel represented as a rosy-cheeked child with wings; angelic.
chorister	a singer in a choir.
	"Today, as the once-cherubic choristers start to become grandmas and grandpas themselves, grandparenting has changed dramatically."
fuzz	- loose, light, fibrous, or fluffy matter. - a mass or coating of such matter - indistinct; blurred
	"We found that there are 1.5bn grandparents in the world, up from 0.5bn in 1960 (though the further back one goes, the fuzzier the estimates become)"
vault	to leap or spring, as to or from a position or over something
	"And the ratio of grandparents to children under 15 has vaulted from 0.46 in 1960 to 0.8 today."
dawn	- to begin to open or develop. - to begin to be perceived (usually followed by on)
	"Since fertility rates and life expectancy vary enormously from country to country, the age of the grandparent has not yet dawned everywhere (see chart 1)"
matriarch	- the female head of a family or tribal line. - a woman who is the founder or dominant member of a community or group.
	"Amy Diallo, an 84-year-old matriarch wrapped in a blue and white hijab, has to think carefully when asked how many she has."
pious	having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations.
	"She offers moral guidance to the young: be honest and pious, uphold tradition and stop hitting your younger brother"
prosaic	- commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative - of or having the character or form of prose, the ordinary form of spoken or written language, rather than of poetry.
	"More prosaically, they bring an extra pair of hands."
deference	respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another.
	"They may have outdated ideas or demand too much deference"
baby-minder	a person who is paid to look after other people's babies or very young children
	"They found the daughters-in-law were 10% less likely to do or seek paid work, probably because they had to spend more time collecting firewood and minding their children"
emancipate	to free from restraint, influence, or the like.
	"Even overbearing grandmothers can inadvertently do their bit for female emancipation."
dire	- causing or involving great fear or suffering; dreadful; terrible:a dire calamity. - indicating trouble, disaster, misfortune
	"But rural schools are often dire."
shoulder	(tr) to bear or carry (a burden, responsibility, etc) as if on one's shoulders
	"But the next generation may not wish to shoulder the same responsibilities."
hanker	to have a restless or incessant longing (often followed by after, for, or an infinitive).
	"Some hanker for a more relaxing retirement"

Reference

- The Economist, The age of the grandparent has arrived

- Dictionary.com