Retirement on the Suncoast often looks like morning walks on Siesta Key, season tickets to the arts, and a calendar built around spring training. For a growing number of local grandparents, it also looks like school pickup lines and homework help. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than two million grandparents nationwide are raising their grandchildren full-time, and experts say that number keeps climbing.
The advice from gerontologist Sam Cradduck, aging expert Amy O’Rourke and aging well coach Katherine Ambrose starts with a deep breath. This role is full-time parenting, not babysitting. From there, it gets practical: establish legal guardianship, connect with support networks like ParentsHelpingParents.org, and pace yourself rather than trying to match the energy you had at 30. Ambrose calls the role a tremendous opportunity to learn and connect across generations.
Physician Dr. Rhea Rogers adds that a grandparent’s most important gift is a foundation of love and support that shapes the next generation. One grandparent summed it up simply: “I’m a much, much better grandparent than I ever was a parent.” If you’re in this role, or you know someone who is, what support do you wish existed in our community? Let us know in the comments.
