Granny cabs - the family driving force
UK grandparents are clocking up an astonishing 3.8 billion miles every year behind the wheel while ferrying their grandchildren around, according to Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance.
3.4 million grannies and grandpas regularly drive their grandchildren around1 and if they started the meter running they would pocket taxi fares worth an average of £3,160 a year2 - a welcome addition to any pension.
The Sheilas’ Wheels ‘Granny Cab Service’ survey highlights the crucial role that the UK’s 13 million grandparents3 play in the lives of today’s fast-paced families. Recent research by Age Concern revealed that grandparents’ childcare would be worth £3,886 million a year4.
Today is the first day of autumn half term in England and many grandchildren will visit their beloved grandparents – which is the most popular reason for grandparents taking on the cabbie role (69%). Over a quarter are their grandchildren’s social chauffeurs, taking them to and from parties (27%)5. One in ten grandparents admit they spend more time ferrying their grandchildren around for their social lives than they do on their own.
Thankfully, our faith in human nature can remain intact because good old fashioned love for grandchildren is the prime motivator (48%) for those free taxi runs, but other grannies give more pragmatic reasons for their cabbie duties including obligation, due to their children’s working habits, and lack of faith in and affordability of professional childcare5.
A proportion of grandparents clearly feel resentful about taking on the traditional ‘parent’ role and one in five admit to thinking that their children take advantage by getting them to ferry their grandchildren around.
Mark Tyrrell, Psychotherapist, said:
“The fact that so many grandparents are actively involved with their grandchildren – whether in the car or in the home – is encouraging. For the youngsters, exposure to the wisdom and perspective of older people is vital for their healthy development. For the grandparents, a feeling of being needed and actively involved in young lives is also very healthy and can make them feel relevant. But if grandparents feel forced into caring for their grandchildren at the expense of their own needs then problems can arise.
“Grandparents may have been looking forward to their ‘golden years’ and the freedoms of retirement. They may feel they have ‘been there, done that’ and their parenting days are over. Feeling like they have to fulfil the role of substitute parents can be hard to cope with, especially if their own children use emotional blackmail to get them to care for their own kids and run them around.
“So while connection and regular contact between grandparents and their
grandchildren is healthy, substitute parenting can become burdensome and cause a whole host of problems. Getting the right balance is what is needed.”
Jacky Brown, spokesperson for Sheilas’ Wheels, said:
“Grandparents up and down the UK are clearly putting a lot of miles on the clock by filling the traditional shoes of mum and dad. They play a crucial role throughout school holidays in particular, especially for dual-income families in full-time work.
“We recommend that they take extra special care of their precious passengers by ensuring that they have access to child seats and safety belts that comply with recent changes in the law. They should also be mindful of distractions – noisy grandchildren in the back seat can easily cause a loss of concentration to the driver. Being strict in the car, rather than doting, is essential whilst thinking about in-car games and activities to keep them occupied.”
Case studies available on request - including:
Mrs Pilling from Dorking in Surrey, aged 70. She drives her grandchildren to school, clubs and parties. She drives on average around 30 miles a week ferrying her grandchildren around.
Mrs Meechan from East Kilbride in Glasgow, aged 65. She looks after her grandson for two days a week, arriving at 7.30am promptly, battling through rush hour traffic to do a full shift until 5pm. She drives him everywhere he needs to go and her daughter says: "Her car is such a significant part of my son's day, he just loves 'Gran’s car' that he jumps to the window and points outside wanting to go out for a drive.”
- Ends -
Editors notes:
1 ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1003 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 8-11 March 2007. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Further information at www.icmresearch.co.uk
Based on the population of grandparents who drive their grandchildren around (3,479,000) multiplied by the average annual mileage spent driving round their grandchildren (1100 miles).
2 Based on the ‘Dial A Cab’ taxi firm charge per mile, each 112.5 metres costs 20 pence. Further information at www.dialacab.com
3 Grandparents Plus estimates that there are approximately 13 million grandparents in the UK, Grandparents Plus Statistics Website, 2003. Further information at http://www.grandparentsplus.org.uk/infocentre/statistics.html
4 Research commissioned by Age Concern estimates that grandparents undertake childcare worth £3,886 million a year, The Economic Contribution of Older People, Age Concern England 2004. Further information at www.ageconcern.org.uk
5 Top ten activities where grandparents drive their grandchildren:
|
Activity |
Percentage of Grandparents |
|
|
1 |
Visits to me from my grandchildren. |
69% |
|
2 |
To visit family members. |
59% |
|
3 |
Day trips out e.g. museums, parks or galleries. |
56% |
|
4 |
To and from school. |
37% |
|
5 |
To and from parties and discos. |
27% |
|
6 |
To and from leisure activities such as the cinema and bowling. |
19% |
|
7 |
To and from their friends’ houses. |
18% |
|
8 |
To and from their sporting activities. |
17% |
|
9 |
To and from their leisure classes (music or ballet). |
17% |
|
10 |
To and from their clubs and groups (cubs, scouts or brownies). |
8% |
|
6 Reasons why grandparents ferry around their grandchildren. |
Percentage of Grandparents |
|
I love spending time with my grandchildren. |
48% |
|
I enjoy taking them on days out. |
24% |
|
My children have full time jobs. |
8% |
|
My children do not trust anyone to look after them apart from members of the family. |
7% |
|
My children can’t afford to pay for someone else to look after them. |
5% |
|
I want to help with my grandchildren’s childcare. |
4% |
|
My children are unable to take them as they are already busy. |
2% |
|
If I couldn’t take them, they wouldn’t be able to go. |
2% |
Press contacts:
Laura Parsons, Communications Officer, Sheilas’ Wheels: 01737 641304
Niki Bolton, Corporate Communications Manager, Sheilas’ Wheels: 01737 235070
Asia Manzoor, Public Relations Officer, Sheilas’ Wheels: 01737 641305
Adrian Webb, Head of Corporate Communications, Sheilas’ Wheels: 01737 641000
About Sheilas’ Wheels: Sheilas’ Wheels was launched in October 2005 to offer women drivers cheaper car insurance and product enhancements including £300 handbag cover – for bags stolen from the car (comprehensive cover only) – competitive breakdown recovery rates, a dedicated counselling line run by trained professionals to help customers cope with driving issues such as road rage (comprehensive cover only), and a network of female-friendly repairers. www.ilovesheilas.com
About Mark Tyrell, Uncommon Knowledge: Previous to practising as a hypnotherapist and therapist trainer, Mark worked as a psychiatric nurse. More recently he worked for the European Therapy Studies Institute, the UK’s largest independant trainer of the NHS and Social Service, organising and delivering training in psychotherapy to health professionals. He is particularly interested in treatment for depression and anxiety conditions. He and Roger Elliott run a thriving psychology and hypnotherapy practice in Brighton.
