Parents expect grandparents to do free babysitting

 
The Bank of Mum and Dad may be paying out to support their adult children, but Grandparent Discount Childcare, is also getting a good hammering.

A total of 48 per cent of British parents expect their own parents to look after their children when they want.

Of nearly 1,500 parents of children aged 12 years and under surveyed by MyVoucherCodes, 42 per cent use the grandparents at least once a week.

But just 11 per cent of parents claimed to pay childcare costs to the grandparents for babysitting.

An 89 per cent of these felt they shouldn’t have to pay family members for spending time with their grandchildren.
 
Whilst convenience and no costs are a major motivating factor for using grandparents as babysitters, 24 per cent simply wouldn’t leave their children with anyone other than family members, mainly due to child safety concerns.

Chairman of MyVoucherCodes, Mark Pearson said: “Finding the right babysitter can be difficult, and many parents naturally feel more comfortable leaving children with trusted family members. This is an extremely personal choice, but parents should be aware that there are thousands of great babysitting and childcare services available in local areas. These babysitters will be fully trained and equipped to cope with whatever situation your child may throw at them, and more importantly will give you an alternative should the grandparents have made other plans.”