In my experience as the editor of Gransnet, there are few grandparents who would say no to spending precious time with their grandchildren. Which is just as well, because in millions of households across the country working parents rely heavily on the help offered by willing grandparents, saving UK parents £8,000 a year in childcare costs.
On the surface it seems the ideal arrangement. Parents are comforted by the fact their darling offspring are being cared for by a loving family member, it allows for a strong bond to develop between the generations, and retired grandparents surely have loads of spare time anyway. But is it that simple?