Grandparents who don't help with childcare are staggeringly selfish |
Since I had my second child I’ve spent quite a lot of time trying to work out what makes the difference between being a happy parent and an unhappy one.
And I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a few factors – the obvious ones being the health of your child and not being in poverty – but that outside of those most essential human needs, the real key to parental happiness is hands-on grandparents.
Having involved, invested grandparents is, as far as I can see, the single most important factor in being able to relax and enjoy being a parent. It’s a sentiment expressed earlier this week by actress Priyanka Chopra. On the red carpet she and husband Nick Jonas were asked how they manage to balance their busy careers with having a family. “Grandparents!”, Chopra replied, without a second of hesitation.
Amen to that. Ten weeks ago I gave birth to my second daughter. Since her birth I’ve had my first play open on a UK tour, requiring me to travel across the country and spend several days holed up inside a theatre. My husband has borne the brunt of this, but second in command have been my parents, particularly my mother, who have provided an extraordinary free nanny, PA and........