The lengthening of life expectancy in West countries has actually upset the traditional social roles. Especially among the vanishing middle classes. The validation arrives from Spain. While parents are super-busy at work, with a lighter pay packet, are the grandparents the ones who have to take care night and day of kids. Seen that the middle class families are too rich to benefit of public services and too poor to pay private nursery schools. A clear example of Mediterranean Europe welfare system. A phenomenon that, in spite of it is usually thought, hides many contraindications. Firs, in many cases are the over65 those who must take important decisions on their grandchildren education, instead of mom and dad. In addition, what counts the most is that Spanish pensioners, although pleased to charge themselves of this full-time commitment, are forced to realized that no one takes care of their physical and psychological problems connected to the old age. With the result that more than 50% of Spanish elders affirms to feel: tapped, tired and stressed. It is what comes out of a FAD research.
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