Kids Are Caregivers Too

For over half of my life I always lived less than a ten minute drive from my grandparents. Sometimes this has been a blessing and sometimes it can feel less than that.

My grandparents and I had always had a special bond from being so close. I had lots of special memories with them, but there are also things that have shaped me as a person.

Learning patience

I had to learn patience so that I could be more understanding to my grandparents even when it was hard, and I felt like I was giving everything up for them.

I knew I wasn’t though, especially not compared to my parents, but every time I had to cancel on a friend, or we couldn’t go on a trip because they had a fall, were in the hospital, or because Grandma was having a bad day and we needed to stay at the house longer, it always felt like I was the only person who was having to give anything up.

Luckily for me, my best friends, who were usually the ones I was hanging out with, always understood and were happy to reschedule, and they understood whenever I was upset because of them.

But even with good friends and family who care for me, and who can try to understand, it still sometimes feels like it can be lonely.

I can get into my head and think that when they fell, or were having a bad day, it was because of me or because of something that I did.

A phone at ten

When I was ten years old, my parents got me a phone. At the time, I was so excited. I felt so grown up that I would finally get a phone of my own.

My parents had always told me that I was not allowed to get a phone until I was twelve, and they were strict about that. So I’m sure that you can imagine my surprise when my parents decided to give me one.

A few years later, I remembered that they had told me that the reason I had gotten a phone was so that if I was ever alone with my grandparents and something happened and I couldn’t find their phones, I could use mine.

When I learned this, I was upset. I felt like I was being a babysitter to my grandparents. At the time, I didn’t understand why my parents had handed me that responsibility.

I felt like it was too soon to worry about emergencies or to take care of adults, who had been taking care of me for my whole life.

The caregivers no one counts

Because caregivers are generally adults caring for their parents, or caregivers caring for a person through a platform like Alula, child caregivers are generally overlooked.

Whether it is holding your grandmother's hand when your parents are getting tired, or helping your grandfather with his pills on a road trip so that your mother does not have to pull over, children can be a vital caregiver in their loved ones’ life.