Expert shares 'burden' warning to grandparents looking after grandchildren during summer holidays

Many grandparents love nothing more than taking care of their grandchildren during the summer holidays. Many mums and dads rely on the help so that they can continue to work to support the household.

But new research suggests that caring for the little ones can put a strain on grandparents' wallets. Researchers asked 1,000 grandparents of grandchildren aged under 18 about how much they will help with childcare over the summer – and how much they will spend.

Nearly half (45%) of grandparents will help with childcare during the summer holidays, expecting to spend £15.80 on average each day on outgoings such as food, drinks, snacks, treats, trips and activities.

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And some grandparents expect their outgoings to be significantly higher, with five-per-cent of grandparents surveyed expect to spend more than £50 per day per grandchild. Four-fifths (80%) of those helping out with childcare over the summer expect to look after their grandchildren at least one day per week.

Some grandparents aren’t concerned about the financial costs associated with treating their grandchildren during the summer holidays, with 44% saying they don’t worry at all. But for others, having quality time with the grandkids isn’t stress-free.

Nearly three in 10 (27%) grandparents surveyed say they do worry about the cost of looking after their grandchildren. And one in 16 (6%) worry a lot about the cost, according to the survey of 1,000 grandparents in May and June, carried out by OnePoll.

Sarah-Jane Outten, a shopping expert at MyVoucherCodes, said: "Many working parents, me included, depend on our family to help out with childcare during the long summer holidays.

"Looking after your grandchildren over the summer holidays should be a pleasure and not a financial burden, so take time to make plans, seek out offers and deals and plan your days around them.

"When it comes to days out there are also lots of deals you can take advantage of, with discounts on everything from coach travel to city tours and days at adventure parks. Jump online, or if you aren’t confident on the internet get your child or grandchild to help you, and search for days out or meals out discount codes and see what’s on offer."