In most instances, grandparents don’t expect to become parents again. But many do. North Carolina has more than 174,000 children living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives.

Grandparents range in age from 35 to 80-plus years and are from all walks of life and from all cultural and economic groups. Thirty-nine percent of grandparents will spend at least five years raising their grandchildren. As a new “parent,” the world of parenting may be totally different today as compared to when the grandparents were parents the first time with their own children. An older grandparent who may have used cloth diapers, evaporated milk and old math may now encounter disposable diapers, formula and new math. If you are a grandparent raising grandchildren, it is Important to take care of yourself. With so much to do for the grandchildren, it’s easy to ignore your own well-being. Personal time and care for self is essential for emotional and physical survival when raising your grandchildren.

• Make every effort to maintain your friendships and social activities. Don’t isolate yourself. Your relationship with your friends may change because some friends may choose not to be around young children. If this occurs, make sure that you keep in touch with friends by mail, phone or the Internet. Consider childcare or respite services. Build adult social time into your schedule.
• Join a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Grandparent Information Center (GIC) at www.aarp.org/grandparents/ is a good starting point for information about services and programs that can help you cope with your new responsibilities.
n Take care of your health with regular checkups, healthy meals and plenty of rest and sleep. Include exercise – at least 20 minutes three times a week – in your schedule.