1 in 7 Russians had been raised by grandparents, a recent survey revealed. Further 32% of respondents said grandparents spent lots of time with them.

How important are grandparents in raising kids in Russia?

A recent survey by WCIOM.ru revealed that 1 in 7 Russians was raised by grandparents, while 1 in 3 spent a lot of time with grandmothers and grandfathers.

At the same time, 12% of respondents didn’t know their grandparents, while 13% saw them rarely.

When asked what would they recommend to a young family that has enough money in terms of caring for little kids (enrolling them to a kindergarten, hiring a nanny, or asking grandparents to look after children), 2 out of 3 respondents picked the kindergarten. Only 27% of survey participants would recommend grannies as the carers. Hiring a nanny is seen as a good option by only 3% of respondents.

At the same time, 84% of users believe that grandmothers and grandfathers can tech kids their wisdom, accumulated during life.

We should also remember that on average Russian women give birth for the first time at 26. The grandmother gave birth even earlier. This means that Russian grannies are usually under 50, and some of them are in their late thirties or early forties. They have enough energy to look after young kids and desire to care for them.

Most Russians also revealed that they trusted their grandmothers and grandfathers secrets they wouldn’t share with parents. 52% of respondents did it sometimes while 28% did it always.

When asked what emotions they have when thinking about grandmothers, 54% of respondents mentioned kindness, warmth, good and positive emotions. 19% said she was caring and supportive, while 10% remembered tasty food.

Read also:

• Russian grandmothers and grandfathers will get the same rights as parents
• How are Russian families organized?
• How many kids do Russians want to have?
• 7% of Russians believe fathers shouldn’t participate in kids’ life after divorce