In lieu of Fathers and Mothers Days, Israelis celebrate “Family Day,” which comes out this year on Thursday. A poll by the WIZO organization released in honor of Family Day showed that a high percentage of grandparents are closely involved in their grandchildren's education, and even in helping parents raise their grandchildren, from looking after children while parents are away at work, to deciding what schools their grandchildren should go to.
The poll showed that 70% of grandparents regularly see their grandchildren, and even take care of them for at least a few hours a week. Over one third of grandparents complain that parents do not pay enough attention to their ideas and suggestions, often regarding discipline issues. However, that number was sharply different for grandfathers, 28% of whom said their ideas were ignored, compared to 44% of grandmothers who often felt that way.
Over half of the grandparents polled said that they intervened with their children when they felt they were not raising the grandchildren properly. However, about 30% felt that parents were perhaps too strict, and said that they allowed their grandchildren to flout parental rules when they were in their care.
The poll showed that the younger the grandchildren and the closer they were geographically, the more grandparents were a regular part of the grandchildren's lives. Eighty percent of those with grandchildren five or under said they saw the grandchildren at least once a week, compared to 64% of those with older grandchildren.
Similarly, over 70% of those with younger grandchildren were involved in raising them, while only 50% of those with older grandchildren said they were involved. Of the younger set, one third said they saw their grandchildren once a week, a quarter saw them two or three times a week, and 20% saw them daily.