Here’s Why You Might Want to Think Twice Before Letting Your Parents Babysit Your Kids
For some new parents, having the support of the grandparents can be priceless. Heading back to work, knowing that you don’t have to worry about the rising cost of childcare can be the difference that you need in order to thrive at work. While our parents do often mean their best, we still have to sometimes deal with their unwanted advice, regardless of if they’re babysitting for us, but a new study says that it might not be the best idea to rely on our parents helping with our kids.
According to a recent survey, grandparents are using outdated and sometimes dangerous methods when it comes to their grandkids. With 636 grandparents responding to the questions in the survey, it turns out that they still strongly believe in outdated medical advice which can actually be dangerous for our kids.
But what exactly do your parents believe? Two thirds of the people questioned believed that cuts should be allowed time to “air out,” even though science has proven that a bandage is better at keeping infection away. Shockingly, almost half the respondents said that the best way to control a fever is by dropping a baby or child into a cold bath, something that can actually be quite dangerous for a child due to high risk of hypothermia.
While this seems quite scary, the study’s lead author, Dr. Andrew Adesman says that it’s important to remember that parents can also be given reminders of the latest scientific recommendations on what’s best for our kids.
Do your parents help in taking care of your kids? Tell us @BritandCo!
(h/t Redbook; photos via Stephanie Keith/Getty)
