I see the nursery school's number on the screen and my heart stops.

"I consider myself a somewhat atypical grandfather because, for a number of reasons, including the fact that I don't live in the same city as my grandchildren, I'm a long-distance grandfather. Also, because of my personality and hobbies, I have a pretty busy life with a number of activities I do regularly, and therefore, I don't have Josep available either." His case is less common, but increasingly prevalent in a context where intensive care for grandchildren has been a social pillar. Although there's no manual for being a grandparent, the data reflects a well-established pattern: 42% of Spanish grandparents (between 55 and 69 years old) with minor grandchildren take care of them daily or at least once a week, mainly because the parents can't (41%). These tasks include picking them up from school or extracurricular activities (39%) and doing leisure activities like going to the park or for a snack (39%). according to the V Mapfre Foundation Senior Consumer Barometer (2025)

Between four and six in the afternoon, while his parents are still working, Luca Azañón typically spends time with his maternal grandparents during the week. They pick him up from daycare, have snacks and play together at home, and go to the park or shopping. When his two-and-a-half-year-old son falls ill, Hilario and Jacinta also take care of him. His parents, Carlos and Miriam, point out that the grandparents' role "is essential" in being able to manage everything, especially when his work shifts change and he has to call on his in-laws to care for the child. "My shifts rotate, so if we didn't have their support, maybe I should ask to be transferred to another department where the shifts were more consistent," Carlos acknowledges. Beyond being a vital resource when it comes to balancing work and family life, the grandparents and grandson also enjoy leisure time and free time with the rest of the family.

My eye is twitching, and it's only July. And I don't want to complain too much because I'm incredibly lucky to be a teacher and can balance my four children's vacations well. Three months, four teenagers, four meals a day. They eat a lot, and the issue is no longer making lunch, it's planning it and making it substantial and satisfying. Just think, if I have to start coating chicken breasts with breadcrumbs, I should have started in April.

Three weekday mornings, Lídia takes care of her one-and-a-half-year-old grandson. She's already at home by nine: she gives him breakfast, helps him get dressed, and spends the morning playing with him until his mother returns from work at noon. "It's not hard for me," assures this sixty-seven-year-old grandmother.