CHILDREN across Redditch have no knowledge or interest in what their grandparents did for a living, or what they used to do before they retired, according to the results of a nationwide survey.
A poll of 1,000 young people aged five to 18 has revealed almost two thirds of all those in Redditch have never spoken to their grandparents about their proudest achievements, with the majority saying they’d simply never thought to ask them.
Almost half admitted they didn’t know whether their grandparents have any special skills or talents, while almost 49 per cent of children polled across Redditch said they had no idea what their grandparents had done for a career.
The research, which was carried out by retirement housebuilder, McCarthy & Stone, revealed that in Redditch, teenagers were the least likely to have talked to their grandparents about their history, or what they were like in their youth.
This is despite the fact grandparents live just 15 minutes away for 60 per cent of children in Redditch and the majority of children see their grandparents quite regularly.
Nevertheless, it might not be the pleasure of their company they are after! More than a fifth of children in Redditch confessed they are more likely to see their grandparents to get pocket money from them, while four in 10 bow to pressure from mum and dad, and see their gran and grandad because their parents want them to.
Just 13% of those polled in Redditch said their grandparent was inspirational. A massive 52 per cent are most likely to look up to their mum, dad comes second with 16 per cent, while just seven per cent of children in the region look up to a grandparent.
However, according to the poll, the younger generation still has a lot of love for its elders. More than half in Redditch described their grandparents as loving or kind; with 45 per cent saying they were funny and a third calling them clever. It seems older definitely means wiser, with 56 per cent saying their grandparent was good at giving advice, and just over a third saying they were a good listener.
For more information about Retirement Living in Redditch call 0800 201 4741 or visit www.mccarthyandstone.co.uk.
