That would have been a different context, more to do with the area one was raised than who raised you. Middle class suburbs for me. Consider it a lesson in generalizations, or the mistake of making them, if you will.
Have a good one.
Absolutely correct about the middle-class suburban effect.
Statistically speaking, you're the exception to the trend. Studies find that kids raised by grandparents are more likely to have social, emotional, educational and criminal issues. This was found to be due to the older generation having a harder time overcoming the obstacles of raising a child. It's harder for them.
More than 4.5 million minors are living with a grandparent according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Out of this total, about 2.4 million children are being raised primarily by grandparents and the numbers keep rising. In Illinois, more than 200,000 children live with a grandparent as their primary caregiver, according to the Illinois Department of Aging.
The challenges are evident in studies such as one conducted by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and published in the journal, Applied Developmental Science. The study reported a gap in reading achievement for children from the ages of two to about 5.5 years old when a custodial grandmother in a low-income neighborhood was raising them. Such neighborhoods in cities that include Chicago, Boston and San Antonio, had large minority populations. The outcome was better in suburban or well-off families. The study based its findings on analysis of community statistics.
When parents falter, children naturally fall into the laps of their grandparents. Caring for a grandchild may be temporary, for example when a parent is ill or in turmoil. It can also be permanent, as in the case of death, serious substance abuse, or incarceration. Following are some of the common circumstances that place children in jeopardy, forcing them to seek the sanctuary of their grandparents (Abandonment of the child by the parent. Parental illness (mental and physical). Teenage pregnancy. Substance abuse. Unemployment. Homelessness. Incarceration. Death of a parent. Divorce. Family violence. Child abuse and neglect. Poverty).
This is a subject we know much about... from the grandparent perspective. We have raised a grand-nephew after his mother and father fell to drug addiction. His experiences as a small child gave way to increased emotional and behavioral issues. He misses his parents and has difficulty coming to terms with his situation. This has caused him to "act out" in school and social settings. He gets help from a child psychologist and has made good progress but he has much to overcome. We hope our caring and exposure to a nurturing environment can eventually get him through his troubles, but he is still only nine-years-old. He has experienced turmoil during the development period where his "gut-value-programming" (the base of morality, right and wrong, ethics, etc.) was most important.
I'm glad to hear your grandparents did so well. It was probably very hard on them but their love for you kept them. God bless them for their love and caring. Your post gives me hope for my nephew as he is very hard to handle. Thanks much for the encouragement.