The April 13 Edition

Twenty hours a week. That’s the point at which many grandparents begin to feel resentful about looking after their grandkids. Not all grandparents, and not all the time – but enough to show up in research. I found this a fascinating figure in light of the central theme of today’s cover story, which is that Gran and Gramps are the unpaid bedrock of our childcare system. They’re spending their days reading to the babies and toddlers, ferrying the older kids to and from sport, and are on call for date night. Many are paying the school fees, while others are housing three generations under their own roof. Older family members have always helped out, I hear you say. But a combination of factors, from high house prices and childcare costs to the predominance of two worker households, plus the normalisation of mum returning to work once baby hits six or 12 months, means grandparents are contributing more than ever. So much for relaxing into retirement. How resentful are they? Less than you might expect, but perhaps more than many of their own kids might realise. So let’s hear it for the grand army, without whose free labour – and endless, selfless supply of love – many Australian families simply wouldn’t cope. Katrina Strickland, editor

13 stories

For subscribers

Mind the baby, Boomer: How more grandparents are ending up on the childcare frontline

Who’s looking after the kids? Increasingly, it’s Gran and Gramps.

April 13, 2024
by Jenna Price

For subscribers

Is logging off the new black?

Twenty years after Mark Zuckerberg and his mates started Facebook, tech watchers are beginning to ask: have we passed peak social media?

April 11, 2024
by David Swan

For subscribers

‘My Errol Flynn’: How Ethne fell in love with a dead serviceman

Diaries and love letters scribbled in cursive by soldiers at the front can be difficult to decipher. To the rescue: this 91-year-old – and others like her.

April 12, 2024
by Tim Elliott

Two of Us

For subscribers

‘We all suffered’: Louise and David Helfgott’s complicated upbringing

Pianist David Helfgott and his younger sister, writer Louise, are still close after a tumultuous early life that was detailed in the 1996 film, Shine.

April 11, 2024
by Dani Valent

“I found my wonderful make-up artist checking behind my ears to see if I’d had a facelift. He said, ‘People are asking.’ ”

Dicey Topics

For subscribers

‘People are asking’: Why Kerry Armstrong’s make-up artist checked behind her ears

The actress discusses raising three boys as a single mum, making lasting impressions – and whose body she’d like to have in her next life.

April 12, 2024
by Benjamin Law

Modern Guru

Bidding against my friend at an auction – what’s the worst that could happen?

House auctions are terrifying enough – now, let’s play out the scenarios, writes our Modern Guru.

April 12, 2024
by Danny Katz

For subscribers

Letting it all hang out: The he-vage (for men!)

Plus: get ready for the weekend with these fresh diversions.

April 12, 2024
by Various

Crime and punishment

Soon after she’d yelled at him for pretty much no reason, Huxley’s mum called him to dinner. “Not hungry!” he yelled, though he was starving. “Come to the table anyway,” she insisted, materialising in his doorway. “Can’t. Going for a walk,” he said impulsively. She frowned. “But it’s bucketing down. Stay here, love.” “Nah,” he muttered, enjoying her objections. The rain fell like nails but, wincing, he stepped out into it, figuring he’d stay away long enough to ensure her suffering. How awful she’d feel knowing it was her fault he was out here; so wet, so cold, so unbelievably hungry. Words by Paul Connolly. Illustration by Jim Pavlidis.