Swarts adds that, over the years, she has noticed grandfathers expressing a lot of enthusiasm during her classes, a clear sign of how generations are changing. “If [raising children] was the mother’s role, dads were not as involved in the care,” says Swarts.
She says the grandfathers who weren’t as involved when their children were growing up are the ones who want to absorb as much as possible. “Things like diaper-changing and swaddling, grandfathers are fascinated with this,” says Swarts.
According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 1965, fathers spent an average of 2.5 hours per week caring for their children. In 2016, that number nearly tripled, with dads reporting spending eight hours a week with their kids.