Grandparent-sitters: how much their work is worth

Gino is 76 years old, retired, and lives comfortably in a beautiful house on the outskirts of Milan. But he actually works, and a lot: he's a grandfather-cum-sitter. Every morning, very early, he takes a bus and then the subway to reach the home of his young daughter Marina, who lives and works in the center of Milan. Once he arrives at his destination (the only break he allows himself during the journey is an espresso at the bar), Gino finishes preparing his two little grandchildren, Giorgio and Annamaria, aged 5 and 3 respectively., accompanies them to school, then he goes to pick them up in the afternoon, and plays with them, at home or in some public garden if the weather permits, until Maria returns from work.

Like Gino, in Italy out of approximately 12 million grandparentsAbout a third work as grandparent-sitters, meaning they take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis, obviously without being paid. Yet it's a full-time job that has great value, including financially.  According to the UIL-Pensionati union, grandparent-sitters in Italy allow families to save an estimated annual amount of between 12 thousand and 19 thousand euros, if we also include the financial help that some grandparents provide to their children while babysitting their grandchildren.