As more and more grandparents turn into snowbirds and migrate south for the winter, there are concerns about how it will affect their children and grandchildren. Opinions vary as to how snowbird migration affects families, probably as many as there are family members. As one little boy said: ‘We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa.’ And one parent commented: ‘They’re going to miss their grandson for most of life and they really don’t seem to care much. They are choosing to be absentee grandparents. And from a young adult, “I had snowbird grandparents and had a terrible relationship with them because of it.” Another opinion was: ‘They spent their lives raising children and now they are free to do as they please.’ And from a snowbird, ‘We raised our children, now is our time.’

Like everything in life, there are pros and cons. It wouldn’t be what I would choose to do, but that’s who I am. It is no different than grandparents living in a different state or province than their grandchildren. And in many cases it is the children who, together with the grandchildren, make the decision to move to another place. The main difference is that, in this case, the grandparents choose to be away from their families.

The positive aspects of having a snowbird grandfather are:

– There is a good chance of visiting grandparents in warm sunny weather during the cold of winter where we live.

– There are still another six months of the year.

– A grandfather can still be a good grandfather regardless of whether distance is a factor or not. There are phones, postal mail and, of course, everyone’s favorite email and Skype.

– The migration of a snowbird to a warmer climate does not have to affect family relationships if you do not allow it.

– Grandparents who meet new friends and enrich their lives can only benefit the lives of their family members. They will be more interesting and have stories to pass on to their grandchildren and families when they see them again.

The negative aspects of having a snowbird grandfather are:

– Their own children, in some cases, resent that grandparents are not there for their grandchildren.

– Grandchildren miss grandparents, especially if there was a close relationship before they decided to become snowbirds.

– There are health or other situations that make their children connect more with them to help with the grandchildren.

In the end, though, it will be a choice that the retiring couple will make based on their financial ability, health, and their own feelings about being away from family for six months of the year.