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- I’m raising my grandson alone in my 70s and can’t afford to retire. With gas prices rising, I worry about finances every day. (businessinsider.com)
Daphne Grandmother, 73, Works Full-Time to Raise Grandson Amidst Rising Costs
Daphne, AL – For Rhonda Abbott, 73, of Daphne, retirement plans took a detour when her grandson entered her life. Now, as the sole parent to her 14-year-old grandson, Abbott works full-time, navigates rising living costs, and faces the unique challenges of raising a teenager in her seventies.
Abbott’s journey into parenthood began in 2011 when her grandson, born to her oldest daughter, came directly to her home from the hospital. “I knew that if she had a child, he would be my responsibility, no questions asked,” Abbott shared. This was a significant shift for Abbott, who had just anticipated an empty nest with her late husband after her youngest child graduated college.
A former medical transcriber, high school teacher, and hospital administrator, Abbott initially retired in 2016. However, her grandson’s needs and the unexpected passing of her husband in 2017 brought her back into the workforce. “My husband was an attorney, so he filed the papers for us to be my grandson’s legal guardian,” she explained, noting the official adoption was finalized in 2019.
Today, Abbott works as an administrative assistant for her daughter’s company, which provides applied behavior analysis therapy for children with autism. Despite her experience and skills, finding alternative employment has proven difficult. “Every application I filled out, every job interview I tried to go to, they would say I was not qualified or overqualified,” she lamented.
Her daily routine starts at 6 a.m., getting her grandson ready for school before embarking on a 30 to 45-minute commute to work. After returning home in the afternoon, evenings are filled with homework, supper, and household chores.
Finances are a constant source of worry for Abbott. Her monthly Social Security check of $1,300 typically covers her house payment of the same amount.
Her bi-weekly income of $1,200 from work, along with a $350 car payment and utility bills that can exceed $200 in the summer, leaves little room for extras. “Gas has gone up over $1 in the last month,” she noted, detailing efforts to limit fill-ups and combine errands to save money.
“Groceries cost so much now, too. Then you don’t have any extra money for anything fun.”
Despite the financial strain, Abbott describes her grandson as “the love of my life,” an “easy and good” child who is sensitive to her feelings. However, navigating the school system as an older parent has presented its own hurdles.
“The parents of the other children look at us and think, ‘He lives with his grandmother.’ It feels like they don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
At 73, Abbott considers herself “fairly young” and embraces new experiences, even completing a high ropes course at 70 with her grandson. She is currently pursuing a medical coding and billing course with the hope of securing a remote job. This would not only alleviate her daily commute and gas expenses but also allow her daughter and her to “just be mother-daughter again.”
“I do feel trapped,” Abbott shared, emphasizing her role as her grandson’s primary caregiver. “I just want people to know that even though I’m not young, I’m his mother, and I’m the only mother he’s ever had. I’m not just his grandmother.”