If you are one of those grandparents raising grandchildren,your hardest moment may be telling your grandchildren why their parents are absent in their lives.
It is always hard to explain to a child where their parents are when they are in jail or it may be even worse if the parent have just left for whatever reason.
It will be your decision as their caregivers whether to tell them or not but there are things to consider.
It may seem like a good solution to lie to a child to protect them but children are smarter than we give them credit.
What if they overhear you talking to someone about what has happened or they hear grandma and grandpa talking about where their parents really are.
If they find out from someone other than you they may feel betrayed and they may lose trust in you.
Their may be a lot of negative effects of children not knowing the truth and having to assume where their parents are.
Sometimes the truth may be hard but children may find peace in just knowing where their parents are at.
Not knowing the truth may result in your grandchildren having some of the problems below.

• If the child doesn't know why their parents have left they may think that it is their fault
• They may feel confused have anxiety or have stress related problems
• Children may feel unloved and unwanted
• They may have problems in school
• They may have problems socializing with other children
• If they don't know the whereabouts of their parents they may feel like they have to lie to people who ask,why are your living with your grandparents and where are your parents

If and when you decide to tell your grandchildren the truth (It is usually best to tell the truth) you should be prepared to tell your grandchildren why their parent is gone and where they are at.
Children need to know what lead to their parents being away from them.
However, there is no need to tell them all of the details but depending one there age may determine how much you tell them.
If your grandchildren are older they may ask for more details.
What I have found out about lying is that when you tell one you then have to tell 10 more to cover up the first lie.
So be prepared to talk with them about how much they have to tell other people but in this case it may be best to tell your grandchildren they just don't have to tell or explain to other people where their parents are at.
They might be teased by other children if they tell them why their parents are gone.
You should also be prepared to tell your grandchildren if and when their parents will return.
Assure them that their parents are safe where they are at.
The most important thing is to reassure the children that they have a place to stay where they are safe and loved very much.
Grandparents and grandchildren share a special bond and this will make it stronger.