Showing papers on "Grandparent published in 2010"

Grandparental investment: past, present, and future.

Abstract: What motivates grandparents to their altruism? We review answers from evolutionary theory, sociology, and economics. Sometimes in direct conflict with each other, these accounts of grandparental investment exist side-by-side, with little or no theoretical integration. They all account for some of the data, and none account for all of it. We call for a more comprehensive theoretical framework of grandparental investment that addresses its proximate and ultimate causes, and its variability due to lineage, values, norms, institutions (e.g., inheritance laws), and social welfare regimes. This framework needs to take into account that the demographic shift to low fecundity and mortality in economically developed countries has profoundly altered basic parameters of grandparental investment. We then turn to the possible impact of grandparental acts of altruism, and examine whether benefits of grandparental care in industrialized societies may manifest in terms of less tangible dimensions, such as the grandchildren's cognitive and verbal ability, mental health, and well-being. Although grandparents in industrialized societies continue to invest substantial amounts of time and money in their grandchildren, we find a paucity of studies investigating the influence that this investment has on grandchildren in low-risk family contexts. Under circumstances of duress - for example, teenage pregnancy or maternal depression - there is converging evidence that grandparents can provide support that helps to safeguard their children and grandchildren against adverse risks. We conclude by discussing the role that grandparents could play in what has been referred to as Europe's demographic suicide.

Family story play: reading with young children (and elmo) over a distance

Abstract: We introduce Family Story Play, a system that supports grandparents to read books together with their grandchildren over the Internet. Family Story Play is designed to improve communication across generations and over a distance, and to support parents and grandparents in fostering the literacy development of young children. The interface encourages active child participation in the book reading experience by combining a paper book, a sensor-enhanced frame, video conferencing technology, and video content of a Sesame Street Muppet (Elmo). Results with users indicate that Family Story Play improves child engagement in long-distance communication and increases the quality of interaction between young children and distant grandparents. Additionally, Family Story Play encourages dialogic reading styles that are linked with literacy development. Ultimately, reading with Family Story Play becomes a creative shared activity that suggests a new kind of collaborative story telling.

Loneliness of left-behind children: a cross-sectional survey in a sample of rural China

Abstract: Background It is reported that about 28.3% of rural children estimated at 58 million were left behind in China when their parents migrated to cities to find work.These children may encounter critical situations of psychological well-being.We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore whether left-behind children are lonelier than the non-left-behind and to highlight subpopulations that are particular at risk. Methods We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study on a representative sample in rural China.Semi-structured questionnaires were applied to 324 left-behind and 282 non-left-behind children.Logistic regression analysis was used to find out risk factors associated with loneliness. Results We found that whether children were left behind or not influenced their likelihood of being lonely.Compared with non-left-behind children,the left-behind were 2.5 times (95% CI 1.7, 3.5) more likely to suffer from loneliness and 6.4 times (95% CI 4.2,9.7) more likely to be very lonely. Left-behind children who were brought up by grandparents,or having poor economic status,bad relationship and low frequency of communication with parents were prone to encounter more as well as more severe loneliness.In particular,children who had a bad relationship with parents were at highest risk for severe loneliness (OR 14.5; 95% CI 2.1,99.5). Conclusions Left-behind children are at significant risk for loneliness.More specific investigations targeted towards the psychological well-being of these children are needed to identify the underlying preventable risk factors.

Is childcare associated with the risk of overweight and obesity in the early years? Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Abstract: Background: A recent assessment of childcare in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countrieshighlighted the potential for childcare to widen inequalities. Although childcare offers a potential setting for obesity prevention,little research has analysed the association between childcare and overweight, particularly in different socio-economic groups.Objectives: Our primary objective was to explore the association between childcare and overweight (including obesity), bothoverall and by socio-economic background, in a contemporary UK cohort of children at age 3 years (N¬12 354). Our secondaryobjective was to explore infant feeding as a potential mediator between childcare in infancy and overweight at age 3 years.Results: After controlling for confounders, children who were cared for in informal childcare (75% grandparents) between theage of 9 months and 3 years were more likely to be overweight than those cared for only by a parent (adjusted risk ratio(aRR)¬1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.27), particularly if they were in full-time childcare (aRR¬1.34, 95% CI1.15-1.57). When stratifying by socio-economic background, the increased risk of overweight in informal childcare (comparedwith parental care) was limited to children from more advantaged groups: those whose mother was from a managerial orprofessional background (aRR¬1.23, 95% CI 1.02-1.47), had a degree (RR¬1.43, 95% CI 1.13-1.83) or lived in a couplehousehold (RR¬1.18, 95% CI 1.06-1.32). There was no association between formal childcare and overweight. Infant feedingdid not mediate the association between childcare use in infancy and overweight at age 3 years.Conclusions: Children from more advantaged families who use informal childcare are at increased risk of overweight. The UKgovernment's drive to support parents into paid employment should be accompanied by health-related information andsupport for both informal and formal carers. As the majority of informal carers were grandparents, the recent governmentannouncement to provide grandparents with National Insurance credits for caring for grandchildren provides a potentialopportunity for health promotion.

Preserve and strengthen family to promote mental health.

Abstract: Byline: Ajit. Avasthi Introduction Unlike the West, in India, family is the key resource in the care of patients with mental illness. Families assume the role of primary caregivers for two reasons. First, it is because of the Indian tradition of interdependence and concern for near and dear ones in adversities. Due to this most Indian families prefer to be meaningfully involved in all aspects of care of their relatives despite it being time-consuming. Second, there is a paucity of trained mental health professionals required to cater to the vast majority of the population; hence, the clinicians depend on the family. Thus, having an adequate family support is the need of the patient, clinician and the healthcare administrators. The term family has its root in the Latin word 'familia' that denotes a household establishment, akin to 'famulus', which denoted a servant who came from that household establishment. In the ancient Roman law, the word denoted the group of producers, slaves and other servants as well as members connected by common descent or marriage. Family as we understand today has been defined in the Oxford dictionary as (i) The body of persons who live in one house or under one head, including parents, children, servants, (ii) The group consisting of parents and their children, whether living together or not; in wider sense, all those who are nearly connected by blood or affinity. (iii) A person's children reared collectively. (iv) Those descended, or claiming descent from a common ancestor. From the point of view of psychiatry, family denotes a group of individuals who live together during important phases of their life time and are bound to each other by biological and /or social and psychological relationship. It is a group defined by a sexual relationship sufficiently precise and enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of children.[sup] [1] When we look at the family as a unit, the following features are common across the globe: it is universal, permanent, nucleus of all social relationships, has an emotional basis, has a formative influence over its members, teaches its members as to what is their social responsibility and the necessity for co-operation and follows a social regulation.[sup] [2] Features of Traditional Indian Families India is a secular and pluralistic society characterized by tremendous cultural and ethnic diversity. In India the family is the most important institution that has survived through the ages. India, like most other less industrialized, traditional, eastern societies is a collectivist (a sense of harmony, interdependence and concern for others) society that emphasizes family integrity, family loyalty, and family unity. More specifically, collectivism is reflected in greater readiness to cooperate with family members and extended kin on decisions affecting most aspects of life, including career choice, mate selection, and marriage.[sup] [3] Since ages, the Indian family has been a dominant institution in the life of individuals. It is considered strong, stable, close, resilient and enduring. In India, overwhelmingly, families adhere to a patriarchal ideology, follow the patrilineal rule of descent, are patrilocal, have familialistic value orientations, and endorse traditional gender role preferences. Historically, the traditional, ideal and desired family in India is the joint family. A joint family includes kinsmen, and generally includes three to four living generations, including uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and grandparents living together in the same household. Frequently, a large joint family divides after the demise of elderly parents, when there is no longer a single authority figure to hold the family together. After division, each new residential unit, in its turn, usually becomes a joint family when sons of the family marry and bring their wives to live in the family home. The lines of hierarchy and authority are clearly drawn, shaping structurally and psychologically complex family relationships. …

Representing Family: Community Funds of Knowledge, Bilingualism, and Multimodality.

Abstract: In this article, Elizabeth Marshall and Kelleen Toohey use critical discourse analysis to examine educators' efforts to incorporate funds of knowledge from the communities and families of Punjabi Sikh students in a Canadian elementary school. Using MP3 players, students first recorded and then translated their grandparents' stories of life in India into picture books to serve as cultural resources in their school community. In retelling their grandparents' stories, students drew on a multiplicity of ancestral, globalized, and Western discourses in their textual and pictorial illustrations. The authors examine what happens when the funds of knowledge that students bring to school contradict normative, Western understandings of what is appropriate for children and how school might appropriately respond to varying community perceptions of good and evil.

How grandparents matter. Support for the cooperative breeding hypothesis in a contemporary Dutch population

Abstract: Low birth rates in developed societies reflect women’s difficulties in combining work and motherhood. While demographic research has focused on the role of formal childcare in easing this dilemma, evolutionary theory points to the importance of kin. The cooperative breeding hypothesis states that the wider kin group has facilitated women’s reproduction during our evolutionary history. This mechanism has been demonstrated in pre-industrial societies, but there is no direct evidence of beneficial effects of kin’s support on parents’ reproduction in modern societies. Using three-generation longitudinal data anchored in a sample of grandparents aged 55 and over in 1992 in the Netherlands, we show that childcare support from grandparents increases the probability that parents have additional children in the next 8 to 10 years. Grandparental childcare provided to a nephew or niece of childless children did not significantly increase the probability that those children started a family. These results suggest that childcare support by grandparents can enhance their children’s reproductive success in modern societies and is an important factor in people’s fertility decisions, along with the availability of formal childcare.

Key Concepts in Family Studies

Abstract: Introduction Attachment and Loss Biology Care Child Development Childhood and Children Comparative Approaches Conflict Theories Coupledom: Marriage, Partnership and Cohabitation Demography Division of Labour Domestic Violence and Abuse Families of Choice Family as Discourse Family Change and Continuity Family Effects Family Forms Family Law Family Life Cycle and Life Course Family Policies Family Practices Family Systems Fatherhood, Fathers and Fathering Feminisms Functionalism Grandparents Home Household Individualization Intimacy Kinship Motherhood, Mothers and Mothering Negotiation New Right Parenthood, Parents and Parenting Personal Phenomenological Approaches Post-Coupledom: Separation, Divorce and Widowhood Power Problem Families Public and Private Rationalities Role Theory Siblings Social Divisions Socialization Transnational Families

Orphanhood and Schooling in South Africa: Trends in the Vulnerability of Orphans between 1993 and 2005

Abstract: Using 10 nationally representative surveys conducted between 1993 and 2005, we assess the extent to which the vulnerability of orphans to poorer educational outcomes has changed over time as the AIDS crisis deepens in South Africa. In line with the existing literature, we find that at every point in time orphans are at risk of poorer educational outcomes, with maternal deaths generally having stronger negative effects than paternal deaths. However, despite a significant increase in the number of orphans over the past decade, we find no evidence of a systematic strengthening of these negative effects. In order to understand this, we explore patterns of caregiving for orphans. We find that these patterns have shifted over time. While orphans are still absorbed into extended families, single orphans are increasingly less likely to live with the surviving parent, and there is an increasing reliance on grandparents as caregivers. Up to this point, these changing patterns of caregiving within extended ...

Grandparenting in the 21st century: issues of diversity in grandparent-grandchild relationships.

Abstract: Although previous literature has demonstrated the importance of age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in understanding grandparent-grandchild relationships, additional factors contribute to a more complete and nuanced understanding of multigenerational relationships. Thorough understanding of the role of diversity requires examination of the discrete impacts of grandparents' gender, sexual orientation, and physical and/or cognitive limitations on the relationship. This article focuses on these 3 important, yet overlooked, issues of diversity, with a focus on strength-based and empowerment-oriented strategies and their implications for practice, policy, and future research.

What Factors Relate to Good Placement Outcomes in Kinship Care

Abstract: Since recent legislation and other developments are likely to lead to increased use of placements with kin, this paper considers the evidence base about the factors that relate to good outcomes in kinship care in England. It is based on a study using case file reviews on 270 children, half of whom were in kin and half in stranger foster care, and interviews with a sub-sample of thirty-two family and friends carers and a number of social workers, parents and children. The placement outcomes considered were placement quality and disruption. The study found that the kin placements that were most likely to disrupt were those in which children were older at placement, showed difficult behaviour, there was an absence of high carer commitment and contact was not supervised. There were also lower levels of disruption in placements with grandparents and when kin carers had been approved as foster carers and so received financial and practical support. However, poorer quality placements lasted significantly longer in kin than in stranger foster care. Moreover, the outcomes of kin placements turned out to vary widely by local authority. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are considered.

Intergenerational Relationship Quality, Gender and Grandparent Involvement.

Abstract: This prospective, intergenerational study (N = 181) considered how parent (G1, generation 1)–child (G2, generation 2) relationship quality during adolescence and adulthood is associated with G1’s level of involvement with their 3–4 year-old grandchildren (G3, generation 3). Path model analyses indicated different patterns of results for the involvement of grandmothers and grandfathers with the children of their G2 sons and daughters. Current parent-reported G1-G2 relationship quality was positively associated with G2 report of G1 involvement with G3, especially for G2 daughters. The relations among confounding variables, including geographic distance, socioeconomic status, and grandparent marital status and grandparent involvement with grandchildren were considered. Results highlight the roles of intergenerational relationship quality and gender configuration of the G1-G2 dyad in shaping grandparent involvement with grandchildren.

The Helicopter Parent: Research toward a Typology (Part I).

Abstract: With 117,000 hits on a recent Google(TM) search, the phenomenon of helicopter parenting has been widely reported in the popular press. Yet the scholarly literature is anemic on the topic. This article, part one of a two-part series, presents the small body of research on helicopter parenting and describes a qualitative study of 190 participants which identifies five types of helicopter parents. Part two of the article explores the social, cultural, psychological, and economic factors that give rise to helicopter parenting; identifies implications for practice; and discusses two theories of parenting. INTRODUCTION From the Wall Street Journal (Shellenbarger 2007) and USA Today (Jayson 2007) to O Magazine (Rabb 2008), The Chronicle of Higher Education (Hoover 2008, Lipka 2005, Milstone 2007, Wills 2005), and abc's Wife Swap ("Poor Little Rich Girl" 2008, Waldo 2008), stories about helicopter parents abound. Likewise, practitioner interest in the subject has increased (see, for example, recent monographs by Carney-Hall 2008, Daniel and Scott 2001, Keppler, Mullendore and Casey 2005). Yet the scholarly research on the topic is anemic (Toepfer 2008). Recognizing that understanding helicopter parent behavior as well as motivation is crucial to the effectiveness both of educational programs for students and of management of colleges and universities, we focused this qualitative study on those who have experienced helicoptering firsthand: academic and student services professionals. This article presents the small body of research on helicoptering; explores the topic through interviews and focus groups with professionals; and identifies five types of helicopter parents. The term "helicopter parent" was coined by Charles Fay and Foster Cline (authors of the Love and Logic parenting series) and was popularized by a Newsweek article (Zeman 1991), which described such a person as "a nosy grown-up who's always around. Quick to offer a teacher unwanted help." A helicopter parent (helopat for short) is a mother, father, or even a grandparent who "hovers" over a student of any age by being involved - sometimes overly so - in student/school, student/employer, or student/societal relationships. Helicopter behavior can have a positive or negative effect. Positive results accrue when the "hovering" is age appropriate; when parents and student engage in a dialogue; when the student is empowered to act; and when parents intercede only if the student needs additional help. We label this behavior positive parental engagement. Negative helicopter parents can be found in many settings, including educational, and are inappropriately (and at times surreptitiously) enmeshed in their children's lives and relationships. This study differs from the numerous anecdotal articles on helicoptering by pursuing a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. While we heard hundreds of stories - sad, tragic, hilarious, and mundane - about helicopter parents, we focused on a higher level of analysis (Miles and Huberman 1994) in order to search for helicopter parent typologies and broader historical and sociocultural explanations for their behavior. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In pre -industrial American society, young people had a relatively brief coming of age period. Industrialization, combined with population shifts to urban areas and the high school movement, meant that by the turn of the 20th century, a growing number of young people graduated from high school by age eighteen. Most entered the workforce immediately. Home, marriage, and children usually followed shortly thereafter. Psychological theories of adolescence and adulthood were based on that narrow band of time between being in high school and joining the labor market. According to Arnett (2007), Stanley Hall, who wrote the milestone book on adolescence (1904), was influenced by the notion oi Sturm und Drang (storm and stress, Goethe 1774/1989). Likewise, psychoanalyst Anna Freud (1958, 1968) promoted a dark view of adolescence which was adopted by the Freudian school. …

‘Only children’ and their coalition of parents: Considering grandparents and parents as joint caregivers in urban Xiamen, China: Only children and their coalition of parents

Abstract: This article presents the important, but overlooked, role that is played by grandparents in contemporary China as joint caregivers with parents in raising only children. Grounded on empirical data, collected through ethnographic and survey methods in urban China, the article identifies the ‘intergenerational parenting coalition’ as a culturally appropriate unit of analysis for understanding child rearing within the multigenerational family in China. The social forces that have given rise to the contemporary multigenerational family in China are reviewed. Qualitative analyses of four such families are used to illustrate the unique family dynamics and patterns of influence particular to the intergenerational parenting coalition.

The Health-Related Quality of Life of Custodial Grandparents

Abstract: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was explored in a sample of 119 custodial grandparents. A latent profile analysis identified three groups of grandparents along a continuum of good to poor HRQOL, with most custodial grandparents reporting Short Form-12 Health Survey (version 2) scores significantly below U.S. population means. Grandparent and grandchild characteristics that predicted grandparent HRQOL were identified. Grandchild health problems, number of grandchildren in custody, and grandparent education contributed to a moderate reduction in HRQOL. A large reduction in HRQOL was predicted by depression. Differences in depression were reported between groups, with grandparents with poor HRQOL also reporting clinically significant depression, grandparents with fair HRQOL reporting marginally clinically significant depression, and grandparents with good HRQOL reporting no depression. In a qualitative analysis, grandparent conceptualization of what they need to do to maintain and improve their health was explored for each group. Findings from the quantitative analysis indicate variation in grandparent health and mental health status and suggest that services should be tailored to address grandparent needs. The qualitative analysis highlights the importance of religion and spirituality to grandparents, the economic concerns of grandparents, and the need for transdisciplinary services.

Educational Resilience in African American Adolescents.

Abstract: The purpose of this article was to examine factors within the school context that facilitates educational resilience among African American high school students. The authors expected academic self-esteem to be positively associated with future expectations (academic and general). They expected perceptions of school-based social support to have positive associations with achievement outcomes. They also investigated if there are gender differences in any of the variables. The participants were 206 African American adolescents (65.54% female) who resided in a large urban city in the south-central geographic area of the United States. Results supported the notion that educational resilience was associated with perceived school support, academic self-esteem and mother's work history. The results have implications for educators and other professionals who are interested in promoting educational resilience in high school students. Keywords: educational resilience, academic self-esteem, school support, future expectations A wealth of research over the past two decades has examined processes relevant to understanding resilience among racial and ethnic minority youth. Resilient youth demonstrate positive outcomes in their academic trajectories and psychosocial processes (Luthar, 2006; Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000; Taylor, 2010; Wang & Gordon, 1994). Resilience is defined as "a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity" (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000, p. 543). Outcomes associated with resilience are broadly identified as factors contributing to success under adverse conditions and are subsequently explored to understand the processes. The concept has recently begun to draw attention as being domain-specific, such that youth can demonstrate resilience in one domain while remaining vulnerable in another (see Luthar, 2006; Wang & Gordon, 1994). In recognizing multiple components of resilience, educational resilience represents a specific domain where youth have positive educational adaptations and outcomes within the context of significant adversity (Wang & Gordon, 1994). The purpose of this article is to examine factors within the school context that facilitate educational resilience among African American students. As youth experience varying forms of adversity that can impact their educational experiences and subsequent resilience, the impact of stressful life events, perceptions of school social support, academic self-esteem, and parental monitoring are explored. These constructs are chosen because the extant research highlights how students who are resilient tend to have high self-esteem, social support from significant adults, and high parental monitoring (Luthar, 2006; Trask-Tate & Cunningham, 2010; Trask-Tate, Cunningham, & LangDeGrange, 2010). As demonstrated by seminal research by Werner (1995, 1996), familial relationships are important in facilitating resilient outcomes. Werner's research was the result of a 30-year longitudinal study of Hawaiian infants born into high-risk contexts characterized by poverty and family discord. Resilient participants experienced social support from a female caregiver. Werner also emphasized the importance of the roles of "substitute parents," such as grandparents or older siblings. These significant adults helped children grow into resilient adults by buffering students from negative circumstances. These authors extend Werner's notion of "substitute parents" by examining the roles of significant adults within the school context. Importantly, examining the school context is crucial when describing educational resilience. In fact, Slaughter-Defoe and Rubin (2001) pointed out that school officials have tremendous influence during the adolescent years. The researchers followed 56 African American children and their families from Head Start to 12th grade and the results from their longitudinal study demonstrated that magnitude of influence changes from elementary to middle school. …

Predictors of Sexual Debut at Age 16 or Younger

Abstract: The present study examined the extent to which variables within the self system (i.e., symptoms of alcohol dependence and conduct disorder, gender, race, and metropolitan status) and the familial system (i.e., having an alcohol dependent biological parent or second-degree relative, religious background, educational background of parents, and being born to a teenage mother) were associated with sexual debut at 16 years old or earlier. Participants were 1,054 biological relatives, aged 18–25 years, of alcohol dependent probands who participated in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism project. Comparison participants (N = 234) without alcohol dependent biological parents were also evaluated. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were assessed by structured, personal interviews. Parental history of alcohol dependence was evaluated by direct interview of parents in most cases and family history in uninterviewed parents. In a multivariate survival analysis, increased risk of becoming sexually active at 16 years of age or earlier was significantly associated with 6 of the 10 predictor variables, including race, one or more alcohol dependence symptoms, and/or one or more conduct disorder symptoms. Having an alcohol dependent biological parent or second-degree relative (e.g., aunt, uncle, or grandparent), educational background of mother, and being born to a teenage mother were also significantly associated with increased risk. These results provide evidence that specific variables in the self and familial systems of influence are important in predicting sexual debut at 16 years old or earlier.

Grandparents' Involvement and Support in Families with Children with Disabilities

Abstract: This study reviews recent literature related to grandparents' involvement and support for grandchildren with disabilities and their grandchildrens' family. The literature reveals that grandparents' initial reactions are similar to parents' reactions of shock, anger, and grief when they learn a grandchild has a disability. Over time, grandparents become involved in their grandchild's family system, providing practical and emotional support. Factors that influence grandparents' support and involvement include residential proximity, their level of understanding of their grandchild's disability, and the affective solidarity between them and their adult child who is the parent of the grandchild. Grandparents' support and involvement is promoted when they have access to accurate information regarding their grandchild's disability, experience good communication exists between them and their adult child, and when support groups or workshops are available to them in their community. A variety of unexplored areas a...

Family and Reading in 41 Countries: Differences across Cultures and Students.

Abstract: Family characteristics' links to literacy learning and their differences across macrosystems (economic and cultural contexts) were explored in multilevel analyses of the reading tests and questionnaire responses of 193,841 fifteen-year-olds across 41 countries. Students who had two parents, had higher family socioeconomic status (SES), were native born, had more books at home, had more cultural possessions at home, had more cultural communication at home, had no resident grandparents, or had fewer siblings (especially older ones) often had higher reading scores. However, country-level factors moderated these results. In richer countries, blended families (one parent and one stepparent) and cultural communication at home were more strongly linked to reading scores. In egalitarian cultures, SES had a stronger link to reading scores. In collectivist cultures, single parent status, SES, and resident grandparents had weaker links to reading scores. Thus, macrosystems are crucial to consider for understanding h...

Filling the Parenting Gap? Grandparent Involvement With U.K. Adolescents:

Abstract: With people living longer and more mothers working, there is some evidence that grandparents are more involved in rearing the next generation. Although there is research in the United Kingdom on kinship care, there is no national research on the extent of grandparent involvement from the perspective of young people. This, the first national survey of 1,478 adolescents in England and Wales, demonstrates the very considerable amount of informal care given by grandparents to adolescents.The findings showed that factors in the wider ecology of children, their parents, grandparents, and the community influenced grandparent—grandchild involvement. In particular, more regular contact and stronger grandparent/grandchild closeness, greater parental encouragement to visit grandparents, better health in grandparents, and less deprivation in the community were significantly associated with more active grandparent involvement. The article concludes that because grandparents may be filling the parenting gap for hard-wo...

Family storytelling for grandparents and grandchildren living apart

Abstract: Grandparents may feel revitalized when a grandchild joins the family, but the physical separation that often exists between grandparents and grandchildren can make it difficult to develop a close relationship. Current communication technologies, such as the phone, are inadequate for developing close relationships with children. This paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a technology probe exploring how technology can be designed to alleviate this problem. Based on the evaluation, four important themes for designing technology for distributed intergenerational bonding are elicited and discussed. The four themes are Conversational Context (to have something to talk about), Facilitation (to be given the opportunity to talk), Diversified Interaction Forms (to maintain attention of the child) and Supporting Grandparent caring for grandchild (to adapt activity to the mood of the child).

Across the Oceans: Childcare and Grandparenting in UK Chinese and Bangladeshi Households

Abstract: This paper focuses on the transnational aspects of childcare, highlighting the importance of migration history and the relevance of social networks in understanding how childcare needs are met in different minority ethnic communities. Fifteen households from the Chinese and Bangladeshi communities in the United Kingdom were surveyed, and interviews were conducted with grandparents, parents and children. The role of grandparents in these communities is used to illustrate the importance of intergenerational and transnational relationships, and commonalities and differences between the two communities are highlighted. The paper offers an alternative way of understanding minority ethnic communities' needs. The approach employed may also be applied to other minority ethnic groups in Europe and beyond. At a time when UK border controls are being tightened, the paper adds to the growing body of literature on diasporas, migration and transnationalism, but with a particular focus on childcare as a policy area.

Time for a separate psychosis caregiver service

Abstract: Informal caregivers of people with psychosis are a seriously neglected group. Around 2% of the adult general population will have a diagnosis of psychosis during their lifetime. Up to half of these people will have caregivers. Given that the over-16 population in the UK is around 49 million, and that one in 200 people has a psychotic disorder, around 245,000 people will be affected. This suggests, conservatively, that at any one time up to 120,000 people might be taking a primary role in caregiving for another adult with these kinds of mental health problems. Others in the family, such as siblings, children or grandparents, will frequently be involved as well, in what can be extremely difficult, demanding and sometimes lifelong roles. Carers in general are defined as ‘‘someone who without payment provides help or support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour who could not manage without their help’’ (www.carers.org). Caregivers of people with psychosis, have the added difficulties of shame, social isolation and stigma that are still attached to these diagnoses, especially if the service user has a forensic history. They may in addition feel they have not had a choice, but have become caregivers because someone else in the family has serious mental health problems. Even though these can be mutually rewarding relationships, many caregivers will have to deal with a range of unusual or bizarre symptoms, such as delusional thinking, suspicion, or voices, socially embarrassing problems, low motivation and dropping out of school, relationships, college or work. For some there will be crises involving the police and emergency services, perhaps in the middle of the night. At the beginning of such difficulties, caregivers can find themselves swept up into mental health systems, dealing with a wide range of clinical staff, and having to find out about diagnosis, prognosis, medication, sectioning and the law. Often with a first episode, caregivers may feel that things have not been going well, but have not considered a mental health problem, instead attributing problems to adolescent difficulties combined with too much cannabis. Other professionals such as teachers or GPs may agree with this for some time, as can the service user, who may really think there are no problems at all. This may result in caregivers dealing, by default, with a more protracted duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and eventually a more severe and more shocking presentation. As a result, we already know that caregiving roles in psychosis are associated with increased stress, exhaustion and distress, and contribute to carers’ own physical ill heath.

The Impact of Caregiving on the Health and Well-being of Kenyan Luo Grandparents

Abstract: As the HIV/AIDS pandemic progresses in Africa, elders are increasingly responsible for the care of orphans. Several reports suggest that elderly Africans do not have the resources to provide care and are at risk of poor health, but few studies have systematically measured health of caregivers. The Kenyan Grandparents Study is a longitudinal study designed to compare elder Luo caregivers to noncaregiving peers. Several measures of health were collected, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, glucose, and hemoglobin. In addition, self-perceived health and mental health were measured using the MOS Short-Form 36 (SF-36). It was hypothesized that caregivers would have poorer health than noncaregivers and that the difference in health would widen over the three waves of the study. Caregiving did not affect physical health but did act to decrease mental health and perceived health over time.

Support for the Cooperative Breeding Hypothesis in a Contemporary Dutch Population

Abstract: Low birth rates in developed societies reflect women's difficulties in combining work and motherhood. While demographic research has focused on the role of formal childcare in easing this dilemma, evolutionary theory points to the importance of kin. The cooperative breeding hypothesis states that the wider kin group has facilitated women's reproduction during our evolutionary history. This mechanism has been demonstrated in pre-industrial societies, but there is no direct evidence of beneficial effects of kin's support on parents' reproduction in modern societies. Using three-generation longitudinal data anchored in a sample of grandparents aged 55 and over in 1992 in the Netherlands, we show that childcare support from grandparents increases the probability that parents have additional children in the next 8 to 10 years. Grandparental childcare provided to a nephew or niece of childless children did not significantly increase the probability that those children started a family. These results suggest that childcare support by grand- parents can enhance their children's reproductive success in modern societies and is an important factor in people's fertility decisions, along with the availability of formal childcare.

Relational Maintenance Behaviors in the Grandchild–Grandparent Relationship

Abstract: This study examined grandchildren's use of relational maintenance behaviors when interacting with their grandparents and how these behaviors are associated with grandchildren's perceived communication satisfaction with their grandparents and grandparent provision of communication-based emotional support. Undergraduate students (N = 238) reported on their relationships with the grandparent with whom they had the most recent interaction. Results indicate that grandchildren use (in descending order) the positivity, conflict management, tasks, assurances, networks, advice, and openness relational maintenance behaviors. Perceived grandparent provision of communication-based emotional support and grandchildren communication satisfaction with grandparents were directly and positively related to grandchildren's use of relational maintenance behaviors.

Co-resident Grandparents and Grandchildren's Academic Performance in Taiwan.

Abstract: Using the Taiwanese panel survey data, we investigate the consequences of children's co-residence with grandparents, and we find a positive effect on academic achievement. Further analysis reveals different types of effects among the various types of grandparent-grandchild co-residence. While long-term co-residence confers the most educational benefits, a recent transition into co-residence confers no such advantage. Compared to other co-resident situations, children who recently transition out of co-residence with grandparents are the most disadvantaged. Furthermore, we find educational benefits of co-resident grandparents in both single-parent and two-parent families, but long-term co-resident grandparents' positive association with grandchildren's academic achievement is the most pronounced in households where both parents are absent. We interpret these finding using a theoretical framework, and discuss their implications for policy and for other research.

Custodial grandmother-grandfather dyads: Pathways among marital distress, grandparent dysphoria, parenting practice, and grandchild adjustment.

Abstract: An adaptation of the Family Stress Model was examined using structural equation modeling with data from 193 custodial grandmother-grandfather dyads. The model's measurement and structural components were largely invariant by grandparent gender. For grandmothers and grandfathers alike, the effects of their psychological and marital distress on grandchildren's adjustment difficulties were mediated by dysfunctional parenting. The effects of family-related contextual forces on grandchildren's adjustment were also indirect through direct effects on grandparents' psychological and marital distress.

Children living with their grandparents: resilience and wellbeing

Abstract: Downie JM, Hay DA, Horner BJ, Wichmann H, Hislop AL. Children living with their grandparents: resilience and wellbeing Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 8–22 © 2009 Curtin University of Technology, Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. A non-comparative design and mixed-methods approach was used to examine the resilience and wellbeing of 20 children in the full-time care of their grandparents. A self-report measure of self-concept and emotional wellbeing, and a semi-structured interview were used to explore the personal experiences and impact of children living with their grandparents. Scores derived from the self-report measure indicated that the children's self-worth and emotional health were within the range expected of children of comparative age and sex. Qualitative data, however, suggested a complex emotional environment and a continuum of responses. Analysis revealed three themes that captured broad issues around Emotional health, Material factors, Current issues and Past experiences and Coping strategies. The results of the study reveal the ongoing concerns associated with the children's family circumstances, as well as the notable adaptation and resilience of the children in managing their life experiences.

Obesity treatment—more than food and exercise: a qualitative study exploring obese adolescents' and their parents' views on the former's obesity

Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore obese adolescents' and their parents' views on the former's obesity; especially to gain knowledge about barriers and motivational factors that influence obese adolescents' ability to lose weight. This is a qualitative study involving field observation and semi-structured interviews with obese adolescents and their parents. The analysis takes a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Fifteen obese adolescents aged 13-16 years and their parents/grandparents participated in this study (one father, seven mothers, five sets of parents and two sets of grandparents). The results showed that obese adolescents' are aware that they have unhealthy eating habits and they wish they were able to attain to a healthier diet. Although in poor physical shape, obese adolescents perceive their daily level of exercise as moderate. Obese adolescents blame themselves for being obese and blame their parents for an unhealthy diet, and for being unsupportive regarding exercise. Parents blame their obese child of lacking will power to change eating and exercise habits. As a consequence, the homely atmosphere is often characterised by quarrels and negative feelings. The conclusion is that despite obese adolescents' intention of reducing weight, underlying issues interfere with this goal. This is particularly related to quarrels with parents, self-blame and misguided understanding of eating and exercising habits. These matters need to be addressed when treating obesity among adolescents.