Young adults' relationships with grandparents: parents' intergenerational ties and grandchildren's adult roles

Maria Aleksandrovna Monserud

doi:10.7273/000005831

Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) to examine whether changes in parents intergenerational ties are associated with changes in the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The results indicate that improvements in parents relationships with their offspring, their own parents, and their parents-in-law are predictive of positive changes in the grandparent-grandchild bond. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that mother s as well as father s intergenerational ties in the family are more influential for granddaughters than grandsons relationships with grandparents. Drawing on data from Wave 3 of the NSFH, the second chapter investigates whether grandchildren s adult roles (i.e., residential independence, school enrollment, full-time employment, marriage and parenthood) are related to the grandparent-grandchild bond. The analysis reveals that grandchildren s adult roles can be negatively as well as positively associated with the grandparent-grandchild bond. Also, the findings suggest that it is necessary to take into account lineage and the grandparents gender in order to better understand differences in these associations. However, the idea that the grandchild s gender can moderate these associations received limited support. The third chapter examines the associations between changes in grandchildren s adult roles and changes in the grandparent-grandchild relationship. Using data from Waves 2 and 3 of the NSFH, this chapter centers on role acquisitions/occupations and exits related to young adults residential independence, school enrollment, full-time employment, marital status, and parenthood status. Findings suggest that young adults who do not reside with their parents or those who work full-time can experience the deterioration of their ties to grandparents. In contrast, with a few small exceptions, young adults who are divorced, separated, or have children can experience improvements in their involvement with grandparent. Overall, the results reveal that the associations between changes in grandchildren s adult roles and the grandparent-grandchild relationship are complex, and vary by the role in question, a specific dimension of intergenerational solidarity between grandchildren and grandparents, by lineage, and the grandchild s as well as grandparent s gender.

Young adults' relationships with grandparents: parents' intergenerational ties and grandchildren's adult roles

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