1. What are some of the reasons why grandparents raise their grandchildren? Provide examples from the story and support from the textbook.
Grandparents may raise their grandchildren due to personal family issues. A grandparent’s child may be incarcerated, dead or gravely ill, a teenage parent, or unemployed. A couple in episode 5 of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren are raising their 2 grandchildren because their daughter dropped off her children and left. Although the story failed to specify why the mother abandoned her children with her parents one can assume it was because she did not want to or could not take care of her children. The book Lifespan development describes that grandparents, “generally step in when parent’s troubled lives,” jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of the grandchild (Berk 435).
2. Why do you think so many grandparents feel responsible for raising their grandchildren? Provide examples from the story and support from the textbook.
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The grandchild serves as a “second opportunity” to raise a child into a better person with a brighter future (Berk 435). The couple in episode 5 of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren believe their grandchildren will eventually “grow up well.” The grandmother raising her grandchildren hopes her daughter will someday take responsibility and come back for her children. She obviously feels that her grandchildren’s parents are not fulfilling their obligation. By raising her grandchildren, she is granted another chance to raise children who she can instill the values of responsibility.
3. In what ways does a grandparent raising a grandchild impact the grandparent's social and emotional development/functioning? Which psychosocial stage (hint: Erikson!) is relevant to this discussion? Provide examples from the story and support from the
The story “Adam Robinson Acquires Grandparents and a Little Sister” by Edward P. Jones, published in his collection of short stories All Aunt Hagar’s Children, tells the story of Noah and Maggie Robinson as they take their grandson out of foster care. The story could be said to primarily be about the importance of family bonds, and about establishing and reestablishing them, but it also is very strongly focused on the difficulty in handling and rebuilding a family for grandparents who must take responsibility for their grown children’s children. This very severely stresses Noah and Maggie in ways that impact their expectations about how they would be leading their lives at this phase of their marriage, after having completed their own child rearing and finally reaching a stage where they could focus on their own plans. They now see themselves having to deal with often difficult issues that they had not previously faced while raising their own children. In general, though it seems that grandparents raising their grandchildren in place of the parents is just an un-dramatic variant of the basic function of a family where those parents may sometimes not be available, it can be very stressful on the grandparents, negatively affecting their everyday lives and their enjoyment (Mills, Gomez-Smith and De Leon 194) and upturning life plans (Fitzgerald pp). This is true in spite of the fact that this may ultimately be the far better alternative in this situation (Koh, Rolock and Cross). While having the grandparents raise the children is the better alternative to neglect, abuse or an unstable situation, it is potentially complicated, however, by the behavioral and emotional problems that can often affect children who have been through the ...
Explain how a lack of affection in the nursery may have a negative impact on the development of the young children, please refer to current theory to support your answer. You should refer to at least one of the following Suzanne Zeedyk/ Dr Margot Sunderland.
Erik Erikson developed the psychosocial theory, and “he describes our social experiences during our whole life span using eight different stages” (Cherry 2015). The first four stages are “trust vs. mistrust; which describes how the child needs to be able to trust their adult figures, autonomy vs. shame and doubt; which is about person control, initiative vs. guilt; which is about children learning to lead others, industry vs. inferiority; which is about gaining a sense of pride in things” (Cherry 2015). The final four stages are “identity vs. confusion; which begins the sense of self, intimacy vs. isolation; which explores personal relationships, generativity vs. stagnation; which focuses on career and family, and the final stage being integrity vs. despair; which describes reflecting back on life” (Cherry
As the above quote shows, parents are customarily seen as willing to to do anything and everything for their children's safety and health. Their perpetual love for their offspring allows them to willingly put themselves in any situation, if it benefits their children. This powerful love also extends greatly to grandparents. Due to their elderly age, many grandparents are viewed as incapable of providing sufficient care for their grandchildren. Although age does act as a roadblock, grandparents love for their grandchildren overcomes this. In “A Worn Path”, a short story written by Eudora Welty, the protagonist Phoenix Jackson defies
Hayslip, B.,Jr, & Kaminski, P. L. (2005). Grandparents raising their grandchildren: A review of the literature and suggestions for practice. The Gerontologist, 45(2), 262-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211017012?accountid=13158
Next time you think about avoiding your grandparents, read the folk tales “The Old Grandfather and the Little Grandson” and “The Wise Old Woman.” In both folk tales, the theme the authors portray is to treat your elders with respect. The authors of “The Old Grandfather” and “The Wise Old Woman” develop the theme to respect your elders through the characters, the setting, and the symbolism.
Make sure to provide quotes and references from the story to support your answer. (3 Marks)
Hertzog, Jodie, Holly S. Kleiner and Dena B. Targ. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Ed. UW Extension. 12 January 1999. 28 March 2008 .
Erik H. Erikson was a significant psychologist that greatly changed the field of child development. In the 1950’s, Erikson advanced a Freudian approach in development. He viewed that social development as a series of eight challenges that people have to overcome. Each challenge has an outcome that’s either favorable or unfavorable. The outcome drastically affects a person’s personality. For example, in a favorable outcome, the result can leave a positive feeling. With a positive outlook, it’s easier for a person to cope with challenges in life. An unfavorable outcome can leave a person at a disadvantaged for the future. During the first couple challenges, Erikson believed that the caregiver has a great impact on a child’s development (Romero).
I have a lot of cousins; therefore I am not the only grandchild for my grandparents. However, I was the only one that was raised by my grandparents. They spent the most of their times on me compared to my other cousins. For example, I slept with my grandma when I was young. Because of my body was weak, and my hands and feet usually cool all night, my grandma always held my hands and feet to make my body warm. She was told me fairy-tales or real stories at night when I was sick, because she wanted me to feel better. When I was little girl, on the family trip, grandpa always carried me, because he didn’t want me to walk too long. Living without the parent, it made me sad but my grandparents given too much love on
My great grandmother, Mama, cared for all her children including her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and great grandchildren all the same. She allowed anyone to stay in her home when needed and loaned money even when she did not have the funds to support herself. Even as a young child my great great grandmother was older but held a great part in raising me. I never received any form of structured learning such as daycare or pre-kindergarten because I loved being in her company and did not want to separate from her.
They say grandparents, are the two most favorite people in the world to children. Grandparents are the main characters of your childhood, they are the ones that leave you with the most beautiful memories of your life. Some grandparent’s teach you a very valuable lesson of life, they teach you respect, hard work, family values, and unlimited love. They show you their love in many ways, they say I love you in words as well as actions. Grandparents are the ones that sometimes get you out of trouble and guide you to the correct path. They show you trust, a trust that cannot never be broken.
This paper will give information about the reasons why grandparents are required to take care of grandchildren, positive effects of raising grandchildren, challenges of taking care of grandchildren, and what grandparents can do to help them cope.
Important roles in the lives of children have been directly influenced by their grandparents more profoundly over the past few decades (Dunifon, 2013). As life expectancy extends, grandparents are able to instill their values in their grandchildren. Many researchers have focused on how influential grandparents can actually be within the caregiver role. Dunifon (2013) stated, that grandparents’ involvement when raising their grandchild occurs more commonly when no parent is present in the household, this commonly known as custodial grandparent families (Dunifon, 2013). Custodial grandparents also have many sources of strength.
Erik Erikson was a developmental psychologist known for his theory on psychosocial development. Unlike other theorists of his time Erikson’s theory focused on human development across the lifespan from birth to late adulthood. Erickson believed that development change occurs through out our lives in eight distinctive stages that emerge in a fixed pattern and are similar for all people. Erickson argued that each stage presents a crisis or conflict which results in either a positive or negative outcome (Feldman). In this essay I will identify incidents in my own life that demonstrate each stage of development according to Erickson that I have lived through. I will also interview my Aunt Tami who will share her experiences for the remainder stages of Erickson’s development that I have not gone through thus far.