The Effects of Parenting by Grandparents

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Extended family can influence the upbringing on children in multiple ways. To properly review and analyze research in this particular area, it is necessary to highlight important information from which formed this foundation. Extended family members have direct influences on children by serving as their role models in aiding them with success, encouragement, support and guidance (Jæger, 2012). Grandparents, crucial extended family members, which have a direct interaction with their grandchildren when they are in need of help or assistants. Grandparent most likely will step in whenever their grandchild is experiencing a crisis, such as the death of a parent, divorce, or illness (Dunifon, 2013). 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 is extending, grandparents are able to instill their values on 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 grandparent families also have many sources of strength. Dunifon (2013) identified grandparents’ religiosity as the most consistent factor associated with a high quality of relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren and with improved family well being, including child well being. Other factors that were found within the role of grandparents included wisdom, knowledge and educational success (Jæger, 2012). Grandparents’ can influence children indir... ... middle of paper ... ...n, especially when the biological father figure is not present. Grandfathers have important and life experiencing factors that they can instill within their grandchildren to help them succeed in life. Past studies (Dunifon, 2013; Jæger 2012) supported this research focusing on the parenting roles of grandfathers based off our questionnaire (See appendix). Although the present findings did support past research, the two culturally different backgrounds provided a more in depth and broader spectrum analysis to the research. Works Cited Dunifon, R. (2013). The influence of grandparents on the lives of children and adolescents. Child Development Perspectives, 7, 55—60. doi:10.1111/cdep.12016 (CITE CROSS-CULTURAL BOOK!) Jæger, M. (2012). The extended family and children’s educational success. American Sociological Review, 77, 903—922. doi:10.1177/0003122412464040

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