ABSTRACT
An important but rarely considered aspect of the social role of grandparents is their influence on the individual development of grandchildren. This chapter examines this using retrospective opinions of grandchildren in their adolescence and young adulthood. It examines how adolescent and young adults perceive the importance and role of grandparents in their life and development. Grandparents are generally in that period of life and development when people reflect on their youth and childhood, recapitulating past events and balancing life accomplishments. When mutual contacts exist, grandparents and grandchildren may be attractive for each other and their mutual relations may provide support in stressful situations, and help in the individual development of each party. In order for social and emotional bonds between grandchildren and grandparents to arise and continue, a certain frequency of contacts in the form of visits and perhaps longer periods of staying together is necessary.
