ABSTRACT
Grandparenting is an important part of the life cycle. Leopold and Skopek analyzed four large surveys covering the United States and 24 European countries, using data from 2001 to 2008. The typical life-course pattern for females was to become a mother in her mid-20s, and to cease active parenting in the mid-40s. Terms such as “grandparent,” “parent,” “child,” and “grandchild” are relative; someone may be both a parent and a child, for example. In studying grandparenthood, Bengtson distinguished period effects, cohort effects, and lineage effects. Several theoretical perspectives can be used to structure research and interpret data on grandparenting. These include evolutionary theory, attachment theory, family sociology and family systems theory, and life-span and life-course perspectives. Attachment theory emphasizes the powerful influence on development of children’s early relationships with their caregivers—and particularly their mother-figure. This perspective utilizes the concept of internal working models of relationships.
