ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the curriculum benefits grandparents in terms of relationships with grandchildren seven to eighteen years of age and their parents. Grandparents expressed favorable self impressions on the pretest measures of satisfaction, success, teaching, and ability to deal with difficulties and frustrations. The resulting comparison of the way grandparents view themselves and how they are seen by family members offers a more reliable perspective of their strengths and needs. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine how each of eleven independent variables influenced grandparent performance. The nonsignificant variables were grandparent level of education, grandparent income, grandparent marital status, and whether the grandparent was related to the grandchild through a son or daughter. More specifically, grandparents benefited by understanding how their role is changing, acquiring a broader perspective, experiencing greater mental stimulation, gaining more confidence and higher self esteem, improving intergenerational communication, and strengthening family relationships.
