ABSTRACT
The grandparent–grandchild relationship can be the most important for children, aside from those they have with parents. Grandparents become particularly salient when family transitions occur. Grandparents have been described variously as oral historians and family archivists; as establishing and upholding family identity; as providers of emotional support for grandchildren; as transmitters of family values and beliefs; and as providing links with past generations. The impact of grandparental involvement with grandchildren can be both direct and indirect. Direct influences act through the interactions between grandparents and grandchildren. Separation and divorce are accompanied by the reorganization of families and relationships. When parents separate, newly separated women often move to live with their parents at least for a time. In contrast to maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents may have reduced contact with their grandchildren after separation. The relationships between them and the children’s mothers are important for facilitating or blocking contact.
