Grandparent Involvement Following Divorce

Summary Although the value of the grandparent role has been widely documented, researchers rarely have examined the specific activities shared by grandparents and grandchildren, nor have comparisons been made of the involvement of grandparents in single-mother and single-father families. In this study, data on the involvement of grandparents with a school-aged grandchild were gathered from custodial parents in 30 single-mother and 30 single-father families during a two-hour interview. A self-report questionnaire on grandparenting was used to evaluate how gender of grandparent, kin position, and gender of custodial parent influenced the amount of contact, types of activities, and overall level of involvement between grandparents and grandchildren. Using analysis of covariance, significant effects on the dependent variables were found for both the covariate (geographic proximity) and the independent variables. Grandparents were found to be more involved with their grandchildren when they lived close-by, had an adult child with custodial status, were grandmothers, or had a grandchild living in a single-father family. These results challenge many gender-based assumptions that have driven previous research and shaped grandparents' legal rights. Professionals working with families, including family lawyers, can use this information to promote practice and policy that enhances intergenerational relationships in single-parent families.