Reflections on Grandparenting from the Grandparents’ Perspective: A Study on Cross-Generational Interactions Between Rural Grandparents in China and Their Adult Grandchildren with Left-Behind Childhood Experiences

This study examines current interactions between grandparents in rural areas and their adult grandchildren, who were once solely cared for by these grandparents because their parents migrated for work. Using a qualitative methodology, this study draws on empirical data collected between April 2024 and January 2025 in Luzhou, Sichuan, through in-depth interviews with 18 grandparents who served as primary caregivers for left-behind grandchildren during their childhood. Findings indicate that intergenerational interactions are functionally manifested through mutual material assistance, daily care, and the transfer and teaching of experiences. In the affinity dimension, these interactions are characterized by emotional expression and response in daily life. Within the opportunity structure of the contact dimension, grandchildren act as pivotal agents in active interactions. Moreover, parents occupy a markedly passive intermediary role in intergenerational interactions, where grandparents mediate the emotional relationship between parents and grandchildren, and grandchildren push parents to provide functional support for grandparents.