Grandparents: Linking the generations to shape the future

The role grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren may differ significantly but they all share a unique opportunity to help shape the future through their involvement in the lives of their grandchildren.

For many grandparents, one of the greatest joys in life is the opportunity to put time and energy into nurturing a special relationship with a grandchild. Over the past 50 years the traditional family structure has become more fragmented due to a range of issues including the rise in single-parent families, marital breakdown and the increase in both parents working in full-time employment.

As a result, many grandparents have become the foundation of their families, often providing daily support and care, acting as influential role models, and helping out where they can.

The grandparent-grandchild relationship

Grandparents enjoy a unique relationship with their grandchildren, a relationship often defined by enjoyment, a sharing of knowledge, simple interactions and emotional ties.

The relationship between grandparent and grandchild is shaped very much on an individual basis. According to Susan V. Bosak from the Legacy Project many factors such as gender, culture, proximity, divorce, age and health of a grandparent as well as the grandparent's relationships with the grandchild's parents can all profoundly influence the relationship.

‘Grandparents directly influence their grandchildren through things like transmitting family values, teaching specific skills, or even surrogate parenting,’ said Ms Bosak. ‘Grandparents can also indirectly influence grandchildren by assisting in relationships between grandchildren and their parents (e.g. when teenage parents lack parenting skills).’

Benefits of the intergenerational relationship

The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is often educational in nature because grandparents hold a wealth of experience, knowledge and history that can be shared with their grandchildren.

The unique relationships that can be forged between younger and older generations can create connections, not only to each other, but also to the past and the future. Grandparents can teach their grandchildren about family traditions and by hearing stories about their family history and their parent’s childhood, grandchildren start to understand where they fit in the world.

Through natural everyday interactions with their grandchildren, many grandparents are fulfilling an important role by supporting the development and learning of their grandchildren. Children develop rich everyday concepts and creative thinking through their participation in these real life activities.

A study undertaken by Monash University in 2004 was aimed at capturing the important cooperative learning that occurs through informal interactions between grandparents and their grandchildren.

The study found that both children and grandparents were transformed through participating in the activities that involved investigating, designing, creating, posing problems, questioning, experimenting, analysing and learning new concepts and techniques.

The study indicated that ‘through participation in simple but meaningful activities such as gardening, cooking, mending, cleaning, playing in the sandpit, going to the beach, walking in the park or having a picnic, the grandchild’s understanding is developed and transformed in these mutually enjoyable and relevant  activities.’

Another recent study by Oxford University showed that when a child is mentored by a grandparent, they were 46 per cent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 per cent less likely to begin using alcohol, and 52 per cent less likely to skip school.

Based on a survey conducted of 1,596 children aged 11-16 in schools across England and Wales, researchers discovered surprising levels of grandparental involvement with their grandchildren.

The study found ‘more than 80 per cent of children surveyed saw their grandparents on a regular basis. Almost one-third of maternal grandmothers provided regular caretaking for their grandchildren while another 40 per cent provided occasional caretaking. In addition, there was considerable involvement from grandparents in sharing young people's interests and activities and talking about future plans.’

Findings from this study also revealed that a grandparent's active involvement resulted in better-adjusted adolescents.

‘In particular, taking part in grandchildren's hobbies and interests is significantly associated with fewer emotional and behaviour problems, and fewer peer problems. Grandparent involvement in schooling or education is also related to fewer conduct problems, and talking to grandparents about future plans is linked with fewer overall emotional and behavioural difficulties, and fewer peer problems.’

Closing the generation gap in schools

There are a number of ways schools, parishes and community groups can encourage the involvement of grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren.

Grandparent’s day - Intergenerational events such as grandparent’s day bring young and old together to celebrate the values of all generations. A grandparent’s day event can involve both grandparents and ‘grandfriends’, other older adult mentors.

Sergio Rosato, principal of St Thomas Aquinas Primary, Springwood is a great advocate of grandparent’s day.

‘It was truly inspiring to see so many grandparents and family members in attendance at our grandparent’s day this year. It was a special day where we paused to give thanks to God for all grandparents – for their unconditional love, kindness, patience, humour, comfort and calm wisdom,’ Sergio said.

‘Grandparents possess the gift of wisdom because they have lived longer, have had greater experience, and have noticed the cycle and patterns of life – it is indeed a precious gift they are sharing,’ he said.

Grandparents day, not only benefits the grandchild but also the grandparent as Daphne Loughlin, a grandparent from Corpus Christi Primary, Cranebrook explains.

‘I was recently invited to attend grandparents gay at the school where three of my grandchildren attend. I was thrilled that I was given the opportunity of being able to watch them perform with their various classes and to look at and ask them about their school work. Being able to observe them in their classrooms made me aware of the skills they had acquired and of which I had not been aware,’ said Daphne. ‘I am taking part in their growing and learning, and I am growing and learning with them.’

There are a number of activities that can be planned for grandparent’s day. Here are some grand ways to celebrate grandparent’s day from the educationworld.com website:

• open classrooms - give grandparents an opportunity to experience what children are doing in today's schools and meet their teacher
  
• intergenerational quiz - quizzes with different questions for each generation can prompt interesting discussions about the differences between the two generations
• create greeting cards - students can create greeting cards for their grandparents. Alternatively, students can write letters expressing their appreciation for the support of their grandparents
• mapping ‘nonna’ and ‘opa’ - collate a list of names that are used for grandparents in other countries. Print out a map of the world and ask students to find the countries and label them
• create a family tree - students can use their grandparents’ knowledge to study their family trees and outline their ancestral history. Older students can use the internet to research their genealogy
• poems for grandma and grandpa - students can share their thoughts about grandparents creatively – they can write poems or create artwork

Here are some other ways grandparents can be involved in the lives of their grandchildren at school:

• grandparents club - establishing a grandparents club or inviting grandparents to join the school’s parent group can bring a wealth of life experience to the school community
• involvement in school projects - teachers can set homework exercises for students to complete with their grandparents
  
• cooking in the kitchen - ask students to prepare something in the kitchen with their grandparents for school fairs and fundraisers
• form a family book club - a different book can be chosen each month and at the end of the month they can discuss their thoughts on the book
• start a family scrapbook - they can choose their favourite photos and decorate themed pages. It’s a great way to organise recall family memories and create a treasured keepsake
• start a collection of something - whether its rocks, coins or baseball cards, a shared family interest gives generations something to talk about and enjoy together
• interview a grandparent - when children interview an older person they learn an important communication skill and come to understand their past

Grandparents can also play a vital role in the faith formation of their grandchildren.

On 26 July this year, Pope Benedict XVI recognised the increasingly important role of grandparents in the lives and education of their grandchildren saying they kept fundamental family values alive.

‘The duty of grandparents to educate is very important and it becomes even more so when, for a variety of reasons, parents are not in the position to spend enough time with their children,’ he told several thousand people gathered for Mass at Les Combes in northern Italy.

Sources:

Ten grand activities for grandparents day, Cara Bafile, www.educationworld.com

Grandparents day planning and activity guide, Susan V. Bosak www.legacyproject.org

Seniors - Australian Government Initiative www.seniors.gov.au

How to support your school, Deborah Hallman, www.grandparents.com

Family Relationships Online, www.familyrelationships.gov.au

Grandparents are an influence for good, Economic & Social Research Council UK www.esrc.ac.uk

Intergenerational learning: grandparents teaching everyday concepts in science and technology, Beverley Jane and Jill Robbins, Monash University, 2007

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