Grandparents Are a Precious Asset

Grandparents are a precious asset to the lives of children and to the family structure. In

our current society, grandparents have a much different role within the family structure than in

times past. Grandparents don't have the traditional role of grand parenting in the real sense of

the word, most grandparents have a much different role within the lives of their grandchildren.

A variety of changes have affected the family structure within our society; these changes range

from higher divorce rates, deaths, much younger aged people becoming parents, and many

more.

The family structure is no longer two biological parents and children. We now have

single-parent homes, step-family homes, homes where family members (such as

grandparents)are responsible to rear the children, and homes where there is no biological

connection between the care-giver and the children. The breakdown in the family structure has

changed the role of grand parenting and the therefore, increased the affects of the grand

parenting role upon the youth in our society.

Grandparents now affect the children they have reared and the grandchildren they are

helping to rear or possibly rearing them. Children are greatly influenced by the role of

grandparents, especially in homes that do not contain the two biological parents. For

grandchildren who have little contact with their grandparents, studies show this has a negative

affect on the children no matter the type of home setting in which they abide. However, the

grandparent affect is much less on children within the homes containing two biological parents

and shows to be much higher in affect on homes that contain single parent, step family, and other

untraditional styled homes. This could be because the influence and involvement of

grandparents increases in single-parent, stepfamily, and other types of homes. This study shows

that grandparent involvement the most increased in a child's life is within the single-parent