Handbook On Grandparenthood

Based on original contributions from leading scholars, this handbook offers critical reviews of variations in grandparenthood (historical, cultural, race, gender), contingencies (transitions, roles, influence, divorce surrogate parenting, adult grandchildren) and interventions (clinical, policies, programs). It also addresses research trends and needed conceptual and theoretical refinements. The introduction describes trends in grandparenting research since the middle of this century, and offers a brief synopsis of the book's contents as well as specific suggestions for further research. The first part addresses diversity in grandparenting experiences, including historical and demographic trends, racial and ethnic variations, contextual influences with special emphasis on grandparents in rural and farm environments, and gender differences in grandparents' and grandchildren's experiences. The second part focuses on the dynamics and contingencies of grandparenting. Chapters address transitions in grandparents' lives, grandparents' roles, the impact of grandparenting on grandchildren, and grandparenting under special circumstances, such as divorce and surrogate parenting. The third part deals with interventions in grandparenting. Specific issues addressed are clinical interventions and therapy with extended families, policies concerning grandparents' visitations and grandparents as surrogates parents and programs for grandparents. The book's concluding chapter offers suggestions for future research. The work has an extensive comprehensive bibliography and index. This work will be of interest to professionals and students in gerontology, family studies, social services, ethnic studies, gender studies, and sociology.

This book provides a capsule description of what is known today about the particular aspect of grandparenting, whether it's gift-giving, adoption, travel, or discipline. It presents a picture of the current state of knowledge on grandparenting and the grandparent's place in the family.

So you’re a grandparent! One of the most magical roles you’ll ever have – but also one of the messiest. But never fear: this indispensable handbook is here to guide you through the pleasures and pitfalls of grandparenthood, and, most importantly, teach you how to keep the grandkids quiet while you catch up on your nap-time.

Grandparents today are healthier, more active, and more youthful and young at heart than their predecessors. Dr. Georgia Witkin, senior editor of Grandparents.com, draws on her experience as a psychiatry professor, therapist, and grandparent to help readers be the best grandparent they can be. They'll learn: How to connect with their grandchild-online and off How to contribute to their grandchild's emotional development and boost their IQ The secret hidden stresses of being a grandparent- and how to deal with them The three things they should never say to their son- or daughter-in-laws And more!

Grandparents in Cultural Context gives a long overdue global view of the changing roles of grandparents. The eleven main chapters are by experts in the Americas, Europe and Russia, Asia, and Africa and the Middle East, and the editors integrate their chapters with previous writings on grandparenthood. Rather than technical or statistical research reports, each chapter provides a thought-provoking and comprehensive review of research, real-life case stories, cultural influences, and applied implications for grandparenthood across and within societies. Calling special attention to the roles of grandfathers and grandparenthood in societies previously un-represented in the literature, it provides several hundred new citations of work previously unavailable in English-language publications. Accessible to both scholars and students, it has several pedagogical features (e.g. web links, discussion questions) that make it useful as a text for upper-division undergraduate or graduate level classes in behavioral, social, and family sciences. It is relevant to psychology, gerontology, family studies, anthropology, family/comparative sociology, education, social work, gender studies, ethnic studies, psychiatry, and diversity and international studies programs. Practitioners, service providers, policymakers, and internationally minded grandparents will also enjoy this book.

The majority of people will now spend about one-third of their lives as grandparents, yet developmental psychologists have largely ignored the nature of the grandparental role, and the influence which grandparents can have on grandchildren. Originally published in 1991, this book redresses the balance and uses life-span evolutionary and psychodynamic theoretical frameworks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of grandparenthood from cross-cultural perspectives. Much recent work in developmental psychology has disregarded the extended family in favour of the two-generational nuclear family of parents and children. But grandparents do have a significant role in family relationships and children’s development. This volume contains detailed discussion of intergenerational transmission of parenting skills, cooperation and conflict in three-generational families and the ways in which grandparents and grandchildren perceive one another. The importance of considering social and cultural contexts of development applies to grandparents just as much as to other areas of human development. Kinds of family structure, social policies regarding employment, health and housing, attitudes to marriage and even particular historical events all have an impact on the position and role of grandparents and on stereotypes of old age. These factors vary considerably from country to country. Our understanding of grandparenthood can only be enriched by learning about the variety of ways in which it is expressed in different cultural settings. Most previous research has been confined to the USA. This book is truly international containing contributions from Britain, Canada, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, West Germany and the USA. International comparisons enable us to see which elements are essential to grandparenthood and which are culture dependant. In most Western countries the population is ageing and this sort of study is becoming vitally important. The Psychology of Grandparenthood is required reading for anybody who is professionally involved with the elderly and for psychologists interested in development, the life-span and family systems.

A proud grandmother of three, Dr. Ruth Westheimer offers information, advice, and resources for the first-time grandparent as well as the experienced pro. Written with Dr. Steven Kaplan, father of three, Grandparenthood also offers a parent's perspective. The authors answer both common and not-so-common questions grandparents and parents ask.