Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The extended family revisited: Grandparents rearing grandchildren

  • Articles
  • Published:
Child Psychiatry and Human Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Census data are presented to document the increase of children under age 18 who are not living with either natural parent and the large numbers being reared by grandparents. The literature is reviewed and discussed in terms of the recent changes in the family, the traditional role of grandparents, and questions concerning elderly people rearing young children. A project is described that identified grandparent guardians of grandchildren receiving outpatient psychotherapy in a university-based child guidance clinic.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Montemayor R, Leigh GK: Parent-absent children: A demographic analysis of children and adolescents living apart from their parents.Family Relations 31: 567–573, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  2. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census:Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kornhaber A, Woodward KL:Grandparents/Grandchildren, The Vital Connection Garden City, New York, Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1981, p 176, 253

    Google Scholar 

  4. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census:Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cherlin AJ, Furstenberg FF:The New American Grandparent. New York, Basic Books, Inc. 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hader M: The importance of grandparents in family life.Family Process 4:228–240, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Benedek T.: Parenthood during the life cycle, inParenthood: Its Psychology and Psychopathology, Anthony EJ, Benedek T (eds). Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 199–202, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Cohler B, Grunebaum HU:Mothers, Grandmothers and Daughters: Personality and Childcare in Three Generation Families. New York, John Wiley and Sons, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dobson F:How To Grandparent. New York, Harper and Row 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bengtson VL, Robertson JF:Grandparenthood. Beverly Hills, Sage Publications, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kennedy JF, Keeney VT: Group psychotherapy with grandparents rearing their emotionally disturbed grandchildren.GROUP 11: 15–25, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Louisville School of Medicine, 40202, Louisville, Kentucky

    James F. Kennedy PhD & Virginia T. Keeney MD

Authors
  1. James F. Kennedy PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Virginia T. Keeney MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kennedy, J.F., Keeney, V.T. The extended family revisited: Grandparents rearing grandchildren. Child Psych Hum Dev 19, 26–35 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00713733

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00713733

Key words

Search

Navigation