Grandmothers offering regular auxiliary care for their grandchildren: An expression of generativity in later life?

The study explores the meaning that grandmothers who offer regular childcare attach to that experience and the extent to which the notion of generativity might explain the meaning of the experience of caring for a grandchild. Twenty-four Spanish grandmothers aged 60 and over who provided at least 12...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Villar Posada, Feliciano, Celdrán, Montserrat, Triadó, Carme
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2012
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/154117
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/154117
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Àvies
Avis i néts
Acolliment familiar
Grandmothers
Grandparents and grandchildren
Foster home care
Description
Summary:The study explores the meaning that grandmothers who offer regular childcare attach to that experience and the extent to which the notion of generativity might explain the meaning of the experience of caring for a grandchild. Twenty-four Spanish grandmothers aged 60 and over who provided at least 12 hours a week of childcare were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. The results suggest that grandmothers regard their childcare input as being part of their parental duty of helping in times of need. A range of consequences of caregiving were mentioned, generally positive and satisfactory. Our participants apparently began their caregiving task as an expression of parental generativity, although rewards associated with childcare are linked to grandparental generativity.