PREDICTORS OF NURTURANT PARENTING IN TEEN MOTHERS LIVING IN 3-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES

Direct and indirect effects of grandparents on maternal nurturance in teen mothers (TM) living in three-generational families were explored with path analytic techniques in a sample of 107 working-class familie s. Perceived support from the teen's mother, grandparents' nurturance toward the baby, and the presence of the grandfather as a father figur e in the home were hypothesized as increasing TM nurturance. TM nurtur ance was found to be positively predicted by grandparent nurturance an d negatively predicted by TM perceived support from her mother. The st rongest predictor of TM nurturance was grandfather nurturance toward t he baby.