How Americans enact the grandparent role across the family life course

This study examines life course and sociodemographic variations in the ways grandparents are involved with grandchildren in terms of structural, funct ional, shared activities, and affective-cognitive aspects of these relation ships. Family life stage, as well as grandparents' gender, marital status, race, and education, influenced how the grandparent role was enacted. Young er grandparents tended to live closer to and have greater contact with gran dchildren and baby-sit and share recreational activities. Older grandparent s tended to provide financial assistance and more strongly identified with the role. When their grandchildren were younger, grandparents tended to int eract more with them, share more activities, provide baby-sitting, and rece ive more symbolic rewards from the grandparent role. Many effects related t o grandchildren's age were explained by the greater opportunity of grandpar ents to interact with younger grandchildren. The article concludes that it is important to consider the life course position of grandparents and grand children when ascertaining the content and meaning of the grandparent role.