Education and grandparenting roles

This study examines the association between educational attainment and grandparenting attitudes and behaviors. The sample of 884 grandparents comes from two related studies of rural families, the Iowa Youth and Families Project and the Iowa Single Parent Project. Rather than simply indicating greater or lesser involvement, education differentiates the types of roles that grandparents play. Some facets of grandparenting are more common among the less educated (e.g., contact, playing the role of friend), while others are more common among grandparents with higher education (e.g., discussing the grandchild's future with him or her). The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the seemingly contradictory findings of previous research.