The Changing Demography of Grandparenthood

• Author: Rachel Margolis
• Published date: 01 June 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12286
• Date: 01 June 2016

R M University of Western Ontario

The Changing Demography of Grandparenthood

Demographic changes affect the time that

individuals spend in different family roles. Mor-

tality decline increases the time an individual

can spend as a grandparent, but childlessness

decreases the proportion of people who ever

become grandparents, and fertility postpone-

ment delays when grandparenthood begins.

This article examines changes in the length of

grandparenthood at the population level and

why it has changed in Canada over a 26-year

period. Using the Sullivan method, years spent

as a grandparent are estimated by sex for 1985

and 2011. Results show that grandparenthood

is coming signicantly later to Canadians, in

small part due to increased childlessness and in

large part to fertility postponement of respon-

dents and their children. The average length

of grandparenthood decreased among women

from 24.7 to 24.3 years but increased among

men from 17.0 to 18.9years. The changing

timing and length of grandparenthood have

implications for multigenerational relationships

and intergenerational transfers.

B

Demographic changes affect the absolute and

relative length of time that individuals spend in

different family roles (Bengtson, 2001; Crosnoe

& Elder, 2002; Glick & Parke, 1965). One

type of family relationship that has been much

affected by mortality and fertility decline is

grandparenthood. Three-generation families

Department of Sociology, Universityof Western Ontario,

Social Science Center #5326, London, Ontario N6C 5C2,

Canada (rachel.margolis@uwo.ca).

Key Words: aging, demography, grandchildren, grandpar-

ents, intergenerational relationships.

are more common now than earlier in history,

because children and grandchildren are more

likely to survive, and people more often live

long enough to see their grandchildren grow

(Hagestad, 2006; Uhlenberg, 2005). However,

family formation patterns have also changed

(Bumpass & Lu, 2000; Teachman, Tedrow, &

Crowder, 2000). Fertility decline, increasing

childlessness, and the postponement of mar-

riage and childbearing affect the proportion of

the population that ever becomes grandparents

and the age at which grandparenthood begins.

Changes in mortality and fertility may offset

each other to some degree, with mortality

increasing the length of time that one can spend

as a grandparent and fertility pushing grandpar-

enthood later. However, we do not know how

long the grandparent phase of life is or how and

why it is changing.

Documenting the demography of grandpar-

enthood is important for three reasons. First,

grandparenthood is reported to be one of the

most satisfying parts of older age (Lye, 1996),

perhaps because grandchildren are an important

source of emotional meaning and support for

older adults (Silverstein & Long, 1998). Spend-

ing time with grandchildren may have positive

effects on grandparents’ mental health (Szino-

vacz & Davey, 2006) and cognitive functioning

(Arpino & Bordone, 2014), or it may increase

strain and negatively affect health as a result of

the stress and work of caring for grandchildren

and others (Minkler & Fuller-Thomson, 1999;

Strawbridge, Wallhagen, Shema, & Kaplan,

1997). A longer period of grandparenthood rep-

resents the time available for these interactions,

which may positively or negatively affect the

well-being of the older population. Second,

if individuals look forward to the grandparent

610 Journal of Marriage and Family 78 (June 2016): 610–622

DOI:10.1111/jomf.12286