thesis dedication to grandparents

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Dedicating PhD thesis to my Dad who recently passed away

I lost my Dad while waiting for the examiners reports of my thesis. In my final copy I would like to include a dedication page to him (in addition to the general acknowledgements page), but I'm not really sure what to say. I know I would like something really short, but more than "I dedicate this thesis to my Dad."

I was thinking including something about how I know how proud he was even though he won't be around to see me graduate. Or perhaps referencing how I hope my dedication to my field in science stays as strong as his dedication to his own field (engineering).

I would appreciate any suggestions or examples of dedications as I haven't managed to find too much online and I'm lost for words.

• acknowledgement

• 2 Your own suggestion is fine. –  Anonymous Physicist Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 0:35
• 7 If a friend asked for me advice about this situation, I would advise them to write their honest feelings as best they could express them in their own words, without worrying about whether it is exactly the right thing to say as a dedication. –  d_b Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 0:40
• 1 OP - thanks everyone, I'll try to come up with something in my own words to use. –  user125368 Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 2:01
• 1 @user125368 Perhaps ask close friends to comment on the words you find. –  user2768 Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 6:51
• 2 My condolences! Just do what you think is right! Your suggestion seems fine since it is coming from your heart. –  stackoverblown Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 18:11

2 Answers 2

I had a dedication page in my PhD thesis, to my recently deceased grandparents. I kept it short, with a line that basically translates to:

"To my grandparents, in loving memory."

The things you suggest to include and to reference will make it more personal, and more appropriate for you. And that is all that matters: write it such that it represents well how you feel.

I started my Ph.D. a few years after my father passed away. I dedicated the thesis to him. I wrote, "To my father who never saw this adventure" (something like this when translated).

Like all who commented, I would say keep it short, keep it personal. Grief makes it difficult to find words. Actually, looking back at my thesis and this dedication bring back memories of him. I guess that's what this dedication page is for: yourself.

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• Writing, Presenting and Publishing

Acknowledging my deceased grandpas in my dissertation

By Hope.for.the.best November 29, 2017 in Writing, Presenting and Publishing

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• Hope.for.the.best

Finally, after an eventual year, I am about to submit my PhD dissertation. I have been writing the acknowledgement back and forth. I adequately acknowledged my advisors and colleagues. However, I only have a few sentences dedicated to my family, which I feel that is not enough. Would that be okay to acknowledge my deceased grandpas there?

My maternal grandpa passed away 8 years ago, to the disease that my dissertation is about. When he was alive, he always asked me to persist in spite of difficulties, so I feel it is relevant to acknowledge that. 

My paternal grandpa passed away last year to another disease, but he had always been very supportive to me. 

Is that okay to write something like, "I wish you could have been here with me. I hope I have made you proud"?

My school does not have any specific requirements for acknowledgement. 

Thank you. 

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Adelaide9216

I don't know which field you're in, but I believe this is okay. I've even had a social work prof make an acknowledgment to her mother who passed away from cancer in a journal article that was specifically about terminal illness. 

PS : I'm sorry for your losses.

fuzzylogician

Perfectly fine. My dedication reads 

“To my grandparents and their families, who history has forgotten.”

and frankly I don’t care what anybody thinks about that. 

• PNWqueen , Bschaefer , TakeruK and 2 others

This is definitely okay! Usually the "dedication" is something short and either whimsical or serious/formal (i.e. just one or two lines like fuzzy's example) and the "acknowledgments" are longer. Most schools do not place any requirements on the acknowledgements you want, and it's one of the few places where you have almost absolute freedom to write whatever you want. Even the most formal scholar would likely write something personal here, I think.

In my acknowledgements, I dedicated one paragraph for my advisors, current and past, one for my friends and two for family. I always find the acknowledgments the most fun part of the thesis to read. And, as you might have seen quoted (but never backed up with stats), the acknowledgement is often the first and only thing that people read. Anecdotally, I know that I have purposefully looked up dissertations only to read their acknowledgments. Personally, I feel that in the sciences, we do too much "depersonalization" of science and I think there is no need to overly distance ourselves from our work. So, I purposely seek out dissertation acknowledgments to get a peek at someone's personal / more human side.

If you check your dissertation requirements, you might find even more opportunities to personalize your dissertation, if that's what you want to do. For example, although the thesis template provided by the school didn't have a placeholder for a front matter quotation, I found that in the policies, this is an optional section that's allowed. So I added a quote that has inspired me most of my adult life and really kept me going through grad school (I just have a page with the quote there, with no explanation of it). One of my committee members had a picture of his cat on his dedication page (the thesis was also dedicated to his cat). 

Finally, while not recommended for everyone, many people I know have snuck little inside jokes or references into the actual text of their dissertation. Sometimes they are subtle but sometimes they are not! I've read one where after a long paragraph on math, the text reads something like, "If you're one of my committee members and you are still reading along, let me know and I'll buy you a drink." (the person later told me that only one of their committee members said they saw that line). I think this is pretty funny and it's great that people feel like doing this. Personally, I enjoy seeing this type of humour but I don't enjoy producing it myself, so I kept the main body strictly scientific. But that's just me. Given your other posts here with your worries about the text, you probably don't want to do something like that yourself, but just letting you know what I've seen out there.

• Hope.for.the.best and St Andrews Lynx

15 minutes ago, TakeruK said: If you check your dissertation requirements, you might find even more opportunities to personalize your dissertation, if that's what you want to do. For example, although the thesis template provided by the school didn't have a placeholder for a front matter quotation, I found that in the policies, this is an optional section that's allowed. So I added a quote that has inspired me most of my adult life and really kept me going through grad school (I just have a page with the quote there, with no explanation of it). One of my committee members had a picture of his cat on his dedication page (the thesis was also dedicated to his cat).  Finally, while not recommended for everyone, many people I know have snuck little inside jokes or references into the actual text of their dissertation. Sometimes they are subtle but sometimes they are not! I've read one where after a long paragraph on math, the text reads something like, "If you're one of my committee members and you are still reading along, let me know and I'll buy you a drink." (the person later told me that only one of their committee members said they saw that line). I think this is pretty funny and it's great that people feel like doing this. Personally, I enjoy seeing this type of humour but I don't enjoy producing it myself, so I kept the main body strictly scientific. But that's just me. Given your other posts here with your worries about the text, you probably don't want to do something like that yourself, but just letting you know what I've seen out there.

I will definitely keep things professional rather than casual. That's why I asked how I can acknowledge my deceased grandpas without being too personal. They are indeed very important to me and I really wished they could see me complete PhD.

At my school, what you wrote in your acknowledgement was entirely up to you, as was any dedication. Personally, I had around 2 pages, and used the time to really think about the people that had gotten me to where I was in both large and small ways, including a deceased grandfather who was a professor and my deceased father. 

I also definitely mentioned pets.

31 minutes ago, Hope.for.the.best said: I don't wish anyone (especially examiners) who reads my acknowledgement has prejudice against me for that reason. Of course, I am going to buy her some good treats and thank the joy she gave me  

That's fair! I know all of my examiners very well since I've worked with them for the past five years so I knew what was good and what wasn't. I also knew that my advisor fully supports me so that if one person wanted to be a jerk about something I wrote in my acknowledgements or dedication then my advisor would have shut them down.

However, I forgot to also mention: the version of the dissertation I submitted to my committee did not contain my acknowledgements! Partly because they were not written yet and partly because I wanted to say very nice things about them but didn't want to include it and have them see it before they made their final decision. It is my university's policies that the committee does not need to see the final version (unless they request it). Since no one requested to read my dissertation after the exam, the acknowledgements were entered without anyone else ever reading it. Some of my colleagues added a whole chapter after their defense because they got more work done (you have a month after your defense date to submit your final thesis). I imagine in these cases their supervisor at least read that new chapter.

1 hour ago, TakeruK said: That's fair! I know all of my examiners very well since I've worked with them for the past five years so I knew what was good and what wasn't. I also knew that my advisor fully supports me so that if one person wanted to be a jerk about something I wrote in my acknowledgements or dedication then my advisor would have shut them down. However, I forgot to also mention: the version of the dissertation I submitted to my committee did not contain my acknowledgements! Partly because they were not written yet and partly because I wanted to say very nice things about them but didn't want to include it and have them see it before they made their final decision. It is my university's policies that the committee does not need to see the final version (unless they request it). Since no one requested to read my dissertation after the exam, the acknowledgements were entered without anyone else ever reading it. Some of my colleagues added a whole chapter after their defense because they got more work done (you have a month after your defense date to submit your final thesis). I imagine in these cases their supervisor at least read that new chapter.

I really wished I were in your school! My school is very strict with examiners. Anyone who has worked with a student cannot examine his/her dissertation. I just know my examiners by names and publications. I know one of them is a leading expert who has changed the dogma of my field. He is well-known internationally, and it is my pleasure to have him as an examiner. However, I am worried at the same time because he knows so much. My other examiners have basic knowledge of my field, but don't know that much as him. I am going to send out a manuscript of my PhD work. It's highly likely that he will be the reviewer of my manuscript too. If he is not happy with my dissertation, he will not be happy with my manuscript. Let's hope that he appreciates my dissertations rather than examining it in a critical way.

My school requires dissertation to be complete at submission, i.e. including acknowledgement. That's why I need to be careful, as I don't know my examiners. 

8 hours ago, Hope.for.the.best said: I really wished I were in your school! My school is very strict with examiners. Anyone who has worked with a student cannot examine his/her dissertation. I just know my examiners by names and publications. I know one of them is a leading expert who has changed the dogma of my field. He is well-known internationally, and it is my pleasure to have him as an examiner. However, I am worried at the same time because he knows so much. My other examiners have basic knowledge of my field, but don't know that much as him. I am going to send out a manuscript of my PhD work. It's highly likely that he will be the reviewer of my manuscript too. If he is not happy with my dissertation, he will not be happy with my manuscript. Let's hope that he appreciates my dissertations rather than examining it in a critical way. My school requires dissertation to be complete at submission, i.e. including acknowledgement. That's why I need to be careful, as I don't know my examiners. 

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How to Write a Dissertation Dedication – Types & Examples

Published by Alvin Nicolas at August 30th, 2024 , Revised On September 2, 2024

Imagine you’re writing a research paper, a thesis, or a dissertation. You instantly feel that you should thank those people in your life who are not even helping you in your writing process, but who you are pleased and honoured to have in life. This is when you would consider writing a dedication dissertation. It helps you to thank and show love to the people you value and cherish in your life.

Moreover, dedication also allows the person to add personal and emotional value to their esteemed work. It significantly impacts the motivation and inspiration of the person to work hard and achieve their goals efficiently. A dedication at the start of the dissertation significantly also adds to the appeal of the dissertation and makes the readers think about the writer’s generosity and ingenuity.

This blog comprehensively discusses what a dissertation dedication is, dedication dissertation examples, and the effective steps to write one. You can write a dissertation dedication efficiently by understanding all these important steps.

What is Dissertation Dedication?

A dissertation dedication is a line, paragraph, or page at the start of a master’s or PhD thesis or dissertation. It is a personal type of acknowledgement and appreciation to the people in the writer’s life who provided him with sufficient motivation and inspiration to keep up with his dissertation.

By adding a dedication section to their book, writers show their love and obligation to those who supported them and cheered them up during their work. This makes them not just academic geniuses but also emotionally vulnerable and generous people.

Moreover, when dedicatees read their names and the love writer shows them in the dissertation, they feel pleased and honoured. It also provides them with the fulfilling sensation that their support and prayers have led to a beneficial fruit of success.

• I dedicate this book to my wife…
• I dedicate this project to my supervisor….

Dissertation Dedication and Poem

Dedication in a dissertation does not always have to be a line or a paragraph; it can also be a poem. Sometimes, writers add a poem to dedicate their dissertation to anyone. They can write the poem themselves in their own words or select a line or two from famous poems by reputable poets and writers.

Adding a poem in the dedication section shows not only the writer’s emotional vulnerability and softness but also their creativity and devotion to literacy pieces.

Can You Dedicate Your Dissertation to Someone?

Yes, you can dedicate your dissertation to anyone by naming them and appreciating their presence in your life and by your side. There are many amazing ways that you can dedicate your dissertation to someone. Whether you want to dedicate your dissertation to your parents, colleagues, classmates, teachers, or husband, you can effortlessly add their names and the part they played in your life.

This blog brings you different types of dedication you can add to your dissertation.

Types of Dissertation Dedication

Here are the types of dissertation dedication given in the following:

Dedication to Family

Dedication to the family is added under the dedication when writers want to appreciate and cherish the presence of their parents, siblings, and cousin.

• I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my parents [names], who were there when no one was.
• I dedicate my dissertation to my sister [name], who supported me through thick and thin.

Dedication to Friends 

Sometimes, writers want to thank and dedicate their work to their friends who supported them and helped them through thick and thin.

I dedicate my dissertation to my best friend [name], who stood up for me during the process.

Dedication to Special Person

Dedication to a special person or loved one can also be added to the dissertation to show love and dedication to that person.

I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my girlfriend [name], who supported me at my lowest.

Dedication to Mentor or Advisor

Students also tend to dedicate their theses or dissertations to their mentors and advisors, who advised them and helped them address issues promptly.

I dedicate my dissertation to my advisor [name], who advised me and helped me make this successful.

Dedication to Colleagues or Peers

When writers complete their dissertations with the assistance of their colleagues and peers, they also tend to dedicate their projects to them.

I dedicate my dissertation to my colleague and good friend [name], without whose support this would never have been completed.

Dedication to Institution

Being and working in a particular institution also compels the writers to dedicate their dissertations to that institution.

I dedicate this dissertation to this amazing institution [name] that made me feel at home, nurtured me, and sprouted this seed.

Dedication to Additional People

Sometimes writers give dedication to those additional people who were there around them during work who maybe haven’t cheered them up but their presence meant a lot.

I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to [name1] and [name2]…. Whose presence meant a lot to me.

Dedication to the Deceased One

If a loved one has recently or in the past died, the writers also tend to dedicate their dissertation to that person.

I dedicate this dissertation to my grandmother [name], who is not with us but is always with us in our memories.

Dedication to the Almighty

Dedication to the Almighty allows the writers to be thankful to God and divine forces that help them and remove any hurdles from their lives.

To the God Almighty, who is most beneficial and most merciful, who blessed me with the power to fulfil this task.

Dedication to Inspirational Personality

Sometimes writers also dedicate their dissertations to inspirational personalities who inspired them by adding their famous quotes to the dedication.

I dedicate my dissertation to Martin Luther King whose endurance and patience brought the emancipation of the Black.

Dedication Vs. Acknowledgements in Dissertation

Here is the difference between dedication and acknowledgement in a dissertation:

How to Write a Dedication for a Dissertation?

Here are the steps that will significantly help you to write your dissertation dedication efficiently:

Step 1: Choose the Person You Want To Dedicate To

The first step to writing a dissertation dedication is to choose the people you want to dedicate to. This could be your family, friend, colleague, or personal mentor. Remember to think about who was there for you during your writing process. Make a list of people if you want to add multiple dedicatees.

Step 2: Describe the Person

The second step of writing a dissertation syndication is describing the person that you have chosen to give dedication to. You should describe the relation that you have with that person and what he/she did to make your dissertation successful.

Step 3: Name the Person

After describing the person, name the person you chose to dedicate your dissertation. Naming the person will let readers know about the identity of the dedicatees, no matter if they have met them or not.

Step 4: Keep the Tone Honest and Sincere

It is also important to be honest and sincere while writing the dedication for your dissertation. The people who were there for you, who supported you through everything deserve to be cheered and appreciated in the most sincere and loving way possible.

Step 5: Maintain the Order for Multiple Personnel

When you have chosen multiple personnel to dedicate your life to, it is essential to appreciate their order according to their relation to and association with you. The person who is closer comes at the start. This also lets the readers know whose presence you cherish the most.

Step 6: Maintain the Length

It is essential to maintain the length of the dedication. Avoid overwriting and over-explaining in the deviation. It will unexpectedly lose the interest of readers to read the extensive paragraph of appreciation for someone. Write in a length that makes a powerful impact.

Step 7: Review, Revise, and Finalise

When you have successfully written the dedication for someone you chose to dedicate to your dissertation, it’s time to review it. Review to identify any mistakes and ensure the appropriate use of words. After making the necessary changes, finalise it.

Dissertation dedication Sample

Here is a sample of the dissertation dedication:

Dedication Dissertation Examples

These are the examples of dissertation dedication that can significantly help you write an amazing dedication your dissertation:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i dedicate my dissertation to someone.

Yes, you can dedicate your dissertation to someone by naming and describing their part in supporting and completing your research process .

How to write a dedication for a dissertation?

• Choose the Person
• Describe the Person
• Name the Person

How much time should I dedicate to the dissertation?

You should dedicate 300-400 hours to a dissertation

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Including a deceased person in a dedication

What is the convention when you want to dedicate a work to someone who is dead? It is necessary to be explicit about that?

For example, I am writing my thesis and would like to dedicate it to my parents. However my father passed away while I was studying. I would like to dedicate it to both him and my mother, any suggestions?

Is it ok to say "to my loving parents" even though one of them is actually not with us anymore?

• academic-writing
• word-choice

• 1 Hi, and welcome to Writers. Requests to rephrase single sentences are not on-topic for us (as they are unlikely to help others in the future), but they are on-topic at English SE. I will ask the mods to migrate. –  Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Commented Feb 27, 2015 at 13:08
• 2 I think a question about the proper format and content of a dedication is perfectly on topic and of interest to many writers. Please do not move. –  user5645 Commented Feb 27, 2015 at 15:05
• or you could say: to my loving Mom and Dad (who is sadly no more) –  ottodidakt Commented Feb 27, 2015 at 15:42
• Hi Lauren.. Thank you.. but it is fine.. I think I got my answer.. But it would be nice if the mods automatically migrated any off-topic questions to the correct place without really putting them on hold.. And this could really help anyone in the future if they need to make a dedication to someone who is not alive anymore :) –  Aqs Commented Feb 28, 2015 at 2:28
• Why did you close this question? It does not ask what to write or to rephrase but for the conventions in dedications. This qzestion is exactly similar to all the questions asking how to cite or how to headline. Please reopen. –  user5645 Commented Feb 28, 2015 at 7:35

2 Answers 2

The phrase "to [name]" is perfectly applicable to persons past, present and future, as it does not contain a finite verb form or any other time reference.

Also, there is no reason why a book could not be dedicated to someone who is no longer alive. Many books that I own are dedicated to persons that were part of the authors life but are no longer with us.

Some authors expand the dedication, explaining the relationship ("to my son Paul"), the reason for the dedication ("for their help with..."), when they lived ("1907-1983") or whatever else the author wants to mention. Some dedications are quite mysterious though ("to D."), and only comprehensible for the person in question.

• This is what I wanted to know... If "to (name)" can be applied to someone in the past... Thanks :) –  Aqs Commented Feb 28, 2015 at 2:21
• @Aqs You are welcome. You can accept my answer if it answers your question. –  user5645 Commented Feb 28, 2015 at 7:30

I'm sorry to learn of your father's death. To answer your question, I would ask a few questions of my own.

Did your father ever stop loving you before he died?

If he were alive today, would he continue to love you?

Did your father's love for you help you to achieve your educational ambitions?

Has he love for you helped to shape who you are today?

I already know from your question what the answers will be. I think, therefore, that your father has every right to the dedication you want to make to him. He has loved you, sponsored you, worried about you and encouraged you to this point and the only reason he cannot physically show his love for you now is because, sadly, he is no longer alive.

I don't know how old you are but your Dad put x years of love and work into you - and it is your thesis and your way of recognising what both your mother and your father have contributed to make you the scholar you are today.

As for the rest of the world, it is an unfortunate fact of life that no-one else will actually care about the wording of your dedication. However, your thesis is the culmination of your studies, is something intensely personal to you and - I imagine - you will keep a copy of it for many, many years to come.

If you do dedicate your thesis to your loving parents, no-one but you and your mother will care - but it will mean something important for a long time to come.

If you only dedicate your thesis to your living mother, she will be hurt (assuming she loved your father).

If you do not dedicate your thesis to your father and mother together, no-one else will ever care ... but you will and you will live to regret your decision for many years.

Be proud of who you are. Be proud of how your parents have helped you. Dedicate your thesis to your loving parents and you will have something to treasure.

P.S. And write the very best thesis you possibly can! Good luck.

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• Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples

Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples

Published on May 3, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

The acknowledgements section is your opportunity to thank those who have helped and supported you personally and professionally during your thesis or dissertation process.

Thesis or dissertation acknowledgements appear between your title page and abstract  and should be no longer than one page.

In your acknowledgements, it’s okay to use a more informal style than is usually permitted in academic writing , as well as first-person pronouns . Acknowledgements are not considered part of the academic work itself, but rather your chance to write something more personal.

To get started, download our step-by-step template in the format of your choice below. We’ve also included sample sentence starters to help you construct your acknowledgments section from scratch.

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Table of contents

Who to thank in your acknowledgements, how to write acknowledgements, acknowledgements section example, acknowledgements dos and don’ts, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the acknowledgements section.

Generally, there are two main categories of acknowledgements: professional and personal .

A good first step is to check your university’s guidelines, as they may have rules or preferences about the order, phrasing, or layout of acknowledgements. Some institutions prefer that you keep your acknowledgements strictly professional.

Regardless, it’s usually a good idea to place professional acknowledgements first, followed by any personal ones. You can then proceed by ranking who you’d like to thank from most formal to least.

• Chairs, supervisors, or defense committees
• Funding bodies
• Other academics (e.g., colleagues or cohort members)
• Editors or proofreaders
• Librarians, research/laboratory assistants, or study participants
• Family, friends, or pets

Typically, it’s only necessary to mention people who directly supported you during your thesis or dissertation. However, if you feel that someone like a high school physics teacher was a great inspiration on the path to your current research, feel free to include them as well.

Professional acknowledgements

It is crucial to avoid overlooking anyone who helped you professionally as you completed your thesis or dissertation. As a rule of thumb, anyone who directly contributed to your research process, from figuring out your dissertation topic to your final proofread, should be mentioned.

A few things to keep in mind include:

• Even if you feel your chair didn’t help you very much, you should still thank them first to avoid looking like you’re snubbing them.
• Be sure to follow academic conventions, using full names with titles where appropriate.
• If several members of a group or organization assisted you, mention the collective name only.
• Remember the ethical considerations around anonymized data. If you wish to protect someone’s privacy, use only their first name or a generic identifier (such as “the interviewees”)/

Personal acknowledgements

There is no need to mention every member of your family or friend group. However, if someone was particularly inspiring or supportive, you may wish to mention them specifically. Many people choose to thank parents, partners, children, friends, and even pets, but you can mention anyone who offered moral support or encouragement, or helped you in a tangible or intangible way.

Some students may wish to dedicate their dissertation to a deceased influential person in their personal life. In this case, it’s okay to mention them first, before any professional acknowledgements.

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After you’ve compiled a list of who you’d like to thank, you can then sort your list into rank order. Separate everyone you listed into “major thanks,” “big thanks,” and “minor thanks” categories.

• “Major thanks” are given to people who your project would be impossible without. These are often predominantly professional acknowledgements, such as your advisor, chair, and committee, as well as any funders.
• “Big thanks” are an in-between, for those who helped you along the way or helped you grow intellectually, such as classmates, peers, or librarians.
• “Minor thanks” can be a catch-all for everyone else, especially those who offered moral support or encouragement. This can include personal acknowledgements, such as parents, partners, children, friends, or even pets.

How to phrase your acknowledgements

To avoid acknowledgements that sound repetitive or dull, consider changing up your phrasing. Here are some examples of common sentence starters you can use for each category.

Note that you do not need to write any sort of conclusion or summary at the end. You can simply end the acknowledgements with your last thank you.

Here’s an example of how you can combine the different sentences to write your acknowledgements.

A simple construction consists of a sentence starter (in purple highlight ), followed by the person or entity mentioned (in green highlight ), followed by what you’re thanking them for (in yellow highlight .)

Acknowledgements

Words cannot express my gratitude to my professor and chair of my committee for her invaluable patience and feedback. I also could not have undertaken this journey without my defense committee, who generously provided knowledge and expertise. Additionally, this endeavor would not have been possible without the generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, who financed my research .

I am also grateful to my classmates and cohort members, especially my office mates, for their editing help, late-night feedback sessions, and moral support. Thanks should also go to the librarians, research assistants, and study participants from the university, who impacted and inspired me.

Lastly, I would be remiss in not mentioning my family, especially my parents, spouse, and children. Their belief in me has kept my spirits and motivation high during this process. I would also like to thank my cat for all the entertainment and emotional support.

• Write in first-person, professional language
• Thank your professional contacts first
• Include full names, titles, and roles of professional acknowledgements
• Include personal or intangible supporters, like friends, family, or even pets
• Mention funding bodies and what they funded
• Appropriately anonymize or group research participants or non-individual acknowledgments

Don’t:

• Use informal language or slang
• Go over one page in length
• Mention people who had only a peripheral or minor impact on your work

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In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.

Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.

Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .

Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you must acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis , directly after the title page and before the abstract .

In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.

You may acknowledge God in your dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.

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5 inspiring PhD thesis acknowledgement examples

Crafting a PhD thesis acknowledgement can be a challenging task, but it can also be an enjoyable one. There are no strict rules or guidelines to follow, allowing for creative freedom. However, seeking inspiration from sample acknowledgements can greatly assist in initiating your own writing process. Here are five PhD thesis acknowledgement examples!

PhD thesis acknowledgement example 1

First and foremost, I would like to thank my PhD supervisors, Prof. Xiu Ling and Prof. Frederic Semoas. Their constant support, guidance, and encouragement have been invaluable throughout the entire process. From the initial stages of refining my research proposal to the final submission of my thesis, their unwavering presence and wealth of wisdom have been instrumental in shaping my academic growth. I highly valued the biweekly meetings we held, which not only served as crucial checkpoints to keep me on track academically, but also provided me with plenty of encouragement. I am profoundly grateful for the immeasurable contributions they made to my development.

Among the most memorable highlights of my PhD journey was the opportunity to participate in the Applied Chemistry Summer School in Belfast. This enriching experience would not have been possible without the dedication and expertise of Dr. Simone and Dr. Erek. I am deeply grateful for the knowledge, connections, and friendships that were forged during that time.

PhD thesis acknowledgement example 2

It takes a village to raise a child” is a well-known proverb, and I strongly believe that completing a PhD also requires the support of a village. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people who played significant roles in my PhD journey.

Furthermore, I want to thank all the interviewees who generously shared their thoughts and life stories for my research. Without your willingness to participate, my thesis would not have been possible.

PhD thesis acknowledgement example 3

When I embarked on my PhD journey five years ago, little did I know the profound experiences that lay ahead. Fulfilling my long-held dream of pursuing a PhD, time seemed to pass swiftly as I immersed myself in the world of academia. Transitioning from several years in professional practice back to the university environment was both daunting and exhilarating.

During my third and fourth years, I had the privilege of working as a teaching assistant for Prof. Susan Meyers. This role introduced me to the immensely fulfilling world of teaching, from which I gained invaluable knowledge and insights. Prof. Meyers provided exceptional guidance and unwavering support throughout my teaching endeavors.

My greatest aspiration is that my research proves beneficial and contributes to a better understanding of earthquakes. The drive to advance knowledge in this field continues to fuel my motivation and determination. I am deeply grateful to all the individuals mentioned, as none of this would have been possible without their guidance and encouragement. I am excited to see what the future holds.

PhD thesis acknowledgement example 4

Throughout my PhD journey, I have been fortunate to explore various places and experiences. Moving to Chicago, I had the privilege of joining an exceptional literature department, surrounded by individuals who share a deep passion for reading. Relocating to a new city on my own was challenging, but fate led me to forge a wonderful friendship with my flat mate, Loreen. Loreen, I am grateful for your companionship and support from the very beginning of my PhD.

Participating in a three-minute research pitch competition not only pushed me beyond my comfort zone but also introduced me to an incredible partner, Joshua. It is remarkable how life leads us to unexpected places and introduces us to remarkable people when we least expect it.

Grandma and Grandpa, you made immense sacrifices and worked tirelessly to provide a better life for your children and grandchildren. Look how far we have come! Your dedication and resilience continue to inspire me as I reflect on my achievements.

PhD thesis acknowledgement example 5

To Katie, Felicitas, Aron, Xime, and Andy – you are the best PhD crew in the entire department. Together, we have navigated the challenges and celebrated the triumphs, and I am grateful to have had you by my side.

Lastly, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to coffee and my dog Ben. Coffee has fueled countless late nights and early mornings, providing the necessary jolt to keep me going. And Ben, my loyal companion, you have been my faithful reminder to take breaks, dragging me away from my computer and insisting on regular outdoor excursions.

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Thesis acknowledgements: Samples and how to write your own thesis or dissertation acknowledgements

Writing a thesis can be tricky. That’s why I’m starting a new series covering each section of the thesis, from thesis acknowledgements all the way to conclusions. I’ll be guiding you through the whole process, from what to include in your thesis to how to write it, along with examples from defended theses to help you to write your own.

We’ll begin by covering thesis acknowledgments. The acknowledgements section appears at the start of the thesis so it is often one of the first parts that everyone tries to tackle. As this will likely be your first taste of your thesis it can often feel quite intimidating to write!

Thankfully it’s also one of the easiest parts of the thesis to complete, which may help to give you a boost for the rest.

In this post we’ll cover everything to do with thesis acknowledgements: samples, what to include and how to write them. At the end I’ll also outline a 60 minute exercise which will get you preparing a first draft of your own! I’ve also got a similar post to craft your thesis title, which you can check out here .

I’m writing this post with a PhD thesis in mind but it could work just as well if you’re looking for help including acknowledgements in your Master’s or undergraduate thesis/ dissertation.

What is the purpose of the acknowledgements section in a thesis?

The acknowledgements section of your thesis is an opportunity to reflect on the people who have supported and shaped your PhD experience.

Don’t worry, although your examiners will be interested to read your acknowledgements section, you won’t really get judged on it in your PhD viva. This section is for you to share as little, or as much, as you want about everyone involved in your PhD journey.

The acknowledgements are a very personal section of your thesis and each PhD student will have different things they want to include. For example, many people wonder: How do I thank my family in a thesis? And the acknowledgements section is the answer!

Note – You can also use a thesis dedication to thank your family. This is a separate section to your thesis acknowledgements and is entirely optional. It’s usually just a single line, just like you might find at the front of some books. Most people don’t include a separate dedication section but you can if you want to go that extra step.

What to include in your thesis acknowledgements

There are usually no formal requirements dictating what to include in your acknowledgements. However, do double check for any potential rules at your specific institution.

In general the acknowledgements are the section of your thesis where you have some creative liberty and are not bound by rigid research protocols or guidelines.

Many students choose to use the acknowledgements section to thank people (or organisations) who:

• Introduced them to the topic
• Helped with their PhD application
• Funded the project
• Supervisors
• Technicians
• Partners, friends or family
• Or anyone else who made an impression along the way!

But remember, you can include whatever you want! For example in my own PhD acknowledgements, which you’ll read further down this post, I thanked the university for providing a green outdoor space for us.

Acknowledge whoever and whatever influenced your own PhD experience.

You may find it helpful to start by writing a list of everyone you wish to thank.

How do you write an acknowledgements section?

Since there are no guidelines to worry about, it is really up to you how you write your own thesis acknowledgements. You have a lot of freedom for what to include and how to write it.

However you may find the following suggested phases helpful as a starting point.

Who you want to thank…

• “First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to…”
• “I must thank…”
• “A special thanks to…”
• “I would like to highlight two truly exceptional people from…”
• “I want to thank…”
• “In addition, I would like to mention”
• “I would also like to extend my thanks to…”
• “I want to give my deepest appreciation to…”
• “Finally, but the most importantly, I would like to thank…”

…then, why you want to thank them

It can be nice to also include why you’re thanking these people, using phrases such as:

• “…for the opportunity to be a part of this project”
• “…for always being there when I needed his support, reviewing my progress constantly, and guiding me through my PhD studies”
• “….for being a great bunch of people in and out of the lab”
• …”for all the guidance, support and outstanding feedback”
• “… who took their time to help teach me…”
• “…for her unlimited support and unconditional guidance during my PhD journey”
• “…were always there for discussions about anything that I was unsure on”
• “…whom has offered invaluable advice that will benefit me throughout my life”
• “…for supporting me since my undergraduate, and for the valuable discussions we had along the road”
• “…for making the past 4 years much more enjoyable and keeping me sane throughout the whole process”

Here is a whole example from an accepted PhD thesis:

Firstly, I want to thank [supervisor’s name(s)] for giving me the opportunity to work on this project, providing valuable guidance and feedback, and challenging me to grow as a scientist.  Excerpt from Dr Wane’s thesis acknowledgements, available via this page or use this direct download link .

Some people will choose to use full names and titles for any professional acknowledgements and first names for any personal ones. Again, this is up to you.

To help illustrate the variety of thesis acknowledgement formats, we’ll shortly be coming on to some examples of acknowledgment sections from successfully defended theses.

Before then I want to cover some of the main questions relating to how to write your own thesis acknowledgements section:

How long should you spend writing your thesis acknowledgements?

My suggestion is to spend only an hour or two making a first draft. I suggest doing this well ahead of your final deadline so that you have time to come back to it. Even so, I’d certainly look to spend far less than one day’s work on it in total.

It is a “nice to have” and means a lot to a lot of people, but remember you’re really only writing this section for yourself. I probably spent about two hours writing mine in total, simply because it wasn’t a priority for me.

What order should you write your acknowledgements in?

A typical way to write your acknowledgements is to go from the most formal/academic relationships to the least.

It is normal to start with any funding bodies, then formal people like your PhD supervisors, then move through labmates, friends and family. But again, there are generally no rules!

How long should the acknowledgements section be?

You can include as much or as little as you want. My own PhD acknowledgements section was just under a page long and it consisted of 386 words or 1892 characters (without spaces).

Here is how it was formatted:

But let’s not just look at my thesis. Using Imperial’s publicly accessible database I went through 25 published PhD theses for you.

The average (mean) length of these 25 theses was 365 words and 1793 characters without spaces. Writing an acknowledgements section of length 350-450 words was the most common:

The shortest acknowledgements sections was 122 words(653 characters) long. The longest one consisted of 1022 words and 5082 characters. Hopefully this illustrates that you’re not really bound by any limits. Write as much or as little as you want for this section.

Sample thesis acknowledgements

My own phd thesis acknowledgement.

My own PhD thesis is available here *, the acknowledgements section is on page 5. Here is the complete version of my acknowledgements section:

I would like to acknowledge both EPSRC and the Class of 1964 Scholarship for their financial support. It has been an honour to be the inaugural recipient of the Class of 1964 Scholarship and I am indebted to the donors in providing me complete academic freedom in this research. An immense thank you to my PhD supervisors: Jonathan Jeffers, Ulrich Hansen and Julian Jones. Support and guidance throughout the project from you all has been invaluable. JJ in particular you’ve been a fantastic primary supervisor. Thank you to all the academics who helped me get to this stage. The late Dr Kajal Mallick and his Biomedical Materials course at the University of Warwick was a huge influence and without which I would have never followed this path. My “pre-doc” supervisors in Dr Helen Lee of University of Cambridge and in particular the remarkable Prof Judith Hall OBE of Cardiff University from whom I learned so much. Thanks to Alison Paul and Michael Lim for being so supportive when I was considering applying for PhDs. It has been an amazing experience working between two research groups across different departments, thanks to everyone from the Biomechanics and JRJ groups I’ve worked with and from whom I’ve learned so much. Thank you of course to the Hybrids team I’ve worked so closely on this project with: Fra, Gloria, Agathe, Maria, Silvia, it’s been great fun working with you all! Gloria in particular thanks for you all your help, support and friendship: your inclusivity is appreciated by many. Saman, I’ve been so pleased to have you working on DVC with me and being able to discuss ideas with you really has been invaluable. I am grateful to everyone I’ve collaborated with externally: Farah, Amin and Brett (Natural History Museum) plus Andy and Behzad (Royal Veterinary College), thank you all for your support and input. Thanks also to everyone I’ve met through the Environmental Society at Imperial in particular Chelcie: your friendship and support have added a lot to my life. Thanks to Imperial for providing space for the ESoc garden, taking a break and enjoy nature in this space has certainly improved my work. Thanks of course to my family for their support. Finally, thank you Jo for always being so supportive and helping me every step of the way. My PhD thesis, available here . Acknowledgements are on page 5.

*For me the thesis was a means to an end. I wanted my PhD and didn’t want to spend too long agonising over each page. Therefore, it is possible there are typos in there, if you read any of it: firstly well done, I haven’t looked at it much since submitting the final copy, secondly, please don’t tell me about any typos you find!

Other PhD thesis acknowledgement examples

Below are the other 24 published and openly accessible STEM PhD theses I found for this article.

For each person’s thesis, either follow the first link to be taken to the landing page or follow the second link to directly download their thesis: I gave you a choice in case you don’t want stuff to start downloading automatically from a random text link!

The list is formatted as follows:

• [Link to thesis page on repository], [which page the acknowledgements appear on], [direct link to download the thesis]
• Dr Shipman’s thesis , for the acknowledgements go to page 3. Direct download here .
• Longest acknowledgements section of the list at 1022 words.
• Dr Li’s thesis , page 11. Direct download here .
• Dr Podgurschi’s thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Medjeral-Thomas’ thesis page 3. Direct download here .
• Dr Sztuc’s thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Yap’s thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Sukkar’s thesis , page 9. Direct download here .
• Dr Lo’s thesis , page 11. Direct download here .
• Dr Sullivan’s thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Tawy’s thesis , page 3. Direct download here .
• Dr Wane’s thesis , page 2. Direct download here .
• Dr Addison’s thesis , page 4. Direct download here .
• Dr Wang’s thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Sebest’s thesis , page 3. Direct download here .
• Dr Hopkins’ thesis , page 7. Direct download here .
• Dr Bates’s thesis , page 4. Direct download here .
• Dr Somuyiwa’s thesis , page 6. Direct download here .
• Dr Reynolds’ thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• My labmate’s thesis, who wrote the acknowledgements in a different style to the rest by using bullet points.
• Shortest acknowledgements section of the list at 122 words.
• Dr Manca’s thesis , acknowledgements on page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Liu’s thesis , page 5. Direct download here .
• Dr Hotinli’s thesis , page 7. Direct download here .

My top tips for writing your own thesis acknowledgements

• Don’t spend too long on them. The acknowledgements section is really not worth spending too much time on. Even worse, since they appear at the start of your thesis, it is tempting to write your acknowledgements first. This can be fine, or, it can be an opportunity for lots of unnecessary procrastination. Which I why I instead suggest that you…
• Write your acknowledgements at the end of your first draft of the thesis. There is no need to write your thesis in the order it is presented. If you write your acknowledgements at the end you’ll be less likely to spend precious time on a section which really doesn’t warrant too much brain power.
• Don’t stress about it. The acknowledgements are merely for yourself and for anyone close to you that you want to thank. There are far more important sections for you to be particular about!
• Remember: You can make changes after you submit the copy for your viva. As with everything in your thesis, you can make changes after you submit the thesis for your viva. The real “final” copy is when you submit your thesis to the university for archiving. Which is even more reason to not spend too much time writing it the first time around.

Draft your own thesis or dissertation acknowledgements in 60 minutes

Hopefully you now feel inspired to start writing your own thesis acknowledgments!

For the exercise below I’d suggest setting a stop-watch on your phone and move on to the next section when the alarm goes, even if you’ve not fully finished. The aim is to have a rough draft at the end which you can polish off at a later point in time.

• Read a few of the example thesis acknowledgements above to get a feel for the structure ( 15 mins )
• List everyone (or everything!) you wish to thank – including any personal and professional acknowledgements in addition to funding bodies if relevant ( 10 mins )
• Decide on a rough order in which to thank them ( 5 mins )
• Craft some sentences using the phrases mentioned above ( 30 mins )

Congratulations you’re now well on your way to having one section of your PhD thesis completed!

I hope this post has been useful for constructing your own thesis or dissertation acknowledgements. It is the first in a series of posts aiming to help your thesis writing by delving into each section in depth. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for other content which you would find useful.

Subscribe below to stay updated about future posts in the series:

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Examples of Dedications

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Written by  Scribendi

You've written a book, dissertation, or thesis; you've passed out from joy and woken up! Now, you need to write a dedication to that person (or those people) who made it all possible. 

You want the thesis or book dedication to be meaningful, but how can you make it work? You have lots of options, from simple to complex and from informal to formal.

Read on to discover how you can write the perfect dedication, whether it is a dedication to a friend, parent, child, or someone else.

Tips for Writing a Dedication Page

A dedication is usually a single sentence at the beginning of a book, thesis, or dissertation that offers the work to someone who inspired you or helped you with it. It's a short statement but one that can be very personal.

Here’s an example of a dedication for a thesis: 

Before diving into the dedication examples below, you should keep a few things in mind: 

There's no right or wrong way to write a dedication sentence. Who you thank and how you thank them can and should be personal.

If the list of people you need to thank is long, you can use your Acknowledgments section to pay tribute to as many people as you'd like.

Everyone who reads your book, thesis, or dissertation will see your dedication page. Be aware of the impact that your dedication will have. 

Be brief. Dedication sentences should be short and to the point. 

Check out How to Write a Dedication for more writing help.

Formal and Informal Dedication Examples

Informal and simple dedication.

This one goes to you, Mom.

Formal and simple dedication

This is for my mother.

Informal and complex dedication

This is for my dad. Thanks for teaching me how to make casserole and for all those laughs.

Formal and complex dedication

I dedicate this to my sister, who was always there for me, even on the tough days.

Informal dedication with an anecdote

To Rebecca. Thank you for getting us lost in Mexico and eventually getting us found. Keep leading the way. 

Formal dedication with an anecdote

I dedicate this to Kimberly Marsh, for her outpouring of support when Charlie was hospitalized. Her steadfast commitment, love, and dedication will not be forgotten. 

Informal dedication in memoriam

In memory of Chuck Thomas. It was a joy to serve you coffee every Thursday. I'll never forget you.

Formal dedication in memoriam

I dedicate this book to Don Reynolds, who influenced countless people in his too-short time here on earth. I miss you more than words can say. Thank you for believing in my dream. I look forward to the day we meet again. 

Dedication Examples to Different Parties

Book dedication to a child examples.

I dedicate this little book to my children. This one is for you, from me, your loving mother. 

To all my children. I almost named you after the characters in this book. If you can guess which name was almost yours, no complaining. 

To Nate and Jenny. I have nothing but gratitude to you, my children, for reminding me that walking to the beach is just as fun as being there. 

Book dedication examples to a friend

This book is dedicated to Tim. Thanks for encouraging me to write it. 

I dedicate this book to my friend and confidante, Jack Millhouse. He was the first person to encourage me to try. 

To Melissa R., for being a dedicated reader through all those rounds of revision. This one is for you. 

Book dedication to parents examples

To my parents. Thanks for keeping the interest rates low on everything I owe you. 

I dedicate this to my parents, for your constant love and support. 

This one is for my parents. Thanks for trying. 

Whether you are dedicating a thesis or a book to a friend or a family member, our examples can help you draft a dedication that both you and your dedicatee are proud of. 

If you're struggling to find the right words, our editors can make sure you're on the right track.

Let’s Make Sure Your Writing Is Compelling with In-Depth Editing

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Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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Past tense in a dedication (page) for a recently passed away family member

My grandfather recently passed away, and I want to name him in my dedication page of my thesis. At my university, one should first hand in the thesis and after that defend it for your supervisor and second reader. That is why I wonder if the past tense is suitable:

''This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my beloved grandfather [name]. Although he was my greatest motivation in finishing this thesis the past few months, he was unable to see my graduation. This is for him.''

Any other comments are also welcome.

• dedications

• 2 Our sincerest condolences, and congratulations on your graduation. –  Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Commented Jan 4, 2017 at 22:36
• Is it the word "finishing" that you are concerned with? Are you "presenting" the thesis or maybe you were "readying the thesis for presentation"? Also, he was perhaps -inspiring- you or -making him proud-, was your motivation. "Living up to his faith and pride in me motivated me throughout my efforts preparing this thesis for presentation' ? But I'm known to use some poor grammar and might be wrong in that. I think you get your point across regardless and +1 in the condolences and congratulations. –  Tom22 Commented Jan 4, 2017 at 23:10
• 6 Your dedication is fine. The tenses are correct. Even if he didn't see you finish, he knew you would. –  ab2 Commented Jan 4, 2017 at 23:49
• Thank you very much for your condolences and congratulations. Regarding the dedicarion: is "have been my greatest motivation in finishing this thesis the past few months, he was unable to see my graduation" maybe even more suitable since he also was my motivation after the weeks he passed away? Or does this sentence not flow as fine as my original one? –  peter Commented Jan 5, 2017 at 1:25
• 1 @Fabby Thank you for the suggestion! However, my comments don't meet the standards of this site for an answer, and they served their purpose by helping the OP. I appreciate your generosity. –  ab2 Commented Feb 7, 2017 at 1:01

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How to Navigate the Joys and Challenges of Grandparenting

Recently, my adult children let me know that when they have children, they want me to be involved in their care. I was thrilled, but also humbled. Will I have the energy? How will I balance my work? And what if I make a misstep?

Many people my age delight in their newfound role with grandchildren. Yet I know others who founder at the edges of their children’s families, unable to find a comfortable way to engage. They want to be more involved, but their overtures are rejected or their relationship is unhappily limited.

In her new book, Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of Being a Grandparent Today , Jane Isay reminds us of the value of grandparents but also delineates the important rules of engagement—when to deepen the conversation, when to back off, and how to stay on your children’s and grandchildren’s teams. Books or articles on grandparenting are few, and they frequently paint simplified or idealized pictures of this set of complex relationships. Isay’s perspective is nuanced, practical, and hopeful, and is a wonderful resource for grandparents-to-be.

The gifts of grandparents

My own grandparents were safe harbors in my turbulent childhood. My mother’s mother, a prohibitionist and Sunday school teacher, was the person who was most interested in my thoughts—on any subject—which made me feel valued. My mother’s father, aloof and removed, found a way to reach out by making me rye bread, playing cribbage with me, and taking me on his long walks that followed frozen rivers through the woods. With both of these grandparents, I found a peace and acceptance that was absent in my immediate family.

In the best cases , grandparents’ unconditional love, slower pace, and careful attention nurture grandchildren’s “moral imagination”—the “ability to put themselves in the shoes of others, to understand their own feelings, and to respond to the world with kindness and acceptance.” Grandparents’ unconditional acceptance helps to grow children’s empathy; grandparents impart courage, as grandchildren witness living examples of lives filled with love, sacrifice, and struggle; and grandparents’ encouragement of children’s dreams builds confidence and personal agency. Grandparents are more likely to see grandchildren for who they really are, not who they wish them to be, writes Isay.

Grandparents also hold a unique position in the family system, Isay explains. They are the keepers of the stories that bridge multiple generations and that contribute to a child’s growing sense of autobiography —where they came from, who their ancestors are, and the qualities they’re connected to.

Isay offers tips on creating channels of connection and communication with grandchildren: how to enter a child’s world, how to stay in relationship as they grow, how to create the rituals that foster consistency and fun, and when to let go. It is not the material gifts or the forbidden indulgences that are memorable to grandchildren, she says, but the gifts of your perspective and access to your world—taking them birdwatching, watching your approach to panhandlers, validating their emerging truth (like their gender identity), and accepting a teenager’s growing—but temporary—sense of distance.

Isay’s numerous interviews with grandparents and grandchildren illustrate the creative ways that individual people navigate this special relationship. One grandfather paused his interview with Isay to greet his four-year-old grandson the way he always does—by hiding from the boy as he walked through the door and then jumping out to surprise him in a gleeful meeting ritual.

The grandparent-parent relationship

My favorite part of the book addresses something most grandparenting books overlook—the relationship between grandparents and their grown children (and children’s partners). Tending to these relationships, Isay reminds, is not only rewarding but important to stabilizing the fabric of love that supports a grandchild.

With your own adult children, Isay says, communication can be easy and effortless because of a long history together. Or, if there are unresolved conflicts from the past, it can be more difficult. Add to the mix that your children’s partners are challenged with figuring out where they belong in your extended family, and you have some potential stumbling blocks to harmony. Isay encourages an attitude of respect, communication, forgiveness, and self-restraint.

In particular, observe how your adult children want to parent, she advises. Support them by respecting their rules (about sugar, screen time, material possessions, and more). And if there’s trouble between your child and their co-parent, stay neutral, or get out of the house. Keep your criticisms, opinions, and revelations about how you did things to yourself. “Respect makes life easier and keeps the welcome mat out,” she says.

Yet Isay recognizes that grandparents have concerns and wants, too. She deftly and kindly advises on how to navigate your own needs with the new family. For example, your limits regarding how much time or money you can spend on your grandchildren may require intentional conversations to avoid misinterpretations—for example, that you don’t like them or that you have favorites.

The limits of Unconditional Love

Isay’s voice is one I pay attention to. She is a masterful editor who has brought numerous well-known psychology books to the public and has authored many of her own books , as well. (And while this may or may not reflect on her wisdom about childrearing, it feels worth noting that her son is the founder of the beautiful and humane audio project StoryCorps .) Her prose is gentle and light, and she shares her own feelings of joy, reward, humility, and hurt with a seasoned and mature candor.

Her book does falter in a few ways, though. Research shows that it’s the quality of the relationships within the family that matter most to children’s developmental outcomes. On that point, Isay seems to offer mixed messages: While she rightly advocates authentic and empathic relationship-tending, she every so often slips into the view that families are political entities to be managed—that adult children have the power to welcome or distance you, for example, and that every grandparent’s goal is “all about access to the baby.” While both may be true, the second conversation can undermine the goal of the first.

By framing a grandparent’s goal as “access,” Isay risks reinforcing the common lament of new parents—that grandparents become obsessed with their new grandbaby and in the process ignore the new parents at a time when they need extra understanding and care. In addition, what may feel to a grandparent like “limited access” can be a healthy and legitimate boundary drawn by a parent who has the right to do so, but Isay does not fully explore this perspective. Perhaps limited access could be positively reframed as a red flag for a relationship in need of attention.

Isay discusses diverse grandparenting scenarios, such as when distance makes cultivating a relationship challenging, when adult children need serious help, and when grandparents have to take over parenting responsibilities. But her general point of view seems to assume an intact family comprised of two heterosexual parents, when research shows that this is no longer the “traditional” American family. Fewer than half of American children grow up with two married, heterosexual parents who are in their first marriage. As a result of this disconnect, some potential readers may feel overlooked.

Although steeped in a well-digested knowledge of psychology, Unconditional Love is not a science-based book. Isay does not often support her claims, and her interviews are simply anecdotal and illustrative, which she acknowledges. The book also fails to address the situation where the grandparent may be harmful, unkind, absent, or narcissistic. Indeed, many grandparents need much more skill-building than a book like this offers. However, for the grandparent who is already self-aware and in need of just a little more insight, this is a wonderful orienting compass to a new phase of life.

Development is lifelong, and becoming a grandparent can foster growth in not only the grandparent but the entire family system. My own parents—who raised me in a conflicted and dysfunctional environment—became terrific grandparents to my daughters, offering loving arms, teaching skills like knitting and woodworking, and beaming with joy and pride in all their accomplishments. They are my children’s roots, their tribe, and their cheerleaders.

I hope to do as well for my own grandchildren.

About the Author

Diana Divecha

Diana Divecha, Ph.D. , is a developmental psychologist, an assistant clinical professor at the Yale Child Study Center and Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and on the advisory board of the Greater Good Science Center. Her blog is developmentalscience.com .

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Our Vision, Mission and Responsibility as Grandparents

Posted by Ken Canfield, PhD | Nov 12, 2018 | Ask the Experts , Grandchildren | 0 |

by Ken Canfield, Ph.D.

Sometimes we run across examples of heroic, committed grandparenting. The great gymnast Simone Biles’ story involves a grandparent’s bold commitment that helped to change the course of a young girl’s life for the better. I call it “redemptive grandparenting.”

And redemptive grandparenting happens all the time, though usually not in the spotlight. A young man named Mike, for example, seemed destined for incarceration, like his father. His father and his disconnected mother had little impact in his life, but Mike’s grandfather brought him home, watched over him, and ultimately provided him with a heritage and a house that would serve as a foundation for Mike’s own family years later. Mike reports that the grandfatherly love he received was the key to his success.

Grandparents also come alongside their grandchildren in less dramatic ways, offering love, support, prayers , and encouragement that supplement what Mom and Dad give. Maybe we teach a skill that leads to a career or a lifelong passion. Maybe we use our special connection with a grandchild to encourage or comfort her in a way that no one else can. Maybe we’re simply there for them, pretty much whenever and wherever we’re needed.

Truly, grandparents matter—because grandkids matter!

Families can be strengthened and restored when grandparents step up and offer their wisdom , experience, and unconditional love . Children can be healed, nurtured, and redirected by involved grandparents.

That’s grandparenting power, and our goal is to awaken, motivate, and equip grandparents to help them experience the richness of their role in their grandchildren’s lives.

Observant and thoughtful grandparents know that today’s families face immense challenges, and many are struggling. Over the past 50 years, the fragmentation of the traditional family has prompted an avalanche of negative social consequences, particularly for children. This fallout is most prominent and most painful in urban America.

The rise in violence, the increase of addictive behaviors, the proliferation of unhealthy lifestyles, the lack of commitment in relationships and marriage, and the absence of fathers from the home are some of the most distressing trends. Leaders in every sector of our society are looking for ways to reverse this decline, and, unfortunately, there are no easy and quick solutions.

Yet I believe that renewal can happen as we learn to tap into and leverage an underused resource within the family system. This untapped resource has the potential to generate a long-overdue awakening and provide deep benefits to families. Of course, I’m talking about grandparents.

As I began working and interacting with grandparents, I very quickly recognized that grandmothers are the most active, engaged, and focused people I know when it comes to their grandkids. I call them lionesses . I also know quite a few dedicated and involved granddads , and some are working, as I am, to help awaken grandfathers to their high calling.

Regrettably, the influence of all grandparents has been understated and even overlooked for too long. Recent research demonstrates that children thrive when grandmothers and grandfathers are proactively involved in their lives. And wouldn’t you know it, grandparents also thrive when they are actively involved in their grandchildren’s lives. It’s a win-win !

We must revive the role of grandparenting.

And not only the iconic praying grandmother , but the “never, never, never give up” grandparents who understand the impact they can have on the well-being of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It’s time for these lionesses (and lions) to roar.

Here are two examples that inspire me:

• Grandma Betty has become a lifeline to her grandson. He’s currently stuck in a self-absorbed lifestyle of drug use, aberrant behavior, self-indulgence, and an overall unhealthy quality of life. But even in that compromised state, when he was asked about his grandmother, he said, “She’s my cheerleader and hero.” There is hope that this young man will turn his life around, and his grandmother’s relentless, persevering, irresistible love will be a big factor. Yes, she is roaring.
• When Suzanne discovered her grandchildren were in danger due to the negligence of their misguided parents, she didn’t hesitate to get involved. She opened the doors of her home and her heart, and her grandchildren moved in. The original plan was that they would stay with her a year or two until her daughter could stabilize her life, but reality didn’t unfold that way. So, Suzanne raised her grandchildren for more than a decade.

How many grandparents do you know who are raising—or are substantially involved in raising—their grandchildren ? This is one of the fastest growing family demographic categories today. (More on this below.) And while the number of custodial grandparents is rapidly growing, in many situations respect and honor for grandparents is diminishing. The impact of grandparents is often minimized and their role reduced by factors such as geographic distance , divorce, lack of knowledge or understanding of their family history, and the culture’s failure to affirm their value in the family. What’s also interesting is that, although grandparents know intuitively that they have a contribution to make, many today have little personal experience with their own grandparents, experience that could help them be more effective grandmas and grandpas.

The State of Grandparenting

Consider this collection of statistics and trends as a snapshot of modern grandparenting:

• Over 1.6 million adults become new grandparents each year, a pace that will bring the total number of North American grandparents to over 84 million by 2020. If you include the number of seniors who do not have natural children but who are grandparent figures for nieces, nephews, and other family members—as well as for neighbors and young people in their churches or communities—both numbers are significantly larger.
• Most people achieve grandparent status when they are in their fifties. However, 37% of North American adults became grandparents in their forties, with the average age of a new grandparent being 47. (That lower age is due in large part to family demographics in minority and urban communities.) Currently, 60% of baby boomers are grandparents.
• Recent survey research notes that 54% of people who are grandparents live within 25 miles of their grandchildren, and the remaining 46% wish they lived closer.
• 72% of grandparents believe that being a grandparent is the single most important role at this point in their lives, and they are quick to say that this role provides them the greatest relational satisfaction .
• 65% of involved grandparents say they are better grandparents than they were parents.
• 70% believe that being an involved grandparent brings them closer to their adult children.

Never before have so many grandparents in North America been tasked with being parents again. As mentioned above, one of the fastest-growing family demographics is grandparents becoming the custodial or functional parents of their grandchildren—and caring for grandchildren every day is a challenging task ! In North America, over 8 million children under the age of 18 live with and are cared for primarily by their grandparents.

I have talked with grandparents who have suddenly had their grandchildren show up at their front door, due to an adult child’s incarceration, addictive behaviors, divorce, desertion, and even unexpected death. These admirable individuals are raising their grandchildren while dealing with their own health , emotional, and financial challenges. Yet, despite the big 24/7 demands, these grandparents will tell you, “I never expected this, I certainly didn’t choose to do this, but I am going to be there for my grandchild(ren) for however long I’m needed.”

This is a bold expression of faith, hope, and love.

Here are more statistics as evidence:

• Grandparents spend over $60 billion every year on their grandkids, including $32 billion on education-related support. This lavish spending isn’t all about spoiling those beloved grandchildren; these grandparents rightly view many of these monetary gifts as investments in the child’s future.
• 62% of today’s grandparents have provided financial support to their adult children and grandchildren in the last twelve months, covering everything from the mortgage, education, daycare, and health care to the basic day-to-day expenses.
• Grandparents support charities as well. In the US, 45% of the giving to nonprofit organizations comes from grandparents. They also account for 42% of all consumer spending on gifts. These numbers aren’t surprising considering the estimate that grandparents in North America control 68% of the accumulated wealth.
• Today’s longer life expectancy means people spend more time as a grandparent. Imagine living in 1900, when the average life span was 47 years! Today you may live one-third of your life as a grandparent and as much as 15% of your life as a great-grandparent.

Uniting Generations

Let me reassure you that, as you probably know very well, the gift of grandchildren will bring rich experiences and life-giving joy for both generations. Many mature adults say there’s nothing as exhilarating as being part of their grandchildren’s lives. When the old and young generations unite, both benefit and thrive. Grandkids matter to us —big time.

When you observe grandmothers and grandfathers interacting with their grandchildren—listening, learning, and growing in love and respect for one another—you can sense the power of this generational synergy . A caring grandmother will perceive things that re-energize her deep-seated mothering intuition and quickly become catalysts for family renewal. This grandmotherly glow parallels a similar occurrence in the minds and hearts of grandfathers. Not only do grandfathers mellow with age, but they also ponder their legacy and how they will pass on life-giving values to future generations. Our grandkids matter, and we want to do our very best for them.

During this time of life when so many people tend to think that their best years are in the past, grandkids can change everything. Our thoughts, feelings and actions are renewed because the gift of grandchildren prompt us to see the meaning and purpose of life in new ways. We understand clearly that grandkids matter; they provide our days with an added sense of mission—we’re determined to invest in their future and leave a proud legacy for them and generations to come.

Your grandparenting story is unique in many ways. Maybe you’re basking in the joy of relating to your grandkids and everything is great, or you may be struggling because of relationship issues or distance from your grandkids or some other concern. Or some combination of the joy and sorrow. But we all share the conviction that grandkids matter, and we want to do our best for them. Whatever grandparenting opportunities might be before us, our ability to be intentional, tune in, and connect on a heart level with our children and grandchildren will determine our impact on their lives.

Yes, grandkids matter. And together, as an army of loving grandparents, we can have a tremendous impact on the future of our nation’s families.

About The Author

Ken Canfield, PhD

Dr. Canfield is a nationally-known leader, speaker and researcher who has committed his life to strengthening fathers and families. He has founded and continues to engage in several organizations which are dedicated to improving family well-being, most notably the National Center for Fathering. He is currently the founder and President of the National Association for Grandparenting. Ken and his wife Dee have been married for 40 years. They have five children, three sons-in-law and one daughter-in-law and nine grandchildren....and growing.

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This thesis is dedicated to my grandparents

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Gratitude for Grandparents

The lives of three successive generations are mutually enriched..

Posted December 9, 2020

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No matter what culture or ethnic group, grandparents are usually adored by their grandchildren. They are addressed with special “sweet” names, common in every different culture, but they are more than merely unique: They inherently embody affection and convey cherished bonds of deep love. (Some examples are Zaidie/Bubbie, Awa/Tata, Grandmere/Grandpere, Abuelo/Abuela, Yeye/Nainai, Nonna/Nonno, Soba/Sofu, Saba/Safta, Babushka/Dedushka, Nana/Poppa, Bibi/Babu, and of course, so many more.)

Questions for you: Were you close to your grandparents? Did they have special names? Are you young enough to enjoy your relationship with them now? Are you old enough to have grandchildren of your own?

Given the increased life expectancies prevalent in many countries today, the answers are most often affirmative.

My experiences with my own grandparents were extremely sparse: I knew only one, my maternal grandfather, and he passed away when I was only 2. (I cherish a photo of him holding me close, taken shortly before he passed away.) My paternal grandparents were killed in the Holocaust and my maternal grandmother died before I appeared.

I do, however, have a cognitive and visceral perception of them, as well as a spiritual sense of closeness, based on old photographs and the lore related by my parents and other relatives.

I was fortunate to meet many grandparents of cousins and friends when I was a child and remember feeling how lucky they were to have those special relationships with relatives from another generation. I’ve read about these unique relationships in novels and family studies (since I was a clinician), and I worked with grandparents (and grandchildren) in my practice and in my research studies.

There is a humorous parable about grandparents “having all of the pleasure and none of the responsibilities” of raising children, the point being that they can play with their grandchildren, provide excess sweets and gifts, impart pearls of wisdom , contradict or criticize their parents (your children!), but they don’t have to assume the burdens of disciplining or emotional upheavals, pains or expenses borne by the “real” parents.

That is an exaggeration, of course, as many grandparents feel close to and share the joys and sorrows of their grandchildren. Moreover, millions of grandparents throughout the world participate in child-rearing and are actively engaged in the work and pleasure of raising and protecting their grandchildren.

Some grandparents have the time, means, energy and desire to create close bonds with their grandchildren and voluntarily help out in raising them.

Much more often, however, these kinds of arrangements are less planned and smooth, and borne of necessity. That is, circumstances arise and dictate that grandparents are needed to fulfill parenting roles due to the temporary absence of the parents for employment reasons, financial needs, career demands, or personal needs and desires.

Often there are even more salient and poignant needs for grandparents' involvement in childrearing. These occur under pressured or dire circumstances, as when one or both parents leave due to marital break-up, or one spouse’s withdrawal, or severe illness (physical or mental), or the death of one or both parents.

These mixed burdens and blessings for grandparents are increasingly necessitated by demanding fiscal realities, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped countries.

In the recent movie Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix), based on the best-selling book by J.D. Vance, Glenn Close evocatively plays an overburdened grandmother who was always deeply and inextricably involved in the complexities and challenges, sometimes the chaos, faced by her children and grandchildren. She was by no means perfect, but in spite of her faults and frailties, she was a dominant and protective force of nature that supplied her grandchildren with stability and the presence of intense love.

It was clear that without her powerful influence, the family would have suffered immeasurably and likely have fallen apart. She captured the profound emotions that many grandparents experience in their close involvement with their grandchildren: The palpable joys and meaningfulness, the pride and passions, worries and pains, and the caring and love which she felt so powerfully and which she imbued in the lives of her family.

In my studies years ago, I interviewed retired individuals (mostly octogenarians) about the central criteria for their feeling personally fulfilled and worthwhile during their long lives. I was especially interested in, while looking back, their senses of having achieved "The Four B's: Being, Belonging, Believing and Benevolence."

In each of these areas, it was remarkable to me how often and spontaneously they brought up their relationships with their grandchildren. It was particularly meaningful and moving to the grandparents when they felt loved and needed by their grandchildren, and vice versa. This was of singular importance to them in assessing the worth of their lives.

Grandparents who have sufficient health, motivation and means to help care for and raise their grandchildren represent to me the epitome of a “win-win” situation, as both generations can benefit immensely from each other. It goes without saying that this arrangement can be as much or more a benefit to the “skipped” generation, i.e., the actual parents of the children.

So much so, that I wonder if this particular arrangement (grandparents helping with the raising of grandchildren) could not be more formally encouraged, planned for and officially supported by municipal, state and federal governments. Grandparents in families with insufficient means could be de facto “hired” to give the mothers or fathers some respite. It could be voluntary and preschool and daycare would still be important, but these services could be modified and tailored to the needs of the children and their grandparents.

During the current pandemic, grandparents are like an “endangered species,” in that they more susceptible to the coronavirus , and thus often separated for their own protection from their grandchildren by the dictates of public health authorities. This situation may be temporary but it is particularly poignant, and one in which I find myself.

This particular octogenarian hasn’t seen two of his three sons and their wives, and five of his seven grandchildren, in over a year. My grandchildren, ranging in age from 8 to 20, individually and as a group enhance and ennoble my very existence. And as I increasingly remove myself from the day-to-day frenzy of productivity , competition , obligations and deadlines which besiege so many stressed parents, I can in retirement (end of pandemic allowing!) give more of myself to the lives of my grandchildren, and without a doubt, to myself.

In a way, our grandchildren “complete” the circle of our lives. No, I am not being fatalistic or morbid: To the contrary, I am energized and hopeful, aware that these are our legacies, our gifts to humanity which reside in the lives of these wonderful young people.

If so, the world will be in good hands.

Saul Levine M.D. , is a professor emeritus at the University of California at San Diego.

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Article Contents

The nature of custodial grandparenting, the strengths of custodial grandparents, heterogeneity of custodial grandparents, a contextual approach to grandfamilies, a process perspective on custodial grandparents, parenting grandchildren, family relationships, grandparent psychological distress, interventions with custodial grandparents, methodological concerns in grandfamily research, future directions in grandfamily research.

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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: What Have We Learned Over the Past Decade?

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Bert Hayslip, Christine A Fruhauf, Megan L Dolbin-MacNab, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: What Have We Learned Over the Past Decade?, The Gerontologist , Volume 59, Issue 3, June 2019, Pages e152–e163, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx106

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In this manuscript, we update the literature over the last decade in addressing several new content areas that have emerged in the grandfamilies literature, along with issues that are still important to understanding grandparents raising their grandchildren today.

The social science and gerontological literature since 2004 was accessed, reviewed, organized topically, and integrated, based upon an exhaustive PsychINFO literature search.

Our review indicates an ongoing and/or growing emphasis on (a) the strengths of grandparent raising grandchildren, (b) diversity among grandfamilies along a number of parameters, (c) the social-interpersonal, cultural, and policy-related contexts of grandfamilies, (d) process-focused research, (e) parenting, parenting skills, and family relationships, (f) grandparent psychological distress, (g) targets for and the efficacy of interventions with grandfamilies, and (h) methodological issues relevant to the study of grandfamilies.

We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of more completely understanding grandfamilies along a number of parameters, as well as presenting specific recommendations for future research and practice.

In 2005, Hayslip and Kaminski published the first comprehensive review of the literature on grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Except for Park and Greenberg (2007) , there have been no other comprehensive reviews published over the last decade, despite growing professional interest in grandfamilies, underscored by the fact that nearly 6 million children are being cared for on either a part-time or full-time basis by nearly 3 million middle-aged and older grandparents ( Generations United, 2015 ). Hayslip and Kaminski addressed a number of key themes in the literature on grandfamilies: the costs and benefits of raising a grandchild, the heterogeneity of grandparent caregivers, their need for social support, parenting attitudes and practices, and intervention efforts at multiple levels. Our purpose here is to organize and analyze what has emerged in the context of published work on grandfamilies since 2004; some issues discussed here are as salient now as they were in 2005, while others have newly emerged.

Grandparents positively influence the grandchildren they are raising in many ways. As parental figures, grandparents serve as role models, provide their grandchildren with nurturance, love, and support, and communicate with their grandchildren about the direction their lives are headed, the child’s feelings about his/her parents, and relationships with age peers ( Dolbin-MacNab & Keiley, 2009 ; Dolbin-MacNab et al., 2009 ). They also discipline their grandchildren, tend to their physical health and safety, and represent the outside world to them in discussing matters of culture and contemporary life (e.g., sexuality, violence in the schools, technology [see Supplementary Table 1 ], and drug use).

While some grandparents raising grandchildren coreside with their adult children and the grandchild (i.e., a coparenting family structure), other grandparents have sole responsibility for the care of their grandchildren; such families are referred to as skipped generation in nature. In the present paper, we refer to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren as custodial grandparents and their families as grandfamilies.

It is difficult to accurately estimate the extent and stability of coparenting versus skipped generation caregiving arrangements due to the formal (e.g., adoption, gurardianship) versus informal nature of grandparents’ parental roles and the fluidity in their caregiving responsibilities consistent with grandparents’ health, marital stability, work involvement, the nature of an adult child’s work/class schedule, the length of an adult child’s military deployment, or the resumption of court-ordered parenting by an adult child who had been either physically or psychologically absent in the grandchild’s life. Thus, the heterogeneity of grandparent caregiving itself can muddy the waters regarding its nature and frequency, making understanding it even more challenging.

The frequently ambiguous nature of this role among middle-aged and older persons also impacts our understanding of it. This ambiguity, which grandparents themselves often express (e.g., “Am I my grandchild’s grandmother or mother?”) and experience due to ill-defined circumstances (e.g., having clear legal status versus being responsible), influences not only how grandparents define their roles, but also how others view them. Indeed, grandparents are often burdened by the perception that they laid the groundwork for those situations (e.g., parental divorce, drug use, or abandonment) that resulted in them raising their grandchildren ( Hayslip, 2010 ).

Despite their importance in their grandchildren’s lives and the satisfaction associated with guiding and protecting a vulnerable child, custodial grandparents also report feeling isolated from age peers, experience a variety of physical and emotional challenges associated with caregiving, feel judged by others as failures as parents, or experience shame linked to the perceived stigma of having to raise their grandchildren ( Hayslip, Maiden, Page, & Dolbin-MacNab, 2015 ). Likewise, many grandchildren feel estranged from their biological parents and from peers whose families are still intact, and some experience difficulties in connecting emotionally with their custodial grandparent(s) ( Dolbin-MacNab & Keiley, 2009 ). Smith and Palmieri (2007) found custodial grandchildren to fare worse emotionally, socially, and behaviorally relative to age matched normative samples, while Harnett, Dawe, and Russell (2014) found such grandchildren to function more adaptively than children living in nonrelative foster homes.

Collectively, these factors underscore the importance of understanding the interpersonal and cultural contexts in which grandfamilies function, and suggest that the nature of the custodial grandparent role is relative to many factors. These factors often disenfranchise grandfamilies; such disenfranchisement may be greatest for grandparents of color, those who live in rural areas, or those who live in poverty, resulting in many grandfamilies not receiving needed medical, social, legal, and psychological services. Many grandparents either do not seek help or are difficult for service providers to reach because they either rely on family or friends for support, have become disenchanted with available services/service providers, or lack the resources enabling them to access such help ( Carr, Gray, & Hayslip, 2012 ). This is especially critical, as grandparents often ignore their own health needs in favor of those of their grandchildren ( Baker & Silverstein, 2008a ). Consequently, custodial grandparents may suffer in terms of self-care, borne of the sacrifices they must make in ignoring their own health and the challenges to caregiving that poorer health creates ( Kaminski, Hayslip, Wilson, & Casto, 2008 ; Roberto, Dolbin-MacNab, & Finney, 2008 ). Given these influences, at least some grandparents raising their grandchildren are vulnerable physically and psychosocially, underscoring the importance of empowering them ( Cox, 2008 ).

One of the most important and impactful of the new developments in the literature has been the reformulation of custodial grandparenting in terms of grandparents’ strengths , including resilience/resourcefulness ( Hayslip & Smith, 2013 ; Zauszniewski, Musil, & Au, 2013 ), benefit finding ( Castillo, Henderson, & North, 2013 ), empowerment ( Cox, 2008 ), and positive caregiving appraisal ( Smith & Dolbin-MacNab, 2013 ), as well as protective factors such as social support ( Dolbin-MacNab, Roberto, & Finney, 2013 ; Kahn & Antonucci, 1980 ; Whitley, Kelley, & Lamis, 2016 ).

Grandparent resilience, or positive adaptation and positive outcomes despite adversity ( Masten, 2001 ), can counteract the negative effects of stressors on grandparents’ physical and mental health. Hayslip and colleagues (2013) found that resilience mediated the relationship between stress and psychosocial functioning among custodial grandparents. Because many of the skills associated with resilience can be taught, interventions designed to promote resilience, including enhancing protective factors (e.g., social support, better health management; see Bigbee, Boegh, Prengaman, & Shaklee, 2011 ) and reducing risk factors (e.g., social isolation), may be fruitful avenues for promoting grandparent well-being.

That custodial grandparents are resilient is underscored by the family trauma they have faced and the variety and intensity of the stressful experiences confronting them ( Lee & Blitz, 2014 ). This is especially important in that some custodial grandparents (e.g., Canadian First Nations and Latino skipped generation families) are facing multiple challenges (e.g., high rates of poverty and disability, raising multiple grandchildren, caring for an older person), with minimal resources, in raising their grandchildren ( Fuller-Thomson, 2005 ; Kopera-Frye, 2009 ). One means of countering such trauma and other stressors is social support, where Strozier (2012) found that custodial grandparents who participated in a support group experienced greater increases in social support than those who did not attend support groups; the latter instead relied upon diverse sources of social support.

Good physical health might also be protective in nature, though not all research supports this conclusion. Some work has found little evidence of the negative impact of raising grandchildren on the physical health of custodial grandparents (e.g., Breeze & Stafford, 2010 , Chen, Mair, Bao, & Yang, 2014 ; Hughes, Waite, LaPierre, & Luo, 2007 ; Triadó, Villar, Celdrá & Solé, 2014 ); other studies suggest that grandparental caregiving is linked to poorer health ( Fuller-Thomson, 2005 ; Musil et al., 2010 ), and link poorer health-related quality of life and depression ( Neely-Barnes, Graft, & Washington, 2010 ). In contrast, Ku and colleagues (2013) found physical health to be positively impacted in custodial grandparents, with such effects covarying with the duration and recency of caregiving. Di Gessa, Glaser, and Tinker (2016a) found grandparental caregiving at baseline to be associated with better health 2 years later, even after controlling for life events in childhood and adulthood, previous physical health, and socioeconomic influences, though this relationship only held for grandmothers. Di Gessa, Glaser, and Tinker (2016b) also found intensive grandparent caregiving (15 hr/week of care to daily care) to be associated with better health over time, though attrition effects were partly responsible for this association. One reason for these mixed findings is that social support may be a prerequisite for better physical health and may mediate the relationship between poorer health and depressive symptoms ( Hayslip, Blumenthal, & Garner, 2014 , 2015 ). Thus, the impact of caregiving on grandparents’ physical health may depend upon the presence of other factors (e.g., prior health status, intensity and recency of caregiving, social support), and whether the data are cross-sectional or longitudinal.

A second and continuing issue bearing on the understanding of grandfamilies is their diversity along a number of parameters, including both individual and cultural factors ( Hays, 2008 ; Hayslip & Patrick, 2006 ). This diversity has been the subject of much research (see Supplementary Table 1 ). The differences among custodial grandparents by race and ethnicity may be related to multiple contextual factors, one of which is economic security. Compared to other racial and ethnic groups, African Americans have a higher chance of becoming custodial grandparents and keeping grandchildren in their homes longer ( Harris & Skyles, 2008 ), oftentimes leading to increased risk for chronic poverty ( Baker & Silverstein, 2008b ). Similarly, Fuller-Thomson and Minkler (2007) found Mexican American grandparents living below poverty level were twice as likely to become caregivers of their grandchildren.

Grandparents in rural areas have unique needs, including those grandparents who often assume caregiving responsibilities as a result of urban migration (e.g., grandparents raising grandchildren in China, see Schwede, Blumberg, & Chan, 2005 ), wherein in some rural areas, parents are not able to earn enough money to support their children ( Baker & Silverstein, 2008b ). Rural grandparents may also suffer economically as they experience increased expenses associated with parenting grandchildren, often with limited supportive service and other resources ( Bailey, Haynes, & Letiecq, 2013 ).

In addition to these domains of diversity, attention has also been given to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) grandparenting ( Fruhauf, Orel, & Jenkins, 2009 ; Orel & Fruhauf, 2006 ). While no empirical research has been published addressing LGBT custodial grandparents, such persons likely exist given increases in older persons identifying as LGBT ( Gates, 2011 ) (see Supplementary Table 1 ).

In light of the diversity among grandfamilies, greater attention is now being paid to the social-interpersonal, cultural, and policy-related contexts in which grandfamilies are embedded (see Supplementary Table 1 ). These contexts include greater understanding of grandparents in light of their life circumstances, cultural backgrounds, and values ( Fuller-Thomson, 2005 ; Goodman & Silverstein, 2005 ; Hayslip, 2009 ; Siordia, 2015 ; Watson, Randolph, & Lyons, 2005 ), as well as the economic environment (e.g., labor force participation, availability of formal childcare, see Di Gessa, Glaser, Price, Ribe, & Tinker, 2016 ), interactions with service providers ( Conway, Boeckel, Shuster, & Wages, 2010 ; Fruhauf, Pevney, & Bundy-Fazioli, 2015 ; Henderson, Dinh, Morgan, & Lewis, 2017 ; Yancura, Fruhauf, & Greenwood-Junkermeier, 2016 ), other noncaregiving grandparents ( Hayslip et al., 2013 ), and adult children ( Goodman, 2012 ).

In understanding context and custodial grandparenting, consideration of grandchildren as future caregivers of their grandparents ( Fruhauf, Jarrott, & Allen, 2006 ; Tompkins, 2007 ) becomes important, but has received limited attention. Further, negative attitudes toward grandparent caregiving held by young adults ( Hayslip et al., 2009 ), grandparent peers ( Hayslip et al., 2013 ), and service providers ( Fruhauf, Bundy-Fazioli, & Miller, 2012 ; Fruhauf et al., 2015 ; Gladstone, Brown, & Fitzgerald, 2009 ; Yancura et al., 2016 ), are also relevant to understanding contextual factors that influence grandfamilies.

Clearly, the emerging interest on global grandparent caregiving (see Supplementary Table 1 ) is consistent with a growing emphasis cultural context. Though grandparents raising grandchildren can be found around the world ( Dolbin-MacNab & Yancura , in press), most work in this respect centers on grandfamilies in China. Grandparents in the United States and China do share some common experiences, where Goh (2009) and Goh and Kuczynski (2010) have documented the changing intergenerational dynamics (e.g., disagreements over child-rearing and discipline) and the difficult choices made by grandparents (e.g., retiring vs. meeting one’s familial responsibilities and obligations) among Chinese grandfamilies. In addition, as is true in the United States, the strengths (i.e., resilience) of grandparent caregivers have largely been ignored ( Goh & Kuczynski, 2010 ). Similar to some work in the United States, Guo, Pickard, and Huang (2008) found that Chinese caregiving grandparents experienced better mental and physical health than their noncaregiving peers, understood in terms of the similarity of culturally prescribed roles as authoritative family members and their actual role behaviors and responsibilities, wherein respect for one’s elders and compliance enriched the caregiving role for Chinese grandparents. On the other hand, Chen and Liu (2012) found that greater intensity of care (i.e., 15 or more hours per week) accelerated health declines among grandparent caregivers in China, though this was not so among paternal grandparents and skipped generation grandparents who had higher incomes. It is important to note, however, that much of the published work on Chinese grandparents focused on persons providing childcare rather than grandparents with primary caregiving responsibilities.

Burnette, Sun, and Sun (2013) noted that increased modernization and urbanization has caused parents leaving rural areas to seek work in the cites, yielding a large number of what are termed “left-behind children” (LBC) to be cared for by grandparents where Chinese custodial grandparents, who despite the “culturally normative and thus expected nature of this role” (p. 47), still lacked formal support in the form of programs and services, experienced poor health, and found the task of caring for a grandchild to be very difficult. These authors also note that Chinese LBC have many of the same adjustment emotional difficulties and intergenerational conflicts that U.S. custodial grandchildren experience.

Also, of interest regarding cultural context are cross-cultural comparisons of custodial grandparents (see Supplementary Table 1 ). Hayslip, Baird, Toledo, Toledo, and Emick, (2006) found qualitative cultural differences in role definition and psychosocial functioning consistent with an emphasis on individualism (U.S. born grandparents) versus collectivism (Mexican born grandparents); the former saw their caregiving roles as impediments to their quality of life, while the latter saw raising grandchildren as extensions of their love for their children and grandchildren (see Hayslip, 2009 ). While these and other cross-cultural comparisons (see Supplementary Table 1 ) are intriguing, much of the existing research focuses on grandparents in caregiving roles as opposed to custodial grandparents. Moreover, existing findings raise the question of how culture differentially shapes grandfamilies (see Cole, 2005 ), where the process of acculturation, differential emphasis upon familism ( Silverstein, Lendon, & Giarrusso, 2012 ; Ihara, Tompkins, & Sonethavilay, 2012 ), the transmission of cultural values ( Kopera-Frye, 2009 ), or the salience of cultural beliefs regarding extended family involvement with child-rearing ( Lee & Brann, 2015 ) might be candidates in this regard.

While more attention has been given to process-focused work emphasizing interactions between grandparents and their adult children, their grandchildren, and even service providers, more work is needed in this area. Central to a process perspective is the need to identify the mechanisms by which aspects of custodial grandparents’ proximal and distal environments interact to influence their well-being. Meaningfully identifying these mechanisms requires sophisticated methodological approaches, such as structural equation modeling, longitudinal designs, dyadic approaches, daily diary methods, multilevel modeling, and grounded theory methodology (see Townsend, 2012 ). Examinations of factors that moderate and/or mediate known associations may also be beneficial in parsing out the relationships among various factors influencing custodial grandparents, allowing researchers to move beyond identifying simple associations to modeling the relationships among specific factors for the purposes of understanding how they shape grandparent outcomes.

Understanding process in grandfamilies also requires a strong guiding theoretical conceptualization, such as the Bioecological Model of Human Development ( Bronfenbrenner, 2005 ), whereby proximal processes are a key element of investigation; these include forms of interactions between grandparents, their grandchildren, and the environments to which they live ( Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006 ). This perspective also includes how context and ecology intersects with support services (e.g., understanding the history of discrimination) and understanding the processes by which services and interventions are effective. More research on the effectiveness of interventions/services for custodial grandparents, in terms of the processes associated within and between the layers of grandparents’ environments, is needed (see Kirby, 2015 ; Tang, Jang, & Copeland, 2015 ).

Undergirding a process perspective is the fact that custodial grandparents and grandchildren do not exist in a vacuum. Beyond the systems already mentioned, grandparent experiences and outcomes are also shaped by spouses, the grandchild’s parents—even other adult children and noncustodial grandchildren ( Dunifon, Kopko, Chase-Lansdale, & Wakschlag, 2016 ; Smith & Hancock, 2010 ; Smith, Palmieri, Hancock, & Richardson, 2008 ). On a more distal level, custodial grandparents interact with numerous service providers, others in their larger communities, and the general public ( Gladstone et al., 2009 ; Hayslip & Glover, 2008 ; Hayslip et al., 2009 ; O’Hora & Dolbin-MacNab, 2015 ).

A growing number of studies have adopted a process approach to studying grandfamilies, where, using an integration of the Stress Process Model and the Family Stress Model, Smith and colleagues (2015) utilized structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect effects of coping on grandmother’s psychological distress, parenting behavior, and grandchildren’s internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Informed by attachment theory, Goodman (2012) found close grandmother–grandchild relationships to be associated with improved grandmother mental health and that the latter predicted less grandchild behavior problems over a 9-year time frame. Not only is process important in understanding how grandfamilies function, it also lays the groundwork for the development of family-oriented interventions to positively impact grandparents and their grandchildren.

Salient and continued foci in the literature on custodial grandparenting are parenting and parenting skills, underscored by the interest in studying the impact of grandparent parenting practices on grandchildren and the role of parenting in influencing the well-being of custodial grandparents. Parenting a grandchild reflects one of the central challenges for grandparents who have not raised children for many years and/or who experienced difficulties in doing so. In addition, clinically-relevant issues that are both negative (e.g., depression) and positive (e.g., fostering empowerment and resilience) are paramount to understanding the parenting quality of custodial grandparents. Relatedly, the development and efficacy of interventions to positively impact the parenting and psychosocial functioning of grandparent caregivers and their grandchildren has emerged as an emphasis (e.g., see Smith, 2016 ; Smith & Hayslip, 2010 ; Whitley, Kelley, & Campos, 2013 ).

Parenting as a source of stress is influenced by grandparents’ own energy and health-related limitations as well as psychological distress ( Smith & Dolbin-MacNab, 2013 ; Smith et al., 2008 ). These physical and emotional challenges are also influenced by the psychosocial and behavioral difficulties many grandchildren raised by grandparents experience ( Smith & Palmieri, 2007 ); they are in part explained by the poor parenting skills of some custodial grandparents ( Smith & Richardson, 2008 ). It may also be that these child difficulties can also be explained in terms of grandchildren’s grief at the loss of their family of origin or as outgrowths of adjusting to a new family form ( Hayslip, Shore, Henderson, & Lambert, 1998 ).

Grandparents’ outdated ideas about child development and discipline and lack of familiarity with contemporary issues confronting their grandchildren may also be relevant to the stress grandparents experience in parenting their grandchildren. Grandparents of adolescent grandchildren report particularly high levels of stress ( Campbell & Miles, 2008 ; Musil, Warner, McNamara, Rokoff, & Turek, 2008 ), often stemming from difficulties associated with their grandchildren’s increased desire for autonomy and identity formation. Finally, parenting may be more challenging when grandchildren have physical and/or psychological problems associated with parental crisis and/or maltreatment (e.g., abuse/neglect, trauma, exposure to harmful substances; Gleeson et al., 2009 ). Bearing on their ability to parent, evidence suggests that grandparents caring for grandchildren with severe behavioral problems experience poor psychological health ( Kelley, Whitley, & Campos, 2013 ).

Only a small number of studies have examined grandparents’ actual parenting practices. Qualitative examinations suggest that, while some grandparents perceive themselves as replicating the (effective) approaches to parenting that they used with their own children, others see themselves being more effective as a result of being more patient, having greater experience, and investing more time into their grandchildren ( Dolbin-MacNab, 2006 ). Self-report data confirm that custodial grandparents engage in both effective (e.g., giving rewards and monitoring) and ineffective (e.g., harsh and inconsistent discipline, difficulties with limit setting) parenting practices ( Smith & Richardson, 2008 ). Compared to parents, Kaminski and colleagues (2008) found that grandparents have less boundary clarity in the parent versus child roles and are less sensitive to their grandchildren’s needs.

Parenting is a promising avenue for clinical intervention, as among grandparents, parenting stress and ineffective parenting have been associated with psychological distress and compromised physical health ( Baker & Silverstein, 2008a ; Goodman, Tan, Ernades, & Silverstein, 2008 ; Smith, Cichy, & Montoro-Rodriguez, 2015 ; Sprang, Choi, Eslinger, & Whitt-Woosley, 2015 ). Kirby and Sanders (2014) found that parent skills training (i.e., Triple P program) improved (over a 6-month time frame) grandchild behavior problems, grandchild relationship quality, parenting confidence, and grandparent psychosocial functioning. In this respect, we stress the importance of developing and evaluating theory-based parenting interventions, in order to ensure maximum effectiveness for the recipients of these interventions (see Kirby, 2015 ).

Scant attention continues to be given to any relationships beyond the grandparent–grandchild dyad. Thus, a broader perspective on family relationships experienced by custodial grandparents is required and greater attention needs to be given to the relational dynamics present in grandfamilies; this is consistent with the above discussion of process in grandfamilies. A family systems perspective suggests that raising a grandchild would have implications for custodial grandparents’ immediate and extended family relationships, wherein stressors associated with custodial grandparenting may create new strains, amplify existing difficulties, or maintain ongoing problems ( Smith & Hancock, 2010 ).

While married grandparents may be able to offer one another emotional support and share in the tasks and demands of caregiving ( Hughes et al., 2007 ; Matzek & Cooney, 2009 ), this can also result in martial conflict (e.g., disagreements over parenting, putting off retirement, resuming work, loss of independence). The grandchildren’s parents, a potential source of stress for custodial grandparents, are sometimes absent from the family system. While most grandparents and grandchildren have ongoing contact with at least one parent (i.e., the grandchild’s mother ( Dolbin-MacNab & Keiley, 2009 ; Dunifon, Ziol-Guest, & Kopko, 2014 )), this contact may be problematic as parental behavior problems and unpredictability may result in relationships that are conflictual, distant, or emotionally challenging ( Musil et al., 2008 ). Grandparents must also navigate their hopes for reunification, concerns for their adult children’s well-being, feelings of guilt and anger, and the need to protect their grandchildren physically and emotionally. As problematic relationships between grandchildren and their parents has been associated with grandchildren’s scholastic and behavioral problems, promoting successful coparenting between custodial grandparents and their adult children is a worthy area for intervention ( Dunifon et al., 2016 ).

Related to parenting stress and problematic family relationships is the continued attention given to the distress (e.g., depression and anxiety) experienced by custodial grandparents. Such distress may arise from the stressors associated with raising grandchildren, as well as other intersecting sources of disadvantage such as being poor, female, and a racial/ethnic minority ( Collins, 2011 ). Psychological distress may also result from grief and disappointment associated with the parent’s behavior, the need to perform multiple roles simultaneously (e.g., worker, parent, volunteer), the recency of caregiving ( Baker & Silverstein, 2008b ), the changed nature of the grandparent-grandchild relationship, or the grandparent’s loss of freedom and social relationships ( Gerard, Landry-Meyer, & Roe, 2006 ). Musil and colleagues (2009) found that increased depressive symptoms were associated with less social support and lessened resourcefulness, wherein social support and resourcefulness moderated the relationship between caregiving stress, caregiver strain, and depressive symptoms. In a 24-month longitudinal study, Musil and colleagues (2010) found that, while stress and health worsened over time for all persons, with the assumption of caregiving, caregiver stress, depression, family strain, and family problems all increased. Grandmothers who switched to a higher level of caregiving responsibility (e.g., coparenting/secondary caregiving to full-time primary caregiving) fared worse in the above respects, except for mental health and resourcefulness. When their situations improved (e.g., a child left military service or successfully completed drug treatment), grandmothers’ functioning improved (see also Standing, Musil, & Warner, 2007 ). Landry-Meyer and Newman (2004) have also emphasized issues of role clarity, role conflict, and the on-timeness/off-timeness of the caregiver role in lessening or exacerbating the psychological difficulties some persons have in making the transition to full-time caregiving.

A handful of published intervention studies with custodial grandparents have dealt with the efficacy of support groups, empowerment training, educational programs, or health promotion interventions (e.g., Brintnall-Peterson, Poehlmann, Morgan, & Shafer, 2009 ; Collins, 2011 ; Cox, 2008 ; Kelley, Whitley, & Sipe, 2007 ; Kelley et al., 2013 ; Kicklighter et al., 2007 ) (see Zausziewski, Musil, & Au, 2014 for discussions). Generally speaking, these interventions have been found to be efficacious (see Supplementary Table 1 ). However, in some cases, social contact comparison groups and/or definitive outcome measures are lacking, undermining confidence in their efficacy. There is also no published work examining the long-term impact of interventions on grandfamilies, including those that target the quality of grandparent–grandchild relationships.

A number of studies do indicate the potential for personal growth via a variety of interventions targeting grandparent caregivers. These are represented in the work of Whitley, and her colleagues as well as Musil and Zausniewski and their colleagues. Whitley and colleagues (2013) found reliable increases over time in empowerment, family resources, and family support among grandmothers enrolled in a case-management-based intervention program designed to positively impact the personal attributes and coping skills of such persons (Project Healthy Grandparents). Additionally, Zauszniewski, Musil, Burant, Standing, and Au (2014a) found ample evidence supporting the fidelity (i.e., understanding and implementation of taught content, impact on resourcefulness) of resourcefulness training (RT), where grandparents with multiple forms of RT improved over time relative to those without RT. Zauszniewski, Musil, Burant, and Au (2014b) found RT to be effective over 18 weeks relative to several control groups; similar effects were found for an online form of RT ( Musil et al., 2015 ). In these studies, grandmothers were randomly assigned to treatment groups, definitive outcome measures (e.g., quality of life, depression) existed, and comparison groups were utilized.

Interventions designed to pre-empt the difficulties associated with the transition to raising grandchildren might also be useful in light of the shift in one’s identity that caregiving entails ( Montgomery, Rowe, & Kosloski, 2007 ). In addition, conceptualizing intervention simultaneously targeting the grandparent, service providers, and the public might also be fruitful.

A continuing issue pertinent to research on grandfamilies relates to methodology, wherein the field has often relied upon census-based data that is primarily, though not exclusively, descriptive and/or correlational in nature, versus smaller sample work that is often more intervention-based, focused, and issue-specific. It is of note that work relying upon larger, more representative samples that evaluates the efficacy of interventions with custodial grandparents is underway by Smith and his colleagues (see Smith, 2016 ; Smith, Hayslip, Streider, Greenberg, & Montoro-Rodriguez, 2016 ). In addition to conducting research capitalizing on the advantages of large sample data (i.e., representativeness, generalizability), there is a continued need for more focused small sample data targeting a given issue with measurement specificity.

Greater attention to methodological sophistication is reflected in several longitudinal studies (e.g., Goodman, 2012 ; Hayslip, Blumenthal, & Garner, 2015 ; Musil et al., 2010 ). In addition, sophisticated multivariate data modeling techniques (e.g., structural equation modeling) have been utilized to understand grandparent caregiving via its application to large datasets, where such work is characterized by a theory-based approach to hypothesis testing (see Smith & Dolbin-MacNab, 2013 ; Smith et al., 2016 ).

Previously, we discussed the importance of examining processes among members of grandfamilies, either on one occasion or over time; this might be accomplished via the use of data-intensive studies (e.g., daily interview bursts), observational approaches, and utilizing advanced statistical techniques (e.g., Structural Equation Modeling, Multi-Level Modeling, see Townsend (2012) ). Additional methodological issues noted as innovative by Townsend (2012) that can be applied to work on custodial grandparenting include establishing the validity of culturally sensitive measures with minority grandparents ( Kopera-Frye, 2009 ) as well as incorporating biological/physiological measures of distress (see Zauszniewski & Musil, 2014 ). Several studies have utilized multivariate techniques (e.g., confirmatory factor analyses) to establish the factorial validity of such measures as the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D; McCallion & Kolomer, 2000 ) as well as measures of parenting practices ( Smith et al., 2015 ) and family empowerment ( Hayslip, Smith, Montoro-Rodriguez, Strieder, & Merchant, 2017 ) with custodial grandparents. In this light, we argue for greater methodological sophistication balanced against more focused work relying on designs and measures geared toward answering specific questions regarding grandfamilies.

Many future directions for grandfamily research exist. More explicit comparative work needs to be directed toward gender differences in custodial grandparenting (see Horsfall & Dempsey, 2015 ), as little attention has been given to the unique experiences of male custodial grandparents (see Supplementary Table 1 ), who may be at greater risk for psychological and health-related difficulties (see Hayslip & Patrick, 2006 ; Kolomer & McCallion, 2005 ; Park, 2009 ). Additionally, scant work has been done regarding custodial grandparents’ grief should their grandchildren die (see Hayslip & White, 2008 ; Youngblut, Broolen, Kilgorw, & Yoo, 2015 ) as well as the losses they experience in taking on caregiving responsibilities ( Backhouse & Graham, 2013 ), disrupting their careers ( Ludwig, Hatjar, Russell, & Winston, 2007 ), as well as changing marital dynamics ( Metzek & Cooney, 2009 ) and financial well-being ( Bailey et al., 2013 ). Others’ perceptions of these losses ( Hayslip & Glover, 2008–2009 ) are often disenfranchising, impacting the grandparent’s health, well-being, and access to social support.

Other directions for future research include documenting the possibility of abuse of custodial grandparents by their grandchildren ( Kosberg & MacNeil, 2003 ) as well as grandparents’ use of alcohol or other drugs as a coping mechanism ( Longoria, 2010 ). As changes in both grandparents’ and grandchildren’s lives must be seen in terms of the codevelopment of both individuals understanding custodial grandparents’ expectations regarding future caregiving, as well as their experiences as grandparents who are no longer raising their grandchildren would be in order (see Patrick & Goederis, 2009 ; Scharf, 2016 ),. Greater attention to custodial grandparents’ convoys of support, interactions with service providers, and their experiences in navigating the network of diverse services would also be helpful in understanding of the challenges they face as well as the resources they bring in meeting the challenges of raising a grandchild.

Another area in need of further research is exploring cultural differences among grandfamilies, reflecting the need to see them through a global and highly contextual lens (see Supplementary Table 1 ). There is little published work explicitly dealing with cross-cultural differences in custodial grandparents (for exceptions, see Cox & Miner, 2014 ; Hayslip et al., 2009 ; Hank & Buber, 2009 ; Ko & Hank, 2014 ). As Cole (2005) has argued for the need to conduct research addressing the mechanism(s) underlying cultural differences in the course of development, moving beyond a simple comparison of persons across cultures (e.g., treating culture as a medium that filters, explains and/or alters relationships between caregiving stress and either depression or resilience), work addressing such processes is of vital importance regarding the impact of culture on grandfamilies.

Examining questions raised in the broader grandparenting literature (see Hayslip et al., (2015) , e.g., cohort effects, the meaning of the grandparent caregiving role and persons’ responses to it, grandchildren relationship dynamics) are all viable issues to be explored as they relate to grandfamilies. Concern with these issues, as well as those discussed above, are essential next steps that will enrich the design and implementation of interventions which are both efficient and efficacious in enhancing grandfamilies’ quality of life.

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One Generation Shall Bless Another: The Role of Christian Grandparents

My grandparents had a great impact on my life. I grew up on a multi-generational family farm, and because of my mother’s illness my grandparents cared for me.

• Roger Schultz

The extended family offered great security. We’ve had the family farm for over a century, ever since my immigrant great-grandfather settled on the Minnesota frontier. I grew up in the church where my family had worshipped for decades. The first house I lived in belonged to my grandparents: it was small and old, it lacked plumbing, and it was a couple of feet away from the tiny cabin where my great-grandfather died.

I observed how families lived together, worked together, and cared for one another. It was easy to see the requirements of 1 Timothy 5:4-8 worked out:

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The modern age presents new challenges for Christian families. Few people live in extended households now. It is harder to define the role of grandparents — even though grandparents live longer, have more disposable income, and have great opportunities for reaching the next generations.  How, then, can Christians replicate inter-generational family cohesion and covenantal responsibility in our age? 

Inheritance

According to Scripture, “the righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children and children’s children” (Pr. 13:22). As stewards of the possessions God gives, Christians have an obligation to manage their estates to God’s glory and pass them on to faithful offspring. R. J. Rushdoony emphasized the importance of inheritance, showing that inheritance is essentially theocentric, and that it is a key tool for extending Christian dominion.1

Modern man, however, is hedonistic, materialistic, and self-centered. A Christian financial planner once told a group of us, “Your goal is to die at the same time your assets run out. And at the rate I am going,” he continued, looking at his watch, “I think I’ll die shortly after lunch.”  He was making a joke, of course, but the mindset he described is all too common. It is unbiblical to try to exhaust one’s God-given estate. The righteous man leaves a legacy.

A friend has an excellent testimony about the future-orientation of his grandfather. A successful publisher, he created an endowment to provide for the education of his four grandsons. Three of the boys became physicians, and one a veterinarian. They were all indebted to his foresight and generosity. Christian grandparents should leave an inheritance.2

Grandparents are guardians of a heritage, providing for their descendants a sense of continuity, history, and place.  Older folks are often interested in the past and become excellent genealogists and amateur historians. My father-in-law’s biographical From Pagan to Patriarch is a superb genealogical and family history. He is a little forgetful nowadays, so we are delighted to have this record. When the children ask a question about him or the family, he can always say, “I forget, but it is in the book.”

Scripture emphasizes the importance of ancient landmarks set by ancestors (Dt. 19:14, Pr. 22:28). Although the obvious reference is to property boundaries, these passages have broader implications for a family’s heritage. When Ahab coveted a family vineyard, righteous Naboth refused to give up “the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Kin. 21:3).  Following the Fifth Commandment (Ex. 20:12), every generation should be zealous to preserve the family’s legacy and its ancient landmarks. Grandparents are natural guardians of a family’s legacy.

Grandparents can also contribute to the education of the next generation. One set of grandparents I know travels with their homeschooled grandchildren. They have been to Scotland and the Caribbean, simultaneously vacationing and teaching history lessons. A couple in our church takes an active role in homeschooling their grandson. Though older than traditional homeschool parents, they check out new curricula, look for teaching resources, and explore teaching strategies. Homeschooling allows them to invest in the next generation. Scripture says, “one generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.” (Ps. 145:4)

I have a mental image of retirees living in Florida, playing shuffleboard, and hanging out with the geriatric generation. The weather is nice, and there is nothing inherently wrong with relaxing. But think of what the older generation could be doing in the lives of others. Christian grandparents should develop and protect a family’s godly heritage.

Grandparents can help evangelize their descendants.“From childhood,” Paul tells Timothy, “you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Elsewhere, Paul notes the great influence of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Paul was confident of his protégé’s character and faith because he had seen the sincere faith of Lois and Eunice. Godly grandparents should find motivation and encouragement in Paul’s charge to Timothy: “continue in the things you have learned…knowing from whom you have learned them” (2 Tim. 1:5, 3:14-15). 

Parents, specifically fathers, have the primary obligation to train and evangelize children (Dt. 6:7; Eph. 6:4). But grandparents can have an impact — catechizing, reading Bible stories, and helping with Scripture memory. The things we have learned from our fathers, the Psalmist says, “we will not conceal them from our children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord.”  The law and statutes of the Lord will be taught to the next generation — even to the unborn generation — “that they may arise and tell them to their children” (Ps. 78:4, 6).

According to His covenant mercies, God blesses future generations with salvation. He promises to show His lovingkindness to the thousandth generation (Ex. 20:6). Every parent and grandparent can take comfort in Psalm 102:28: “The children of Thy servants will continue; and their descendants will be established before Thee.”  

The Psalms offer another encouraging message, though set against the background of human mortality and death: “The lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children” (Ps. 103:17). Precisely because they are old and approaching death, grandparents can testify to God’s love and faithfulness. Parents teach us how to live; grandparents show us how to die.3 Grandparents should pass on the lessons of faith.

Grandparents can bless future generations. Genesis concludes with the blessings Jacob gives to his sons (Gen. 50) and grandsons (Gen. 49:15-16). Hebrews 11:20-21 highlights two great paternal blessings from Genesis. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. And by faith Jacob blessed his own grandsons.  The language is dramatic and special: the dying Jacob worshipped God and blessed his grandsons by faith.  I like that Biblical picture: an ancient saint, looking ahead to God’s promises and blessing his descendants.

Grandparents should think of ways to bless their progeny. They themselves are uniquely blessed of God. As the psalmist puts it, “May the LORD bless you from Zion…indeed, may you see your children’s children” (Ps. 128:5-6). Though it might startle others, grandparents might try giving a “Rebekah blessing” (Gen. 24:60).  The future-oriented blessing, fully consistent with the promises God gave to Abram (Gen. 12:1-3), was that Rebekah would have descendents both numerous (“thousands of ten thousands”) and victorious (“possess the gate of those who hate them”).

Above all, grandparents must pray for their descendents. The Westminster Confession of Faith (21:4) notes that it is important to pray for future generations.  Ten years ago, Rev. Rushdoony came to our home for Sunday dinner. Other families also came over, with their children. Giving thanks before the meal, Rushdoony offered an unforgettable prayer for the children: “May these children, and their children’s children, be Christians until the end of time!”4

Every Christian grandparent can give that prayer with conviction and zeal — and so be a blessing to future generations.

1. Rousas Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law (Phillipsburg, NJ: Craig Press, 1973), 181. Rushdoony dedicates a large section of the second volume of the Institutes to the question of inheritance — see Law and Society (Vallecito, California: Ross House, 1982), 171-222.

2. An example of how not to leave an inheritance was Cornelius Vanderbilt, the richest man in America at his death in 1877.  For an excellent discussion of his weird will, his lingering final illness, his bickering and hateful heirs, and the lawsuits, see Frank Kintrea, “The Great Vanderbilt Will Battle,” American Heritage (April, 1966).

3. A friend told me about the “Old Ladies’ Sunday School Class” at church he once served. He would briefly visit the class each Lord’s Day. All in their 80s, the women would chat, give him prayer requests, and then dismiss him, saying, “Move along, we’re studying for our final exam!”

4. I liked that!  Rushdoony prayed for my grandchildren, their salvation, and the salvation of my future generations.

Dr. Roger Schultz is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Liberty University.  He previously served as Chair of the History Department at Liberty and has taught at Virginia Intermont College, the University of Arkansas, and Oak Hills Christian College. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.  He holds degrees from Bemidji State University (B.A.), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A.), and the University of Arkansas (Ph.D.)

His specialty is American religious history.  His essays and reviews have appeared in numerous publications and have been translated into Hungarian and Spanish.  Dr. Schultz frequently preaches in local churches and speaks at academic and Christian conferences.  The Schultzes have nine children.

The Roles of Grandparents in Child Development: A Cultural Approach

• First Online: 11 September 2019

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• David W. Shwalb 4 ,
• Ziarat Hossain 5 &
• Giovanna Eisberg 5  

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Researchers in the field of child development have typically downplayed the influence of grandparents on their grandchildren and on their adult children, and most studies of grandparents have taken place in Western societies. This chapter focuses on three sets of research questions. First, how do grandparents influence their young or preschool age grandchildren, how are they influenced by their grandchildren, and how do grandparents influence their adult children? Second, what are some similarities and differences among grandparents, between and within cultural groups? Third, how do grandparents affect, and how are they affected by, cultural variations in children’s social worlds and in social competencies valued by different cultures? As an assessment of the growing social science research literature on grandparenthood in cultural context, this chapter illustrates many contextual influences on grandparents and indicates that a multi-disciplinary and cultural approach is necessary to better understand and support grandparents worldwide.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Barbara J. Shwalb, Tony Merz, Michael Ullery, Jonathan Berman, Andy Gorder, Allison Shwalb, Wendy Greenwald, Martin Greenwald, and Southern Utah University (SUU) Psychology Department chairs Grant Corser and Garrett Strosser. We also acknowledge the support of Hector Ochoa (University of New Mexico) and Daniella Elyse Pitzalis. This chapter is respectfully dedicated to our grandparents: Harry and Lena Shwalb, and Solomon and Martha Greenwald, of blessed memory; Adalat Bepari and Saleha Khatun, Alhaj Safatullah Khan and Shakhina Khatun; and Giovanna and Luciano Marchese, Mario and Letizia of blessed memory.

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Shwalb, D.W., Hossain, Z., Eisberg, G. (2019). The Roles of Grandparents in Child Development: A Cultural Approach. In: Tulviste, T., Best, D., Gibbons, J. (eds) Children’s Social Worlds in Cultural Context. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27033-9_12

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Published : 11 September 2019

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The Blessing of Godly Grandparents

The Scriptures make clear the necessity for God’s people to pass down a godly heritage. Knowledge and commitment to the truth must be passed on to the following generations (see Ps. 71:15–17; 78:4–8). Proverbs 17:6 describes the delightful situation in which righteousness has prevailed for at least three generations:

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

Counsel to Grandchildren and Grandparents

Consider first the wider circle of this text: on its perimeter you find grandchildren and grandparents . The first line speaks of the mutual joy that they share with each other. It was a happy day when your grandparents heard that you came into the world. From then on, they followed with interest your development and progress and activity, particularly in the spiritual realm.

Note these counsels to grandchildren:

• Give honor/respect to your grandparents . We live in an age of eroding respect.
• Be thankful for and to your grandparents . You would not be here without them.
• Keep in touch with your grandparents . It is easy for them to become forgotten members of the family because you do not see them as often.
• Be helpful to your grandparents . They have come to the time in their lives when they cannot do the physical things that they once did.
• Be a crown on the head of your grandparents . Don’t be an ornament of shame or embarrassment to them.

Similarly, note these counsels to grandparents:

• Don’t give up on your grandchildren . Don’t ever give up on them. Yes, they may do some things that you never did, or behave in ways that you don’t fully approve of, but in your youth, you were probably not always the paragon of good sense and uprightness.
• Look to influence your grandkids . Thoughtfully seek to give gifts that will encourage them in their walk with Christ. Encourage them in your conversations with them. Does your talk ever turn to spiritual things and to their walk with Christ?
• Pray for your grandkids . Even if you don’t get to see them very often, you can still pray for them very often. This is one of the greatest ministries you can have to them because you are making your appeal to the One who can do significantly more in their lives than all that we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20).

Counsel to Children and Parents

Now consider a narrower circle in the text: this “inner line” focuses our attention on children and their fathers (parents).

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward. (Ps. 127:3)

In ancient Israel, children were clearly seen to be a gift from God—a gift to be treasured. Conversely, to be childless was a thing of great disappointment and was looked upon culturally as a sign of divine displeasure. But while it may have been such in some circumstances (see 2 Sam. 6:23), both then and now it is only a working out of God’s divine providence in our fallen world, in which there is not a one-to-one correlation between our perceived blessings (or lack thereof) and God’s pleasure or displeasure (Eccl. 8:14; John 9:1–3).

Note these counsels to children:

• Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right (Eph. 6:1–2; Ex. 20:12).
• Obey them promptly and sincerely . Note that Jesus was obedient to His parents (Luke 2:51).
• Make your parents proud . Not just in athletics, or music, or drama, but give them reason to find joy in your progress of faith (Phil. 2:19–30).

Fathers, the children that you brought into the world will remain your children for as long as life will last. Not only are you to provide what they need to live in this world but also an atmosphere in which you are preparing them for the world to come. Children do not go to heaven on the basis of their parents’ profession of faith, nor their dedication as a baby, nor their baptism as an infant. There must be a loving atmosphere where they see the faith lived out as a daily reality, not just as a Sunday thing. Knowing Christ as Savior and Lord is the only way to enter heaven.

Note these counsels to fathers:

• Lead your children in worship . This includes both corporate worship and family worship.
• Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord . Shepherd their hearts. Teach them by word and by example.
• Discipline them . Do it with wisdom, so that it is natural for them to obey. Do it with love, so that it is a pleasure for them to obey. Do it with firmness, so that it is advisable for them to obey.
• Pray for them . Charles Spurgeon noted, “We must never cease to pray for our children until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives.”

In conclusion, what should we as godly grandparents, who have limited time left in this world, desire that our grandchildren see in us? First, may they see that our walk with the Lord is a thing of first importance in our lives (Matt. 6:33). Second, may they see that our worship of the Lord is essential. With us, the Lord’s Day is a nonnegotiable (Heb. 10:25). Third, may they see that we have a passion for the lost to come to Christ—He is their only hope.

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