Communication and the Grandparent–Grandchild Relationship

Abstract

Abstract The grandparent–grandchild ( GP–GC ) relationship is instrumental for grandchildren as it is central to perceptions of family connectedness, socialization of values and identity, and general well‐being. In fact, this relationship is often characterized as second only to parents in terms of importance and influence in the lives of grandchildren. Likewise, the role of grandparent is often a fulfilling role for older adults with clear connections to self‐concept and generativity. Despite being an important relationship for both younger and older family members, the GP–GC relationship has been vastly understudied compared to many other family relationships. Research on communication in GP–GC relationships has accelerated since the 1990s, along with the corpus of grandparent–grandchild research and can be synthesized into four general research trajectories.