Grandparents in Japan: a three-generational study

Grandparents in Japan believe that their status in the family is eroding. They want to be influential but social policy has not included education for their changing role. The purpose of this study was to identify strengths and needs of Japanese grandparents as perceived by three generations. Each generation completed a separate version of the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory. Multivariate analysis of variance procedures were used to compare perceptions of 239 grandparents, 266 parents, and 274 school-age grandchildren from cities and small towns. Grandparents reported more satisfaction, greater success, and more extensive involvement in teaching than was observed by parents and grandchildren. Grandparents experienced greater difficulty, more frustration, and felt less informed to carry out their role than was reported by parents and grandchildren. Significant main effects that influenced responses about grandparent performance were generation, gender of grandchild, age of grandchild, generations living together, frequency of grandchild care by grandparent, and amount of time they spent together. Considerations were identified to improve grandparent behavior and guide the development of educational programs for them.