Developing the Ideal Grandparent Scale: Initial Validity and Reliability Tests

Abstract

Focus groups were conducted with 33 community dwelling, urban and rural, custodial grandparents to explore their willingness to comply with a behavioral intervention targeting improving their well-being and financial management. Most participants were African American (91%), female (79%) and middle-aged. Major themes included: 1) inability to access social services; 2) legal assistance; 3) emotional well-being; 4) problems related to the parents of grandchildren; and 5) identification of structured activities for grandchildren. Findings suggest custodial grandparents underutilize services. Future research should address methods to enhance grandparents’ utilization of resources facilitated via a peer navigator system along with policy level changes.

Grandchildren’s Perceptions of Grandparents’ Use of Relational Maintenance Behaviors

“…Grandchildren’s primary expectation of their grandparents is that grandparents convey that they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren (Kennedy, 1990), which coincides with the finding that positivity is used most frequently by grandparents. Grandchildren also believe ideal grandparents are family oriented (Mansson, 2015), important members of the family (in particular the parent–child relationship) who should offer grandchildren advice and support (Kennedy, 1990; Soliz, 2008), which reflects the prevalence of networks and advice relational maintenance behaviors in this study. To a lesser degree, grandchildren believe their grandparents should assist with tasks and resolve problems (Kennedy, 1990), which taps into the tasks and conflict management behaviors (Stafford et al., 2000).…”

“…The fact that the grandchildren reported that openness was used least frequently by their grandparents is initially peculiar because grandchildren perceive trustworthy grandparents as ideal (Mansson, 2015). However, it is possible that grandparents portray their GP-GC relationship feelings through their actions, such as giving gifts and offering assistance while being positive and family oriented, which may limit the need to overtly discuss their GP-GC relationship feelings.…”

The Ideal Grandparent Scale: Validation in a French Young Adults Population

“…This tool may help practitioners to get a better understanding of the grandparent-grandchild relationship and of young adult grandchildren's expectations toward their grandparents. In line with previous research, Mansson developed the IGS with reference to different facets of grandchildren's perceptions of their relationship with their grandparent (i.e., caring, social support, emotional closeness, shared family identity, affection in the grandparent-grandchild relationship) that may guide their expectations about the ideal grandparent (Mansson 2015).…”

“…de Dias and Silva (2003) investigated college students' representations of the grandparent and outlined that the ideal grandparent should love and care for their grandchildren and be open to communication. Then, Mansson (2015) developed the IGS by selecting possible items from the literature and by asking young adults which items could be applied to the ideal grandparent. High scores at the IGS correspond to the perception of the grandparent as ideal.…”

“…Whereas variables such as frequency of contact, quality of the relationship, and shared areas of interest determine a part of adolescents and young adults' expectations (Stryker and Burke 2000). It could be considered that expectations also depend on ideal grandparent representations (Mansson 2015). According to Robertson (1976, p.139), the ideal grandparent is "one who loves and enjoys grandchildren, visits with them, shows an interest in them" or, next in importance, is one "who helps grandchildren out when they can, when asked or needed".…”