Opinion: grandparents matter, and should be treated like they do

Abstract

Many of us hope to be grandparents and research demonstrates that, as we grow older, becoming a grandparent gives us a greater sense of wellbeing. Our identity as grandparents depends on our ability to perform the role. Being a grandparent can be something of a balancing act. In our research, grandparents talked about the difficulty of being available and supportive but not interfering.