Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
- 1. Running head: GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 1 Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The Stressors Grandparents Face Taylor Kring DFST 4353.001 10/3/15 University of North Texas
- 2. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 2 Introduction Custodial grandparents who are raising their grandchildren fulltime are becoming extremely more common (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005a). The 2000 U.S. Census determined that approximately 2,350,000 grandparents were raising their grandchildren (Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2003). This is not just an issue dealt with in the United States, it is occurring in many different countries (Hadfield, 2014). Hadfield (2014) offered data concerning Canada that showed a 20% increase from 1991 to 2001 on the number of children being raised by grandparents. Along with the variety of countries experiencing this increase, the reasons for this varies as well (Hadfield, 2014). Not just focusing on the United States and Canada, but Kenya is also one of the many places that deals with this problem. One of the main reasons it is such an issue in Kenya is that it relates to the increasing number of orphans due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Ice, Zidron, & Juma, 2008). Hadfield (2008) also presented some of the common responsibilities of raising their grandchildren, such as incarceration, death, divorce, abuse, teen pregnancy and military involvement. No matter the reason, grandparents are struggling with this responsibility. This tends to cause health issues, some very serious, as well as all the added responsibility to raising the child or children (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005b). This review will focus on the multiple stressors that grandparents face in the years of raising their grandchild. The stressors are not just the everyday financial struggle but also include health issues it can cause the grandparents, as well as the grandparents missing out on their social and senior adult lives too and more. For many grandparents, they are not aware of the help offered and do not have the proper resources either. It is not as easy or simple many think since they have already raised a child or children before.
- 3. GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 3 Theoretical Framework Every family has their own stress or issues they have to deal with, but when it comes to grandparents having to raise their grandchildren, different types of stressors are experienced. Though there are still everyday financial insecurities, employment issues, and family conflicts, grandparents are more at risk of developing health problems that are caused when they’re dealt the card of having to raise their grandchild or grandchildren (Leder, Grindstead, & Torres, 2007). When grandparents have to quickly change from a grandparent to the parent role, there is so much more expected of them. Grandparents need more energy and motivation, as well as more positive physical and mental health, to take on this task (Leder, Grindstead, & Torres, 2007). Even though grandparents need all this energy and positivity, there is research that shows that grandparents who have, or are raising grandchildren, show more signs of depression and health issues compared to grandparents that have never had to raise a grandchild (Sands & Goldberg- Glen, 2000). Minkler, etc (1997) researched showed there are grandparents who raised their grandchild or grandchildren, were at a higher risk of depression. When thinking about family stress, one theory stands as the foundation of family stress theory, Reuben Hill’s ABC-X model of family stress (Hill, 1949). The ABC-X model is used to break down the issue to help find the issue of the stress and ways to cope with the stressful situation. In Hill’s model, the A represents the stressor event, B represents the family resources or strengths, and C represents the family’s perception of the event, or how they define or attribute meaning to the event. When an event or stressor occurs and the family is not immediately able to solve the problem, it leads to a crisis, or the X component of the model (Smith & Hamon, 2012). When putting this model into perspective of grandparents raising their grandchildren, it is interesting to see how well you can tell what caused the stress and if it is going to lead to a crisis
- 4. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 4 or if it can be resolved quickly. The ambiguous stressor was identified by Boss as one of the three kinds or types of stressor events. This ambiguous stressor is one that you do not know its cause, how long this will be happening, or what is instore for taking on this type of stress (Boss, 2002). Though grandparents would never say that they see their grandchild or grandchildren as a stressor in their life when having to raise them, it’s exactly what they are to about the 2.4 million grandparents who were raising their grandchildren (Hayslip and Kaminski, 2005b). According to the model, grandchildren can also be seen as a chronic stressor. Not because of the fact grandparents are raising the grandchildren, but because of what it limits the grandparents to do and not do, as well as the toll taken on by the grandparents. With the grandchildren coming in and the grandparents having to deal with the stress, the grandparents most times cannot find ways and resources to help adapt. When they are unable to find the quick solution, the grandparents are usually in the crisis, or X, step (Smith & Hamon, 2009). This eventually can be solved, but it is not as quickly as grandparents would like. If it was as easy a solving a simple problem, then Social Exchange Theory would seem to fit best. However, after looking at the ABC-X Model and Social Exchange Theory side by side, it is clear to see why the ABC-X Model is the perfect fit. Grandparents do not want to see their grandchildren as stressors, so they do what they can to make things easier on everyone. With ABC-X Model, there are break downs of each step and more break downs of the break downs, while Social Exchange Theory is almost a never ending circle. Social Exchange Theory solves things with more yes and no answers, which that tells you what to do next. The ABC-X Model consist more of finding a solution or adapting to the situation to create the solution (Smith & Hamon, 2009).
- 5. GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 5 Review of the Literature When it comes to finding research on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, one finds a similar theme on how the articles are written and what they are written about. The common problem that researchers find that Grandparents struggle with is their own health. Researchers in many of these articles have found that when grandparents are given the extra stressor of taking on the role of raising their grandchild, their health starts to decline (Leder, Grindstead, & Torres, 2007). Lee, Colditz, Berkman, and Kawachi (2003) found that “high levels” of caring for grandchildren, (i.e., 9 hours per week) increased women’s risk of coronary heart disease over time. In reviewing the research from Hayslip and Kaminiski (2005b) the reader can tell that not only is it the health that is greatly affected by the stress of raising the grandchildren, it is also the lack of financial and social support too. There is also research showing that the grandparents start to feel as if they are the reason they are having to raise their grandchild or grandchildren (Hayslip and Kaminiski 2005b). Knowing this information, as well as having the research done on this, can help those who may be going through this similar stage in their life. Not only do these articles show what can go wrong with grandparent’s health, but also show what help is out there for them (Hayslip and Kaminiski, 2005b). According to Hayslip and Kaminiski (2005b), there are several groups available to help with one of the stressors that occur, the financial stressor. According to Generations United (2004), the group “LEGACY (Living Equitably – Grandparents Aiding Children and Youth) was passed by Congress in 2003 to train front-line staff to help grandparents qualify for housing assistance and to provide financial help to those seeking to remodel their homes to accommodate a grandchild” (Generations United, 2004). Many
- 6. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 6 grandparents struggle with the financial ability to take care of their grandchild or grandchildren full time and remodeling to accommodate them isn’t easy either (Hayslip and Kaminiski, 2005b). Though there is a positive to this all of this struggle and that is the grandparents growing a better relationship with their grandchild that they are raising. Grandparents find it to be “inherently rewarding” (Giarrusso, Sliverstein, & Feng, 2000), and enjoy having an “especially close relationship with their custodial grandchild (Erhle & Day, 1994). It was even found that 90% of the custodial grandparents in a sample reported that they would still gladly take on the responsibility of having to raise their grandchild if they were to have to do it over again (Hayslip & Shore, 2000). These grandparents are taking on a task that they thought they would never have to do but because they do, they can provide so much more than one would think. They can “provide love, security, encouragement, and structure for” their grandchild or grandchildren (Hayslip & Kaminiski, 2005b). Implications The review of literature pointed out the key points of what the researcher articles mainly discuss the many different factors and stressors that grandparents will face when they are forced with the task of raising their grandchildren. The implications for the grandparents and grandchildren are similar but also very different. Grandparents As mentioned before, grandparents take on a whole new world when given the responsibility of having to raise their grandchildren. When grandparents take on this responsibility, they first feel a sense of panic. They are feeling like they have failed because their child could not raise their child. With that guilt, they start to take on extra stress which causes
- 7. GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 7 them extra problems. This has resulted into all the research on the grandparents and their health problems. There are more programs and groups being created to help grandparents because they need the help. If they are needed to take on this challenge, they need to be the best they can be, mentally and physically, so that they can care for the grandchild (Hayslip & Kaminiski, 2005b). Grandchildren Grandparents aren’t the only people who are affected by this change, the grandchildren are too. They may not encounter the same stressors that the grandparents do, but they do have stressors. Being a child you have so much to learn and so much going on, but getting thrown the curve ball of being put into their grandparents home for short time or even permanently, affects their life. They have to get use to something that they have not been use to which can take time. Conclusion/Summary Much of the research on grandparents raising grandchildren show one common thing, STRESS. The stress is inevitable. Taking on such a new role, not just grandparent but custodial grandparent (Hayslip & Kaminiski, 2005a). Many of these studies show the different affects that can happen to the grandparents, physically and financial. These tolls can have negative effects on everyone. This research is trying to help show what can happen as well as show what is out there for those to use. More research should explore the long term effects not only on the grandparents but the grandchildren as well. This can show both sides of who are effected by this challenge and what can be done to help (Hayslip and Kaminiski, 2005b). While not much research has been done by the ABC-X Model, more research based on that would show much more. This could help by providing more solid solutions to these stressors and struggles that are faced by all in this situation. This topic being explored by this model, helps
- 8. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 8 by going more in depth rather than just looking for quick fixes (Smith & Hamon, 2009). Having to take on the challenge of raising a grandchild is not bad, this can be a very positive change for both the grandparents and grandchildren.
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