Author:

Keywords:

divorce, grandparenting, wellbeing, grandchildren, grandparenthood, family

Abstract:

Grandparents are often considered as providing important resources in times of family crisis. Little is known, however, about the influence of grandparents on the well-being of grandchildren after parental divorce. Guided by family systems theory, this article investigates the association between the quality of relationships with grandparents and grandchildren’s subjective well-being. Using data from the study ‘Divorce in Flanders’, we compare 650 grandchildren with divorced and 276 with married parents regarding three indicators of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem and anxiety) and also examine variation within the group with divorced parents. Results show that the strength of grandchild–grandparent relationships is positively associated with grandchildren’s subjective well-being. Compared to children with married parents, having a close relationship with a grandparent is even more related to the well-being of grandchildren whose parents have divorced. Moreover, for grandchildren who experience frequent conflicts between divorced parents, having a good grandparent relationship is most strongly linked to their well-being.