Paper short abstract:

The paper investigates the meanings, practices and experiences with grandchildhood. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with grandchildren, it illuminates how the grandchildhood is performed in the daily intergenerational contact and how it is understood by the grandchildren themselves.

Paper long abstract:

Given the demographic changes in western countries (increasing life span), grandparents have emerged as potentially significant figures in the lives of people around the world. The roles of grandparents and grandchildren become more important as the long-lasting intergenerational relationships across four or three generations are more common. While the research on grandparenthood is booming, the researchers still pay little attention to the meanings, experiences, and practices of grandchildhood seen from the perspective of grandchildren. How do the grandchildren make sense of grandchildhood? How do they reflect upon their relationship with grandparents? What does it mean to them to be grandchildren? The paper answers these questions while drawing upon the in-depth interviews with grandchildren living in three-generation households. The paper illuminates how the grandchildhood is performed in the daily intergenerational contact and how it is understood by the grandchildren themselves.