Just like raising your own? grandmothers’ perceptions of parenting a second time around. Family Relations

Abstract: A defining characteristic of grandparents raising grandchildren is parenting a second generation of chil-dren. To learn how grandmothers compare parenting their grandchildren to parenting their children, 40 custodial grandmothers were interviewed. Results of a qualitative analysis indicated that grandmothers perceived themselves as wiser, more relaxed, and more involved with their grandchildren. Grandmothers also perceived added challenges such as having limited energy, negotiating changing family roles, and parenting in a toxic social environment. In terms of parenting behaviors and emotional bonds, some grandmothers saw similarities in parenting their children and grandchildren. Findings suggest that custodial grandmothers would benefit from parent education and training that takes into account their previous parenting experience yet still addresses the unique challenges associated with parenting grandchildren. Key Words: family gerontology, grandparents, grandparents raising grandchildren, intergenerational parenting, kinship care. Increasingly, grandparents are assuming parenting responsibilities for their grandchildren. In the past 30 years, the number of American children being cared for by a grandparent has more than doubled to 4.5 million, representing 6.3 % of all U.S. chil-dren (Bryson, 2001). Grandparent caregivers now number around 2.4 million, constituting 1.5 % of the caregiving population over the age of 30 (Simmons & Dye, 2003). Grandparents typically assume parent-ing responsibilities because of problems associated with their grandchildren’s parents. These problems include parental substance abuse, abuse and neglect, incarceration, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, divorce, and death (Jendrek, 1994; Pinson-Millburn, Fabian