Grandparents are known and loved for the wisdom and compassion they share. However, over time, their role in society has changed.

Thanks to modern science and medicine, grandparents live longer and healthier lives, allowing them to be more involved than ever before. They can now play additional roles in the modern family outside of what was previously expected.

We’ll explore how the role of the grandparent has evolved and why they’re essential to the modern family.

Key Takeaways

• Grandparents are the embodiment of wisdom and historical knowledge. However, their roles are gradually becoming more prominent in families thanks to modern-day advancements.

• Modern-day grandparents typically want to be part of their kids’ lives as much as possible. They may take on additional roles, such as childcare providers.

• Grandparents provide additional support to families by offering advice or services and are usually flexible in terms of availability, thanks to retirement.

Traditional Role of Grandparents in Families

For the longest time, grandparents have played diverse and influential roles in the family. They have always supported their children and grandchildren. But what did people traditionally expect of them?

Becky Lindquiste, a clinical psychologist from Therapy Journey, explains:

“Historically, grandparents often held a more traditional role, primarily as family elders and storytellers, imparting wisdom and family heritage. However, in recent decades, this role has expanded significantly. With the rise of dual-income households and single-parent families, many grandparents have transitionally become integral daily caregivers, providing not only emotional support but also essential practical assistance.”

Why Grandparents’ Roles Are Evolving

Innovations in healthcare have helped increase everyone's overall life expectancy. In addition, information on better health habits allows older adults to be more physically active.

Despite being in better shape, grandparents don’t have to take on any more roles if they don’t want to. However, most do because they love their families and want to help their kids and grandkids to succeed.

Lindquiste continues:

“As we look towards the future, the role of grandparents is poised to become even more multifaceted and integral to family life. With advancements in healthcare leading to increased life expectancy, older adults are not only living longer but also enjoying better health and vitality. This shift allows grandparents to be more actively involved in their grandchildren's lives, not just as caregivers or occasional visitors, but as mentors, educators, and even adventure companions.”

What Is the Role of Grandparents in Modern Families?

Modern-day grandparents tend to be more active with their kids and grandkids by taking on additional roles. Below are some of the modern-day grandparent roles that you would see most commonly.

Mentors to Kids

The mentor role is the original grandparent role. Grandparents are full of rich life experiences with valuable insights and lessons often shared and passed on to their kids.

When they reach grandparenthood, their mentorship becomes more geared toward their adult children, exploring more mature issues, such as family planning, financial literacy, and skills to live more independently. 

Mentors to Grandkids

Grandparents aren’t just mentors to their kids but also to their grandkids. However, their advice often differs from what they give their kids.

In many cases, grandparents live to see their grandchildren grow from infant to young adult stages.

Most grandparents mentor their grandchildren by sharing stories about themselves as kids. The most common advice grandparents try to teach grandchildren is values and morals, life lessons, and educational guidance to help them learn as they grow and develop.

Historians

Grandparents have lived through many cultural and societal changes during their lifetime. As a result, they’re natural-born historians.

They’re important because they can provide historical context. While reading something in a history book is one thing, getting insights from living people is more informative and provides insights otherwise overlooked.

Grandparents can share their historical views from a visual standpoint as well. Most have photographs and antiques to contextualize the past they share stories about.

Loving Companions

People also revere grandparents for their love and compassion.

They’re known for wanting to spend quality time with their loved ones. While they may like sharing stories about their lives, they also want to hear more from their kids and grandkids. In most cases, they’re eager to hear stories about others' perspectives of the world outside their own.

As a result, they’re excellent listeners and can give great comfort and support. While they may not have the answers to everything, they can be supportive and encourage loved ones to do what’s best.

Childcare Providers

Over the years, grandparents become more physically present in their grandchildren’s lives by becoming childcare providers.

In the United States, it’s common for both parents to have full-time jobs.

To help save money, some grandparents offer to help watch their grandchildren while their parents work. Because grandparents live longer and healthier lives and retire at around 61, they’re more capable of providing care for their grandchildren and benefit by spending quality time with them.

Cheerleaders

It isn’t a surprise that most grandparents offer plenty of love and encouragement.

Grandparents want the best for their kids and grandchildren, so they actively offer as much emotional support as possible. Whether it's being present or offering resources to help them succeed, they’re happy and ready to participate.

Why Grandparents Are Essential to the Modern Family

Grandparents are important for the roles they play in family dynamics, but also for their characteristics and traits. Here are some examples of why grandparents are essential to the modern family.

Emotional Support

As mentioned earlier, grandparents are great supporters for their ability to listen and provide insight.
Because of their natural role in providing emotional support, family members often approach them when things aren't going well or when they feel distressed. They can help by discussing problems to find a solution and supporting loved ones in making the right choices.

Wisdom

The life lessons and wisdom grandparents share with the family can be valuable in many ways. The information from your grandparents can help prevent future mistakes from happening based on their experiences.

Grandparents also fuel family values. They pass down their knowledge to the new generation of kids and adults to live by. Having shared values can help keep everyone together and pursue goals aligning with their views of happiness and success.

Entertainment

Grandparents are also fun to be around! They have a positive outlook on life, along with exciting stories to tell.

They actively look for ways to bond with their family, whether it’s sharing stories, playing games, or sharing old photographs. Most importantly, they want to be positive influences on their family and aspire to bring joy to everyone around them.

Keeping everyone together can be challenging, especially if everyone is long-distance, which can make sharing information a challenge. Here at Trustworthy, we offer a secure platform where family members can safely share essential documents. From wills to passwords to insurance and legal documents, you can rest assured your information is stored in one convenient location.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the role of the grandmother in the family?

Grandmothers are historically caregivers to the family. They may offer child-care services, as well as wisdom and guidance from life experiences. 

What does a good grandparent do?

Good grandparents offer love and support to their families. This looks different depending on the family's needs, whether it's offering to watch the kids, or providing money or other services to help keep the family afloat.

What are the most important qualities grandparents need to have?

The best qualities are love, compassion and wisdom. Most grandparents want to spend time and be a part of their kids' and grandkids’ lives while also sharing stories and life lessons in the hopes they can benefit from their past experiences.

How can I be a better grandparent?

If you want to be a better grandparent, try becoming more invested in your family’s lives. Start by initiating contact with your children and grandchildren. Keep in touch with them as best as you can to help build that relationship going forward.