Grandparent

"Grandfather" redirects here. For the legal verb, "to grandfather", see Grandfather clause.

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A grandfather teaches his little granddaughter how to ride a kick scooter.

Grandparents are family members, the father or mother of a person's own father or mother, being respectively grandfather and grandmother. Grandparents form an important element of the extended family.

In traditional cultures, grandparents often had a direct and clear role in relation to the care and nurture of children. This has tended to be lost with the development of the nuclear family.

In cases where the parents are not willing or able to provide adequate care for their children, grandparents may take on the role of primary caregivers.

In traditional East Asian cultures influenced by Confucianism, filial piety is one of the highest moral values. Grandparents usually exercise their authority on family matters, and their descendants should obey their seniors. This kind of structure has eased with the increasing influence of western culture and the increasing number of nuclear families.

One can also be a step-grandparent. A step-grandparent can be your parent's step-parent or your step-parent's parent. A step-parent's step-parent theoretically is not a step-grandparent but is none the less called a step-grandparent.

See also

• Kinship terminology
• Family law
• Consanguinity
• Grandfather principle
• Grandfather clause
• Grandparents' Association

External links

• Foundation For Grandparenting dedicated to raising grandparent consciousness and identity through education, research and networking.
• (USA) National Grandparents Day on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
• Grandparenting support database AARP
• Grandparents Magazine, Free online magazine for grandparents

Grandparents.com - The First Online Community for Modern Grandparents

• Links to Australian grandparent support groups
• Family therapy for grandparents raising grandchildren in crisis