Asymmetries in grandparental investment: Socioeconomic status of grandchildren’s families, parental gender, and lineage

We examined the extent to which the socioeconomic status (SES) of grandchildren’s families (measured by parental education and household income) is associated with the frequent child care help and financial support grandparents channel towards their descendants. Several studies have shown that (i) grandparental investment varies according to gender and lineage, and (ii) differences in family relationships tend to exist between lower and higher SES families. However, there is a lack of studies examining whether grandparents invest more in grandchildren from lower or higher SES families in contemporary affluent societies, and whether this differs between maternal and paternal grandmothers and grandfathers. We used population-based data on younger and middle-aged adults from Germany. To study the associations between family SES and grandparental investment, we applied generalized ordered logit odds models. Grandparents provided frequent childcare help more often to grandchildren whose parents had higher levels of education and income. Specifically, frequent childcare help from maternal grandmothers increased as parental education levels rose. Additionally, paternal grandparents provided more financial support to families in the medium, high, and highest income classes compared to those in the lowest income class. There was evidence that grandparents invest more in grandchildren from higher SES families than in those from lower SES families. The findings suggest that grandparental support may widen the inequality between advantaged and disadvantaged children.