AI Insight
This longitudinal study of 729 Chinese families with children aged 3-7 years found that greater grandparent involvement was associated with increased emotional and behavioral problems in children, partly explained by reduced social adaptability. However, this negative relationship was significantly weaker in families with strong family functioning, suggesting that healthy family dynamics can buffer against potential downsides of grandparent caregiving. The research identifies social competence development and family functioning as key factors mediating the relationship between multigenerational childcare and child outcomes.
Why it matters
These findings have practical implications for the many families worldwide, particularly in Asia, where grandparents play substantial childcare roles. The results suggest that interventions focusing on improving family communication and supporting children's social skill development could help maximize benefits and minimize risks of grandparent involvement in child-rearing.
Understand the Science
This study examined whether social competence accounts for part of the association between grandparent involvement and children’s emotional and behavioral problems, and whether family functioning modifies the strength of the association between grandparent involvement and social adaptability. Data were collected from 729 parents of children aged 3–7 years in China across three time points. Participants completed measures of grandparent involvement, family functioning, social adaptability, and emotional and behavioral problems. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that grandparent involvement was positively associated with children’s emotional and behavioral problems, and social adaptability partially accounted for this association. Moreover, the negative association between grandparent involvement and social adaptability varied by family functioning: the negative association was weaker when family functioning was high and stronger when family functioning was low. These findings suggest that family functioning and children’s social adaptability may serve as promising intervention targets for addressing the negative correlates of grandparent involvement with child development.