Sharing culture in a tech world: Grandparent-grandchild cultural exchanges over video chat

Grandparents who were separated from their infant grandchildren during COVID-19 sought other ways to connect, including video chat. Video chat supports learning, and its features (e.g., contingent responsiveness) may allow for cultural exchange. However, technological problems may disrupt these exchanges. In a seminaturalistic, longitudinal study, 47 families submitted up to three video chats and surveys. Families were predominantly White/Caucasian, highly educated, and lived between 1 and 2,700 miles apart. Multilevel models were used to predict the proportion of the sessions devoted to exchanging culture (e.g., holidays, parenting advice) and managing tech problems. Culture exchange did not change as a function of infant age, video chat experience, or when encountering tech problems. Although only marginally statistically significant, culture exchange increased as distance increased. Tech problems changed as a function of tech talk. Qualitative analysis revealed that cultural transmission occurred via a culture of care and sharing of information across video chat, that families adapted their behaviors to the new technology, and that technology disruptions rarely interfered with the flow of information. These findings demonstrate the ability to share culture when physically separated and in the presence of tech disruptions. Further, this study supports previous work on the emerging culture of video chat. Families adapted to being separated, and grandparents and infants successfully communicated through a new modality. Because video chat supports family relationships, equitable access to high-speed internet should be a priority to enable more families to use it. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement This study demonstrates that video chat allowed for familial culture exchanges to be maintained through a separation during COVID-19. Examining what and how cultural exchanges took place suggests that supports for using video chat, including access to high-speed internet, are necessary for families separated by other circumstances. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Grandparent-grandchild relationships and ethnic identity in asian and asian american undergraduate students

This study examined how Asian and Asian American grandparent-grandchild relationships related to ethnic identity in the context of COVID-19-related racial discrimination. Asian and Asian American grandchildren (N = 102) answered questions about discrimination, ethnic identification, grandparent-grandchild relationships, and ethnic behaviors. There was no significant relationship between exposure to discrimination and strength of ethnic identity, but strength of ethnic identity was a significant predictor of frequency of synchronous contact with grandparents and ethnic behaviors. Findings suggest that stronger ethnic identities in Asian and Asian American undergraduate students could be related to better relationships with their grandparents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The Twelve Ds: An Update to Edwards and Benson's Reasons for Non-Parental Caregiving.

This qualitative study examined the prevalence of the "Nine Ds," a framework developed by Edwards and Benson for understanding the heterogeneity of reasons for which grandparents assume care of grandchildren (i.e., death, disease, detention, divorce, departure, drugs, desertion, delivery, deployment) in a contemporary sample. Using a nationwide sample of custodial grandparents (N = 322) and foster parents (N = 105), caregivers were asked their reason for assuming care of the grandchild or foster child within their care. The results of the study suggest that the Nine Ds are a useful framework, but accounted for only 21.74% of responses, indicating the Nine Ds fail to capture many of the reasons for assuming care. Three new themes-dollars, duty, and daily grind-were identified using semantic thematic analysis and are applicable to both grandfamilies and foster families. These themes represent different motivations for assuming care and provide insight into the social structures that may act as barriers to family formation. This study provides a foundation for future research examining the impact of assumed care by non-parental attachment figures on the health and well-being of both grandchildren and foster children.

‘‘I miss grandma and grandpa a lot''. Impacts of socio-health measures on the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren "Extraño mucho a la abuela y al abuelo”. Impactos de las medidas sociosanitarias en la relación entre abuelos y nietos

Research Framework: The pandemic has disrupted the daily lives of families for over a year. In addition to the fears and uncertainties associated with COVID-19, the pandemic has required the redefinition of many daily routines, including leisure activities, access to services, work, schooling and interpersonal relationships. Children, who are unlikely to have COVID-19, have nonetheless experienced the impact of social and health measures put in place to address it. Objectives: Using a child-based approach, this article seeks to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social and health measures have affected the lives of families, particularly the grandparents/grandchildren relationship. Methodology: This study uses a longitudinal qualitative design with three measurement times according to the various key moments of the pandemic. A total of 154 children and adolescents were interviewed three times in semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Results: The results highlights the ways in which grandchildren and grandparents adapted to maintain their relationship during the pandemic. From this study, we find that grandchildren are concerned about their grandparents' health, but still want face-to-face contact with them, despite the risks. Conclusions: The relationship between grandchildren and their grandparents is an emotional and lasting one that endures and adapts in times of crisis. Contribution: This article gives an account of the importance of grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren, particularly in times of crisis. It also provides a better understand of how families have adapted during the pandemic. © 2022 Centre - Urbanisation Culture Societe de l'INRS. All rights reserved.

Editorial

While COVID-19 had many negatives it also brought with it many opportunities for growth and increased incomes by young farmers who managed to capitalize on supply chain disruptions to take a significant local market share. Data analysis showed that youth with better developmental relationships with parents, peers, and other adults had higher post-program levels of internal socialemotional strengths (e.g., commitment to learning, positive identity). The article examined how the developmental relationships of African youth participants in a youth economic development program helped them to build skills that could potentially improve their socioeconomic conditions.

Bereavement & mental health: The generational consequences of a grandparent's death

The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of children and adolescents grieving the sudden death of a grandparent. Yet, we lack knowledge of the mental health implications of a grandparent's death for youth. This study uses longitudinal data to examine if the loss of a grandparent increases adolescent grandchildren's likelihood of experiencing their mothers' major depressive disorder, and of having depressive symptoms themselves. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a population-based cohort study of children born in 20 U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000, we estimate associations between the death of a maternal grandparent in mid-childhood and adolescents', and their mothers', depressive outcomes when the adolescent is roughly age 15 (in 2014-17), net of a robust set of covariates, including pre-bereavement depression. Adjusted regression models show no elevated depression risk associated with a grandfather's death-neither for adolescents nor their mothers. A grandmother's death within the previous seven years is associated with a higher likelihood of adolescents having a depressed mother compared to both non-bereaved adolescents (odds ratio (OR) = 2.42;95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17, 5.01) and those whose grandmother died more than seven years ago (OR = 3.78;95% CI = 1.54, 9.31). Furthermore, adolescent boys have a 50% increase in their depressive symptoms following a grandmother's death relative to their non-bereaved peers-an increase that operates independently from the influence of the death on their mother. Together, the results show the death of a grandmother is an underappreciated, persistent risk factor for adolescents experiencing maternal major depressive disorder, and for adolescent boys experiencing depressive symptoms personally.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

COVID Lockdown: Impact on Young Children's Life

COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone from young children to the aged. Children especially preschoolers are highly energetic and love to go to school and do different types of activities. But because of corona pandemic lockdown, they only have their parents and siblings to interact with, play with, and do all other different types of activities. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the different types of changes that occurred in the lives of preschoolers and how their parents' roles, responsibilities got influenced, and how they were handling their young children during this trying time of being confined at home. The objectives of the study were to explore that how children at home during the time of the pandemic spent their time and to map the changes in their routine life and its effect on their life and development along with this it was also tried to document the ways in which parents are engaging children during this pandemic. Interviews were conducted through audio and video calls. The responses were subjected to thematic analysis. The key findings highlighted that education plays a significant role in preschoolers but because of the negative impact of screen time parents were not interested in online classes. The children have become more engaged in digital media due to being confined at home without school for a long duration of around ten months and because of this the aggression level has increased as they had a low social development environment, and no peer at all.

Supporting grandchildren's remote instruction during COVID-19: Experiences of custodial grandmothers.

While negative impacts of COVID-19-related remote instruction on children continue to emerge, it appears that vulnerable students will disproportionately bear the burden. One such vulnerable population is children being raised by grandparents. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to gain insight into custodial grandmothers' (CGMs) experiences of their grandchildren's remote instruction, as well as individual and contextual factors associated with these experiences. A national sample of 315 CGMs, drawn from two randomized clinical trials, completed an online survey in Spring of 2020. Results of a thematic analysis and supplemental quantitative analyses revealed three themes. First, access to technology and instructional supports were critical to the success of remote instruction, with barriers being difficulties using technology and poor-quality remote instruction. Next, grandchild socioemotional difficulties, and fit with remote instruction, were central to their engagement and success with remote instruction. Finally, CGMs experienced multiple stressors related to managing the demands of remote instruction, work, and family. Challenges associated with remote instruction were related to pre-pandemic difficulties such as grandchild problems and CGM depressive symptoms. Collectively, the results highlight how multiple adversities may have amplified grandchildren's existing vulnerability to negative outcomes. Implications are addressed, including strategies for supporting children raised by grandparents beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Risks and opportunities for children's well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during COVID-19: Implications for school psychology interventions

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a global impact on family social and economic well-being. Individuals and families sought alternative living arrangements as a result of the financial crisis, health implications, and housing insecurity, with many joining multigenerational households. However, it is unknown how multigenerational family life affects children's well-being. Therefore, this qualitative study explored risks and resilience-building opportunities for children's psychological and social well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Five multigenerational families were selected through snowball sampling and case design. The three generations of participants were grandparents (n = 5), parents (n = 7), and children (n = 4). Data were gathered through a questionnaire and interviews. The study received institutional ethics approval. After thematic analysis, two themes and six sub-themes were identified. Risks were related to interpersonal conflict, family collective fear of COVID-19, and children's multiple other fears. Opportunities were identified as academic support, shared responsibilities, life skills and values acquisition, and family cohesion. Results demonstrated the potential risks and resilience-building opportunities multigenerational households present for children's psychosocial well-being. Multisystemic influences in a multigenerational household contribute to children's adjustment. These outcomes necessitate systemic school psychology interventions. Longitudinal studies are recommended to explore child well-being trends in multigenerational households in varying socioeconomic contexts.

Three essays on child care policy

This dissertation includes three papers that examine the role of child care policy in promoting early childhood education and care and parental labor supply. Paper one investigates the effects of universal pre-kindergarten on center-based early education and care enrollment and child care expenditures by household income with a focus on middle-income children. Paper two considers how the generosity of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) benefits is associated with child care utilization and maternal labor supply. Paper three assesses the role of co-resident grandparents in parental labor supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Empowerment training for grandparent caregivers: A pilot study

Grandparents raising grandchildren face immense challenges including facing poverty, caring for children with behavioral difficulties, and barriers in accessing resources that can assist them. These challenges were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Empowerment training is an intervention that builds resiliency in developing skills that can increase the support that grandparents receive via services and from others. This pilot study evaluated the potential influence of empowerment training on grandmothers raising their grandchildren. The findings here indicate that these caregivers benefited from the virtually delivered program, where empowerment and negative affect toward the grandchild increased and decreased, respectively pre-versus post-program. Moreover, program benefits varied across participant sociodemographic characteristics. These pilot study findings support the importance of empowerment training in enhancing the lives of grandparent caregivers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Dear Masie: A story-net of kindness

This chapter shares the stories of a Mi'kmaq grandmother's reflections of stories from Elders of the Mi'kmaq Nation to share with Masie, born at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Mi'kma'ki. These stories form a story-net of teachings and reflections to help guide Masie on her journey as a Mi'kmaq girl growing up in a kind and sometimes unkind world. These stories represent a gift in a written form from a grandmother to a beautiful soul who will need help to navigate a world of uncertainty, but a world with tremendous beauty when seen through a Mi'kmaq historical perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Facing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis under lockdown: The experiences of minors

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of social isolation of minors with a parent or grandparent suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to determine whether the psychological support offered by an Italian no-profit association helped them to manage stress. Methodology: This study followed a qualitative research design. The participants responded to in-depth interviews that were processed with inductive thematic analysis. Findings: Five themes emerged: feedback on the psychological intervention;learning and changes after the intervention;discourses on illness and death in the family;experiences and difficulties during the lockdown and suggestions for other peers who might face the same situation. Social Implications: Psychological support is necessary for these minors, and it helped them to manage both the stress of living with ALS and the limitations of social relationships during the pandemic. It showed the importance of authentic and honest communication about illness and death that allowed minors to manage anxiety and fear. Positive reinterpretation of these experiences by transforming them into opportunities was also revealed. Originality: Studies on families with ALS patients are numerous, but studies on children of these patients are still rare, and no study has investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these children. This research investigated a topic that has not been covered previously and it also provided the opportunity to know how these children, preadolescents and adolescents living in an already complex environment, have experienced lockdown and restrictions. The study also enriched the literature on this important issue. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Sleep Quality and Disability for Custodial Grandparents Caregivers in the Southern United States.

Sleep quality amongst caregivers with disability may have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated differences in sleep quality amongst custodial grandparents from a southern state that were identified through state-based Kinship Care support groups coordinators and online. Participants (N = 102) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and self-reported disability statuses. Gamma tests showed a strong negative relationship between disability and sleep duration indicating fewer hours of sleep, higher use of sleep medication and greater sleep disturbances. Disability is not significantly related to sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction. T-tests showed no strength of relationship between disability and overall sleep quality. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, custodial grandparents with disability had greater issues with their sleep quality than those without disability. Sleep, as it pertains to its overall preponderant role in maintaining good health, should be examined amongst custodial grandparent caregivers and those with disability.

Implementing a Grandfamily Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Responses and Adaptations.

The COVID-19 pandemic complicated efforts to deliver interventions to marginalized populations at risk of contracting COVID-19. Grandfamilies are one such group. GRANDcares Plus (GC+) is an intervention designed to help grandfamilies build resilience. It was scheduled to launch shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began and consequently was heavily influenced by the pandemic. This paper discusses responses and adaptations made in implementing GC+ during the pandemic. Primary information sources included facilitators, COVID-19 information outlets, grandfamilies, and the project site coordinator. As a result, adaptations were made to facilitator training, CDC guidelines/recommendations were employed, potential participants needs and concerns were considered, and additional strategies were incorporated to support grandfamilies. This knowledge translational article contributes to social work by providing insights into identifying, managing, and responding to unexpected challenges. Given the increasing occurrences of unanticipated crises, it is crucial to develop and maintain effective tools for sustainable deliveries of services during difficult times.

Dopady pandemie na sólo rodiče a jejich potřebu neformální pomoci

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the work, personal, and family lives of all Czechs. In this regard, single parents are one of the most vulnerable groups. They are very frequent recipients of external support, provided by the state or by grandparents. Government restrictions, accompanied by, among other things, reduced availability of institutional childcare services, have significantly increased parents' demand for informal childcare. However, grandparents have not been able to fully satisfy this demand. Within the proposed typology, the so-called risk group of single parents who did not receive the required childcare support concerning school preparation or free time, as well financial or material help, was identified. The size of this group grew during the pandemic. According to regression analysis, parents of preschool and younger school children, working in precarious forms of work, in a low-income situation, and/or in rental housing, were at higher risk of falling into the group of single parents who need informal support.

Three essays on child care policy

This dissertation includes three papers that examine the role of child care policy in promoting early childhood education and care and parental labor supply. Paper one investigates the effects of universal pre-kindergarten on center-based early education and care enrollment and child care expenditures by household income with a focus on middle-income children. Paper two considers how the generosity of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) benefits is associated with child care utilization and maternal labor supply. Paper three assesses the role of co-resident grandparents in parental labor supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Dear Masie: A story-net of kindness

This chapter shares the stories of a Mi'kmaq grandmother's reflections of stories from Elders of the Mi'kmaq Nation to share with Masie, born at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Mi'kma'ki. These stories form a story-net of teachings and reflections to help guide Masie on her journey as a Mi'kmaq girl growing up in a kind and sometimes unkind world. These stories represent a gift in a written form from a grandmother to a beautiful soul who will need help to navigate a world of uncertainty, but a world with tremendous beauty when seen through a Mi'kmaq historical perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Grandparenting Role on Math Online Learning in Chinese Multigenerational Households

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has become m sore frequently used and has carried over cultural characteristics. In China, grandparents exert a great impact on parent–child relationships and on children’s online learning process. This study proposed six models and examined the roles of various Chinese family members (father, mother, grandparents) and their online accompaniment time in promoting preschoolers’ math learning. A total of 3552 participants were recruited to finish online questionnaires about demographics, household adult–child interactions, online company time investment, and math language performance. We found that the relationships between father time investment online and children’s math language performance were mediated by the amount of time that maternal grandparents spent with children on online learning. To contextualize these findings, we discussed the unique Chinese cultural aspects of the grandparent–parent–children relationship during the development of online math language performance in Chinese families. © 2022 by the authors.

Parenting stress in lockdown: The role of changes in Children's routines and Parents' relationship with live‐in grandparents

Objectives Background Method Results Conclusion This study examined parenting stress in relation to changes in preschool‐aged children's routines and change in relationship quality between parents and live‐in grandparents caused by the lockdown.The Chinese city of Wuhan was the first city in the world to enforce a strict citywide lockdown to curtail the spread of Covid‐19. The 76‐day (1/23–4/8/2020) lockdown affected about 13 million of Wuhan's residents, many of whom were families with young children.Survey data were collected from 130 parents in Wuhan on parenting stress, children's routines in learning, play/exercise, screen exposure and sleep before, during and after the lockdown.The lockdown led to a significant decrease in the amount of time that the children spent daily in playing/exercise and learning, but a significant increase in nighttime sleep and screen exposure. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that controlling for other variables, the following significantly predicted parenting stress: decrease in learning time, parent–grandparent relationship deterioration, and the interaction between decrease in learning time and parent–grandparent relationship improvement.Minimizing loss of learning time and preventing parent–grandparent relationship deterioration could help reduce parenting stress during the lockdown. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Marriage & Family is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)