Grandparents with little or no contact — Sims & Rofail

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The experiences of grandparents who have limited or no contact with their grandchildren

Margaret Sims & Maged Rofail — Journal of Aging Studies — 2013

This peer-reviewed study explores the experiences of grandparents who had little or no contact with their grandchildren.

The researchers collected accounts from 38 grandparents and looked at the family circumstances associated with loss of contact. They found that paternal grandparents were particularly vulnerable following a son’s divorce, especially where he was not the resident parent or later re-partnered. They also found that maternal grandparents could lose contact following serious conflict with an adult daughter, even where they had previously been closely involved with their grandchildren.

Why we’ve included it:
Loss of contact with grandchildren can be one of the most painful consequences of estrangement from an adult son or daughter. This study is particularly useful because it examines that loss directly and shows that it can arise through several different family pathways rather than one simple pattern.

View the abstract and publication details at PubMed

View the published article at the Journal of Aging Studies

Reference: Sims, M. & Rofail, M. (2013). The experiences of grandparents who have limited or no contact with their grandchildren. Journal of Aging Studies, 27(4), 377–386.

Inclusion in our library means we believe this item is relevant to understanding parent–adult child estrangement and its consequences. It does not mean Estranged Parents endorses every interpretation or conclusion expressed.