Grandparents are positive force for distressed kids

BEIJING, March. 9 (Chinese medianet) -- Grandparents play a

very crucial role in helping their grandchildren improve their social skills and

behavior at the time they face difficulties from single-parent,

divorced/separated or stepfamily households, according to a new study.

"Grandparents are a positive force for all families;

they play a significant role in families undergoing difficulties," according to

the study's lead author, Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, of The Hebrew University of

Jerusalem.

She said in an American Psychological Association

news release, "they (grandparents) can reduce the negative influence of parents

separating and be a resource for children who are going through these family

changes."

In interviewing 11- to 16-year olds from England and Wales, Attar-Schwartz and her team found that the more conversations the youths had with a grandparent, including asking for advice or even money, the better they got along with their peers and the fewer problems they had, such as hyperactivity and disruptive behavior.

"This was found across all three family

structures," she said. "But adolescents in single-parent households and

stepfamilies benefited the most. The effect of their grandparents' involvement

was stronger compared to children from two biological parent families."

(Agencies)