Nanna no more? : marital separation and its effects on grandparenthood

Abstract

This study highlights the impact of marital separation on grandparents and on their relationship with grandchildren. The analysis presented within is based on comments provided by eight grandparents who participated in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews during which they shared their experience. The data revealed that consequences of issues such as geographical distance, financial capacity, emotional stability, quality of relationship with the parents, conflict, commitment to the role and the use of legal processes are all significant variables that appear to contribute to the increase or decline in contact and quality of the relationships that grandparents have with their grandchildren after marital separation occurs. Findings showed that grandparents’ experiences related to the impact of marital separation differed, therefore, one cannot conclude that marriage separation is, for grandparents, a positive or a negative experience. Nonetheless, patterns of shared feelings and perspectives were identified. Throughout the research, it was made evident that grandparents’ top-most priorities are always the grandchildren’s interests and well-being and that the grandchildren are not used as a weapon after marital separation. It is the way in which the parents handle the separation that mostly affects the ensuing changes in the relationship between the grandparents and their grandchildren.