Grandmothers are instrumental in enhancing a child's success in life, especially when they are well-off, according to a new report from the Social Mobility Commission. The analysis highlights the 'grandparent effect' leading to better outcomes, including educational attainment.
Key Findings
The Government-funded report found the strongest positive grandparent influence came from the mother's mother. Grandparents can enhance children's lives through contributing to caregiving and providing financial and emotional support. Their involvement likely transfers intergenerational socio-economic advantage in terms of wealth and educational achievement.
The Commission analysed academic research to determine which aspects of children's family lives had the greatest influence on their futures. In a foreword, Alun Francis, chair of the Social Mobility Commission, stated: 'To move the needle on social mobility, we must pay more attention to the conditions that enable families to function at their best. This includes recognising that raising children takes a wider 'village' of support. Beyond the immediate household, wider social networks and the support of the extended family, particularly the role of grandparents, provide the critical framework of stability and resilience that children need to thrive.'
Additional Influences
The report found that the strongest influence on outcomes was parents' education and the quality of the home learning environment, such as access to the internet, a place to study, and help with homework. However, it also pointed to other adult influences, including aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
A study led by the University of Turin, Italy, found that children receiving informal care from grandparents had better language skills at 18 months than those in formal childcare settings. A review by the University of Oxford of 69 pieces of research showed that grandparental influence averaged about a quarter of the influence of a child's parents on their education.
The Commission's report concluded: 'A growing body of evidence suggests that grandparents may play a significant, albeit complex, role in shaping their grandchildren's educational outcomes from early childhood through to adolescence.'
