Can Grandma Help with the Kids? A Demographic Analysis of the Sandwich Generation

Carl Mason, University of California, Berkeley
Emilio Zagheni, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research

Demographic change is characterized by longer life, later childbearing and fewer children. This paper looks at the implications of demographic change for the availability and care needs of multigenerational families using stable population and microsimulation models. Our methods allow us to answer questions such as: Are new mothers more or less likely than in the past to be sandwiched between caring for both their own parents and their own children? Is the availability of healthy grandmothers who could help with childcare increasing, or is grandma too busy taking care of her own parents? What is the frequency of only children who are responsible for both their sick parents and their newborn children? Our preliminary findings suggest that we are currently in a kind of "Golden Age" of grandmotherhood availability, better than both the past and the likely future.