Harrington Meyer Talks to HuffPost About Grandparenting Styles

September 19, 2025

HuffPost

Madonna Harrington Meyer

Sociology Department

Center for Policy Research

Child & Elder Care

United States

HuffPost

Portrait of a smiling person with short gray hair, wearing a blue ruffled shirt, set against a blurred green background.

Madonna Harrington Meyer

Researchers have identified several modern grandparenting styles, including formal, companionate, fun-seeking, distant, caregiving, family historian and indulgent types, each reflecting different levels of involvement and emotional connection.

Experts say these styles often depend on factors like family dynamics, distance, and generational expectations. While there’s no single best approach, studies suggest that companionate grandparents—those who are emotionally close and supportive without overstepping parental boundaries—tend to be the happiest in their roles.

“It almost doesn’t matter what kind of grandparent you are, as long as you and the parents agree. The trick is for the parents and the grandparents to agree on the roles and the rules,” says University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer. Once that happens, “then there could be a really harmonious relationship.”

Read more in the HuffPost article, “The 7 Most Common Grandparenting Styles — And How They Influence Their Grandchildren’s Lives.”