Intergenerational Conflicts with Grandmothers as Child Care Providers of a Family Medicine Unit in Mexico City

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the characteristics of intergenerational conflicts with grandmothers who take care of their grandchildren. Methods: qualitative, cross-sectional and interpretative study. The semi-structured and in-depth interview technique was used in four families. Four grandmothers and four daughters with grandkids between 0 to 12 years of age were included. An interview guide for the analysis of the information was elaborated. The recordings were transcribed, texts were categorized and results were coordinated by dimensions. Results: in regard to authority, in three of four families both parents were who took the decisions of children care and in one family the grandmother had the complete authority. Two of the four families had flexible limits; daughters took the role of a housewife. The other two daughters who fulfilled the role of providers presented conflict with grandmothers, one with strict limits and the other with vague limits. Conclusions: it was confirmed that the support grandmothers as child care providers offered to their daughters and grandchildren can generate different risks of conflict in families, as it is required to implement limits, roles, hierarchy and/or authority, because the care of grandchildren carries great responsibilities in the decisionmaking process and in basic family functions.