| As one of the important forms of diversified family structure and family function in China,caring for grandchildren is an important way of family birth support.Caring for grandchildren has a deep impact on the development of individuals,families,and society.With the optimization and adjustment of the fertility policy,the accumulated potential energy of fertility was gradually released,and the demand for care services for the newly born population increased.At present,China’s socialized infant care system is not perfect,professional care services are short,and the forms of child care are relatively short.In addition,women of childbearing age are facing the conflict between career development and family care,and the problem of lack of child care within the family is prominent,which affects family birth decisions.Therefore,as grandparents,middle-aged and elderly people take the responsibility of caring for grandchildren,caring for grandchildren has become an important way to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand of childcare services,and has different degrees of impact on their own lives.Based on the above research background,from the perspective of middle-aged and elderly people,this paper analyzes the basic characteristics of caring for grandchildren in multiple dimensions,systematically studies the direct and indirect influences of caring for grandchildren on middle-aged and elderly people,and enriches research achievements in related fields such as intergenerational support,childcare,and old-age care.How to better solve the problem of childcare while allowing middle-aged and elderly people to enjoy the happiness of family so that individuals,families,and society benefit from it,is of great practical significance for promoting intergenerational unity of families,implementing fertility support,improving population structure,and finally realizing the children have access to childcare,the elderly have access to care,and establishing a population service system covering the whole life cycle.Based on reviewing the change process of caring for grandchildren by middleaged and elderly people,combined with the data of the seventh national population census,this paper analyzes the reality and particularity of caring for grandchildren by middle-aged and elderly people and comprehensively uses the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)in 2013,2015 and 2018.With lifestyle,health conditions,and the desire of elderly support as the explained variables,the empirical analysis method was used to deeply explore the influence and mechanism of caring for grandchildren on the later life of middle-aged and elderly people.Further combines empirical research with literature research and actual national conditions,excavates the policy connotation and enlightenment of empirical results,promotes harmonious intergenerational interaction of families,and improves the quality of life of middle-aged and elderly people in their later years.Through systematic analysis of middle-aged and elderly people caring for grandchildren,the main conclusions of this study are as follows:First of all,four indicators,such as care behavior,care cycle,care intensity,and care experience,were constructed to quantitatively analyze the specific situation and basic characteristics of middle-aged and elderly people caring for grandchildren in a multidimensional way.The study found that more than half of the middle-aged and elderly people once cared for their grandchildren,and the proportion of the middle-aged and elderly people who provided care and help throughout the year accounted for the largest proportion.The middle-aged and elderly people mainly assumed the responsibility of medium and low-intensity hands-on care,and the demand of families and society for the middle-aged and elderly to participate in the upbringing was constantly increasing.Further study on the heterogeneity of middle-aged and elderly groups shows that the middle-aged and elderly groups who care for grandchildren within the family are not a homogeneous whole.Caring for grandchildren,as one of the important activities in the later life of middle-aged and elderly people,has not an invariable impact on all aspects of their lives.Caring for grandchildren by middle-aged and elderly people is not only an important way of informal family care but also a positive reproductive support behavior.Based on solving the problem of the absence of family childcare,has an impact on the lifestyle,health conditions,and the desire of elderly support of middle-aged and elderly people.Second,caring for grandchildren has a significant impact on the lifestyle of middle-aged and elderly people.Care behavior positively affects the lifestyle of middleaged and elderly people,and care cycle and care intensity are important factors to explain the difference in lifestyle of middle-aged and elderly people.The findings are as follows: First,there are obvious differences in the lifestyle of middle-aged and elderly people caring for grandchildren.Caring for grandchildren will reduce the probability of a survival lifestyle and increase the possibility of an active lifestyle.Second,care cycle and care intensity have a more significant inhibitory effect on the survivability lifestyle of middle-aged and elderly people.Third,heterogeneity analysis showed that taking on the responsibility of caring for grandchildren could offset the negative effects of gender division of labor and promote the lifestyle choices of younger elderly people living in rural areas,while high-intensity care would hinder the active lifestyle of retired middle-aged and elderly people.Fourth,from the dynamic perspective of care experience,the positive impact of caring for grandchildren on the lifestyle of middle-aged and elderly people will become more significant with the continuation of caregiving experience.Thirdly,in the study on the influence of caring for grandchildren on the health status of middle-aged and elderly people,it is found that caring for grandchildren has a significant influence on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly people to different degrees,and it changes with the age of middle-aged and elderly people.Specifically speaking: First,care behavior has a positive impact on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly people,the care cycle has a U-shaped impact on the physical health of middle-aged and elderly people,and a linear positive impact on the mental health of middle-aged and elderly people,and the care intensity has an inverted U-shaped impact on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly people,emphasizing that middle-aged and elderly people should do according to their ability and take appropriate care in the process of caring for grandchildren.Second,compared with the middle-aged and young elderly,the elderly gradually find it difficult to bear the long-term and high-intensity caring responsibility,and caring for grandchildren has a negative impact on their health.Caring for grandchildren weakens the aging emotions such as loneliness and loneliness brought by age,and positively regulates the positive influence of caring for grandchildren on the mental health of middle-aged and elderly people.Third,compared with those without care experience,the health conditions of the middle-aged and elderly people who took continuous caregiving responsibility in the multi-period survey were better.Caring for grandchildren is a "sweet burden" for middle-aged and elderly people.On the one hand,helping children to care for grandchildren can make middle-aged and elderly people feel "useful in old age" and contribute their self-worth to the development of the family.On the other hand,the fatigue brought by the day-to-day high-intensity care responsibility gradually offsets the fun of being surrounded by children and grandchildren,brings negative experiences to middle-aged and elderly people,and may even reduce their willingness to participate in the future care of second and third children.Finally,in the study on the impact of caring for grandchildren on the desire of elderly support.It is found that caring for grandchildren has a significant impact on the family’s willingness to care for their families,and children’s support plays an intermediary role.The important factors for the expansion of differences in the desire of elderly support are the dynamic influence of care experience and the influence of the economic care level given by the elderly to their grandchildren.Specifically speaking:First,middle-aged and elderly people who have cared for their grandchildren are more inclined to rely on their children to achieve family old-age care in the future,and this willingness will be more intense with the extension of the care cycle and the increase of care intensity.Second,the financial support,life support,and emotional support provided by children all play an intermediary role,among which the mediating effect of financial support on the desire of middle-aged and elderly people to care for their grandchildren is the most obvious.Third,the experience of continuous care for grandchildren strengthens the family desire of elderly support to the middle-aged and elderly people,while the middle-aged and elderly people with higher economic care levels and good personal economic status are more inclined to the social desire of elderly support.Caring for grandchildren by middle-aged and elderly people is a combination of altruism and the principle of reciprocity.It is not only a willing contribution out of family affection,regardless of return,but also a tacit understanding of providing intergenerational support to children through giving time,energy,and financial resources in exchange for future care for the elderly.It is also an important strategy for families to maximize their overall well-being.Based on an in-depth understanding of the care of grandchildren by middle-aged and elderly people,this study puts forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions to improve fertility levels,actively cope with the aging population,enhance the intergenerational collaboration of families,and realize the happy life of middle-aged and elderly people: Establish a sound fertility support policy system,and gradually incorporate the care of grandchildren by middle-aged and elderly people into the child care system and fertility support policy;Strengthen family empowerment and promote good family traditions;Face up to the efforts and values of middle-aged and elderly people,and give multiple intergenerational support;Actively learn advanced parenting concepts and scientific parenting skills;Pay attention to middle-aged and elderly people’s needs and development,protect their basic rights and interests,and improve their well-being. |
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