Introduction

In this chapter the relational themes introduced in Chapter 5 are broadened to consider the wider constellation of family relationships that impact on the trajectories of young fathers. Drawing on earlier findings (Neale and Lau Clayton, 2014), a secondary analysis of the Following Young Fathers (FYF) dataset (see Chapter 3), and longitudinal data generated under the Following Young Fathers Further (FYFF) study, we examine the shifting nature of intergenerational relationships in these young men's families. Existing knowledge comes largely from the accounts of grandparents; there is very little evidence on how these relationships are perceived and experienced by young parents, especially by young fathers (Tan et al, 2010; Neale and Lau Clayton, 2014).

Drawing on the young men's perspectives, we chart how the grandparent generation reacted to news of the pregnancy; their engagement and influence in decision making; the kinds of support – practical, financial and emotional – provided for the young men; and how gendered patterns of care (or neglect) and support (or interference) may evolve or dissipate over time. We place our evidence in the context of broader debates about family relationships and we consider the implications for family policy and professional practice, in a context where grandparent care is increasingly assumed and relied upon by state agencies.

Grandparenting and intergenerational family relationships in contemporary society

Research into intergenerational chains of family members, who are held together ‘vertically’ by their genealogical ties, has increased in recent years, offering insights into the interconnecting lives, influences, legacies and internal dynamics of those who are linked through the bonds of kinship (Neale, 2021a). Family trajectories are interlocking, with the fortunes of each generation (changes in relationships, employment, health, housing and parental status) impacting on the lives of both older and younger family members. More broadly, intergenerational relationships of care or neglect, closeness or distance, are formed and transformed in different socio-cultural and historical contexts (Brannen and Nilsen, 2006; Neale, 2021a). As we will show, these patterns are also fluid and evolve within individual families over time.