Grandparent Coresidence and Children’s Cognitive Development in India

• In Event: 20254 - Change and Continuity in Family and Kinship

Abstract

The centrality of parents in shaping children's cognitive development has been well documented. Yet we know much less about the importance of grandparents in influencing children's cognitive outcomes, particularly in developing countries like India. Using data from the India Human Development Survey, we explore how children’s living arrangements with grandparents and parents affect their cognitive outcomes and the mechanisms behind the effect. Preliminary findings indicate that among children aged 8-11, coresiding with grandparents is associated with higher cognitive test scores. The benefit of having coreside grandparents is more pronounced in rural households, when the father does not coreside, or when the coreside parents receive fewer years of education. Given the prevalence of multigenerational households in India and the rising number of children cared for by grandparents due to parental migration, the findings of this research can inform efforts to enhance Indian children’s development.

Authors

• Hope Xu Yan, Louisiana State University

• Feinian Chen, Johns Hopkins University

• Arun Balachandran, University of Maryland-College Park