Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medicine, says the decline of extended family involvement has helped fuel what the U.S. Surgeon General has described as a continuing crisis in child and adolescent mental health.
"We did not evolve to raise children with as little extended family and community support as most American parents have now," says Dr. Barish, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. "Children need grandparents, and they always have."
In his new book, The Art and Science of Parenting and Grandparenting, Dr. Barish draws on 40 years of clinical experience, as well as findings from neuroscience, child development studies, and educational programs, to argue that grandparents can play a meaningful role in helping families navigate today's parenting challenges.
Why Purpose Matters for Children's Well-Being
According to Dr. Barish, grandparents can help counter a cultural trend that has increasingly emphasized individual achievement over community and connection.
