Research shows that grandmothers today are more likely to be working at a job or perhaps caring for an older family member. They have many roles instead of just the one as grandmother. Less time and less energy are available for grandchildren. This is like a family rule that everyone knows but doesn't talk about. Research reports that for most families, this norm means that grandparents are for play, not for discipline.
Grandparents avoid making comments on how the child is being reared.
In the early 1900s, grown children established their homes near their parents. Grandparents were literally in the neighborhood. By the mid-1900s, grown children were more mobile. Today, cross-country moves are common. A result is that family communication and visits are limited and relationships are less intimate.