Multigenerational coresidence and parental time in developmental childcare in China

• Main Authors: CHENG Cheng, ZHAO, Menghan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2023
• Subjects: Multigenerational coresidence; Developmental childcare; Parental investment; Grandparents; Time use; China; Sociology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3765; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/5023/viewcontent/Cheng_Zhao_2023_RSSM.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Previous literature has examined how multigenerational coresidence changes parental time in primary childcare. However, much less is known about how coresidence may affect the amount of time parents invest in developmental childcare, which is crucial for children’s education and life chances. Using longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies 2010-2018, we examine how parental time investment in developmental childcare varies by household structure and parental and grandparental education. Results suggest that coresidence with maternal grandparents increases mothers’ time in developmental childcare among children with high-educated parents. Moreover, the positive effect of matrilocal residence on maternal time investment is greatest for children in families with high levels of education, where both parental and grandparental education levels are high. These results suggest that for highly educated families in China, matrilocal residence may be a strategic arrangement to allow parents to invest more time in their children’s education, producing multigenerational advantages through intergenerational cooperation between parents and grandparents.