Search

In this paper, we examine how a “feeling of motivation for the elderly” was generated in a “grandchild care support course” through the case of S town in H prefecture. We also develop insights into the specific contents of “grandchild care support activities”. We conducted an interview survey with the organizer of a “Grandchild Raising Support Course” and obtained the following insights: First, in the “Grandchild Raising Support Course,” it was found that elderly people had an awareness that they were useful to their families and other people and had positive feelings. These were supported by a sense of self-affirmation, based on their achievements and improvements. Second, the contents of the “grandchild rearing support activities” were necessary because they provided “a sense of purpose of life for the elderly”. They felt able to support the child-rearing activities of the working generation, and engage in activities that make children happy. These activities gave them guidance and broadened their previous ways of thinking.

This paper presents a study of “Fureai Hiroba” in K City, H Prefecture, examining how a “meaning of life” is generated for the elderly, and showing how raising grandchildren can enhance “the feeling of life” for the elderly. The purpose was also to generate suggestions for such activities. By analyzing an interview with the operator of “Fureai Hiroba,” the following content was clarified. First, as stated by Kondo et al. (2003), the elderly have ambitious feelings, supported by the awareness of being useful to their families and other people, and a sense of self-affirmation based on their own achievements and improvements. Second, it was found that the growth and development of children was seen as a characteristic of “Fureai Hiroba.” Third, raising grandchildren gives the elderly “a sense of purpose” as it involves the interaction of children with their grandparents in various ways. It was suggested that the activity should include an opportunity to teach social rules, and a place where children can feel at ease. Fourth, for the elderly to experience “a sense of purpose,” it is necessary to ensure that interaction with their grandchildren is not a one-off event, but an ongoing involvement.

In this paper, we examine how a “feeling of motivation for the elderly” was generated in a “grandchild care support course” through the case of S town in H prefecture. We also develop insights into the specific contents of “grandchild care support activities”. We conducted an interview survey with the organizer of a “Grandchild Raising Support Course” and obtained the following insights: First, in the “Grandchild Raising Support Course,” it was found that elderly people had an awareness that they were useful to their families and other people and had positive feelings. These were supported by a sense of self-affirmation, based on their achievements and improvements. Second, the contents of the “grandchild rearing support activities” were necessary because they provided “a sense of purpose of life for the elderly”. They felt able to support the child-rearing activities of the working generation, and engage in activities that make children happy. These activities gave them guidance and broadened their previous ways of thinking.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the target of child-rearing support has changed from parents to the children themselves, and to identify what is benefits can be expected from the raising of grandchildren by elderly people. The focus is on child-rearing support measures in Japan after 1994, and the measures examined were those undertaken by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Cabinet Office. From the analysis, the following became clear. First, the child-rearing support measures shifted the emphasis from support for parents to support for children, and as children became the target of the measures, there was a refocusing on grandchild-rearing by grandparents. Second, the focus on grandparents is moving toward encouraging the elderly in the community to play an active role in raising grandchildren. Making contributions to the local community through raising grandchildren even after retirement is seen as one of the motivations for life. The study clarifies that what is expected of grandchildren raising by the elderly is not only the educational effect on the development of the grandchildren, but also the creation of motivation for the elderly.