Navigating custodial grandparenting stress in rural China with self-initiated coping strategies: a qualitative study

Given the widespread prevalence of grandparenting in rural China, along with its associated challenges, such as the frequent absence of the middle generation and scarce external resources, there is a pressing need for research focused on grandparents’ coping strategies from their own perspectives. This study explores the self-initiated coping strategies employed by grandparents in rural China to manage grandparenting stress. Based on in-depth interviews with 38 grandparents in three distinct Chinese villages, this study finds that grandparents use beliefs in fatalism, a sense of contentment, and informal social support to cope with grandparenting stress. However, this study also contends that these self-initiated strategies, while beneficial, cannot fully alleviate grandparenting stress, particularly when considered within the intricate social and policy milieu of rural China. This accentuates the need for more supportive interventions involving both the state and society.