Gender and Care between Bonus/step-grandparents and bonus/step-grandchildren

Almost half of all divorced Swedes are aged 60+ and many of them are, or have been, part of a reconstituted family. This increases the probability of having (or to be a) bonus/step-grandchild and raises the question: How does the caregiving dynamic between bonus-grandparents and bonus-grandchildren intersect with gender and life situation, unraveling the intricate threads that weave through familial relationships in later life?The data consists of in-depth interviews (and diaries, lifelines, concentric circles, and drawing exercises) with bonusgrandchildren (n13) and bonusgrandparents (n13) who´s bonus-relations departs from re-partnering as well as family of choice.Building on Mason´s (1996) concepts of care, I argue that the disproportionate caregiving burden previously in life diminishes women’s willingness of care for bonus-grandchildren, while for men caring is conceptualized as an opportunity to redress previously missed chances for engaging in caregiving activities. An additional argument is that when informants engage in joint caregiving as a couple, the care of bonus-grandchildren is viewed as a means of fortifying the relationship. Conversely, when caregiving is carried out separately to separate sets of grandchildren it competes with time allocated for the couple. In the context of bonus-grandchildren assuming caregiving roles, I observed that the interviewed girls articulate their involvement in providing both emotional and practical care to their bonus-grandparents. In contrast, the boys in the study predominantly characterize their caregiving contributions in terms of practical assistance. This research underscores gender-specific patterns in children's caregiving roles, shedding light on distinct dimensions of practical and emotional support within the familial caregiving dynamic. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of how gendered caregiving dynamics shape intergenerational relationships in reconstituted families and families of choice.Keywords: care, step-relations, bonus-relations, generation