Grandchildren's views of old age and aging: A qualitative inquiry of 7-11-year-old children

The current study examined the views and attitudes of school-age children aged 7 to 11 regarding older people and aging. These children are distinguished by the fact that they were raised by their grandparents, and they have lived in the same household with their current family members for more than a year. The researcher had been inspired to explore the perspectives of children who lived with the older generation(s) due to changing demographic patterns and circumstances in modern American society. Phenomenological and qualitative research methodologies were employed to investigate children's opinions and perspectives regarding older people and aging. The methodology includes the children creating two drawings, interpreting their drawings, a sentence completion task, and an informal talk with the researcher. In contrast to stereotypes, the findings of this study revealed largely favorable impressions and attitudes toward older people, as well as highly distinct thoughts on aging.