Intergenerational Connections

Being part of a birth cohort study can generate a good deal of reflection about intergenerational connections. Participants were keen to share their thoughts about how they imagined and remembered connections across generations whether through objects or places but also the social practices that sustained intergenerational connections such as family meals, holidays or outings. Many also spoke about the experience of losing family members, or of the immense impact of becoming parents and grandparents. In summary, family connection and lasting bonds were a fundamental theme across all four cohorts and were marked by moments of importance in their lives.

This is my hand, and one of my daughter’s hands. Generationally, I think Children of the 90s has been something that has really focussed on that parent relationship. But also I love that now it goes down to my children and my relationship with them and it’s really important. - Participant, Bristol
This is my hand, and one of my daughter’s hands. Generationally, I think Children of the 90s has been something that has really focussed on that parent relationship. But also I love that now it goes down to my children and my relationship with them and it’s really important. - Participant, Bristol
This photo shows us at home, completely relaxed, wearing matching shoes, without having planned it. - Mother participant, Porto
This photo shows us at home, completely relaxed, wearing matching shoes, without having planned it. - Mother participant, Porto
A memento of a little slipper I have from when my daughter was little. I had that little frame made and we’ve kept it ever since. It reminds me of so many things from the past. I think that anyone who’s going to have children should do something like that. Because we don’t realize we should keep little things from the child. Then, they’re already grown up, and there’s no way to do it anymore. - Participant, Pelotas
A memento of a little slipper I have from when my daughter was little. I had that little frame made and we’ve kept it ever since. It reminds me of so many things from the past. I think that anyone who’s going to have children should do something like that. Because we don’t realize we should keep little things from the child. Then, they’re already grown up, and there’s no way to do it anymore. - Participant, Pelotas
This is my daughter and my son at the skating rink. My wife can’t be forced on skates, but the kids, they like it. We go skating once or twice a year. - Father participant, Rotterdam
This is my daughter and my son at the skating rink. My wife can’t be forced on skates, but the kids, they like it. We go skating once or twice a year. - Father participant, Rotterdam
My eldest daughter and her children came last week and we looked at this and it looks like a play area, doesn’t it? It was happy memories of such a lovely time we all had together. The girls, the little ones get on so well together. Daughter: I think they think that your garden is a play park. They invite their friends to Nan and Grandad’s park… We had a great garden when we were growing up, because we grew up in this house. But this is something else! We get to live it through our children now. Running around that garden. But I just laughed when they’d all gone. And I just thought, yeah, lots of happy memories. - Mother and Daughter participants, Bristol
My eldest daughter and her children came last week and we looked at this and it looks like a play area, doesn’t it? It was happy memories of such a lovely time we all had together. The girls, the little ones get on so well together. Daughter: I think they think that your garden is a play park. They invite their friends to Nan and Grandad’s park… We had a great garden when we were growing up, because we grew up in this house. But this is something else! We get to live it through our children now. Running around that garden. But I just laughed when they’d all gone. And I just thought, yeah, lots of happy memories. - Mother and Daughter participants, Bristol
I took this photo. We went to a shopping mall and my two daughters were there. I remembered when I used to take them to school and they would go holding hands. The older one takes care of the younger one. - Mother participant, Pelotas
I took this photo. We went to a shopping mall and my two daughters were there. I remembered when I used to take them to school and they would go holding hands. The older one takes care of the younger one. - Mother participant, Pelotas
This is an outside view showing both of our houses. My mum’s on the left, and my Nan’s, soon to be ours, on the right. I remember going through her house with my mum and I was talking about what’s going to be our bedroom when we move in, and trying to decide where the bed would go. And my mum said, ironically, when I was born, that was the bedroom that I lived in with her. I used to sleep in my cot in that room with my mum. So I just found it poetic that I’m going right back to literally the first place that I lived. - Participant, Bristol
This is an outside view showing both of our houses. My mum’s on the left, and my Nan’s, soon to be ours, on the right. I remember going through her house with my mum and I was talking about what’s going to be our bedroom when we move in, and trying to decide where the bed would go. And my mum said, ironically, when I was born, that was the bedroom that I lived in with her. I used to sleep in my cot in that room with my mum. So I just found it poetic that I’m going right back to literally the first place that I lived. - Participant, Bristol
The humble and simple house, is my grandmother’s house. It’s the place where sadness, joy and chaos end — everything happens there. If you want to find my daughter, don’t look for her at my house, look for her at grandmother’s house. Over there we have the foundation of our family. - Mother participant, Pelotas
The humble and simple house, is my grandmother’s house. It’s the place where sadness, joy and chaos end — everything happens there. If you want to find my daughter, don’t look for her at my house, look for her at grandmother’s house. Over there we have the foundation of our family. - Mother participant, Pelotas
I lost my father when I was 20, so I have a great passion for my father, and I make a point to have my moment with him every day. My father has a light, lit 24 hours in my house. It’s my father in the pictures with my mother, thankfully she’s still with me. There’s also my aunt in the picture, who went to live in Argentina. We spoke three months ago, I had a great connection with her. She died there at 83. - Mother participant, Porto
I lost my father when I was 20, so I have a great passion for my father, and I make a point to have my moment with him every day. My father has a light, lit 24 hours in my house. It’s my father in the pictures with my mother, thankfully she’s still with me. There’s also my aunt in the picture, who went to live in Argentina. We spoke three months ago, I had a great connection with her. She died there at 83. - Mother participant, Porto
My grandparents, the parents of my mother. We don’t know how long they’ll be amongst us and a few weeks back we were visiting and making all kinds of memories and getting things from them that we would like to keep. - Participant, Rotterdam
My grandparents, the parents of my mother. We don’t know how long they’ll be amongst us and a few weeks back we were visiting and making all kinds of memories and getting things from them that we would like to keep. - Participant, Rotterdam
These are photos taken at São João... family moments, lifelong friends. We’re part of a community that gathers a lot around the table, festivals and socialising. We really like what’s Portuguese, the Portuguese identity, what represents us. - Mother participant, Porto
These are photos taken at São João... family moments, lifelong friends. We’re part of a community that gathers a lot around the table, festivals and socialising. We really like what’s Portuguese, the Portuguese identity, what represents us. - Mother participant, Porto
I have a photo wall of wood with grandmothers and grandfathers and some photos that I like. These photos change from time to time. - Mother participant, Rotterdam
I have a photo wall of wood with grandmothers and grandfathers and some photos that I like. These photos change from time to time. - Mother participant, Rotterdam
I often go to my father’s grave at Christmas, and so one of the little pine trees I brought for Christmas, I brought to my house, and it’s my altar, it’s beautiful, wonderful, I get to see a little pine tree father and its became that wonderful tree that’s there. - Mother participant, Porto
I often go to my father’s grave at Christmas, and so one of the little pine trees I brought for Christmas, I brought to my house, and it’s my altar, it’s beautiful, wonderful, I get to see a little pine tree father and its became that wonderful tree that’s there. - Mother participant, Porto
My mother died February last year, and we’ve only just got around to actually dealing with the ashes. She wanted her and my dad buried on Weston Beach. So we thought if we could lay her to rest by the dunes. It got all of us together. - Mother participant, Bristol
My mother died February last year, and we’ve only just got around to actually dealing with the ashes. She wanted her and my dad buried on Weston Beach. So we thought if we could lay her to rest by the dunes. It got all of us together. - Mother participant, Bristol