Grandparents act as “elder parents”, realising a wide range of parental functions. However, they are involved in the process of raising grandchildren in different ways. The article discusses the features of the gender division of grandparental functions between grandparents, as well as the reasons for the existing distribution of responsibilities. The in-depth semi-formalised interviews with parents (N = 15) revealed that grandmothers are more actively involved in the process of raising grandchildren, while gender has an influence on establishing a special emotional connection between representatives of the older and younger generations. The obtained results can be used to develop approaches to accounting for labour costs and mechanisms for stimulating grandparental labour in Russia.