The article discusses the main functions implemented by grandparents in the process of raising grandchildren. Based on a series of interviews with parents and grandparents, the study revealed the transformation of grandparent's functions as grandchildren grow up. In the early stages of children growing up, grandparents mainly perform the functions of accompanying them to educational institutions and organising their development and leisure activities, while in adolescence these functions are replaced by communication and psychological support. The obtained results can be used in the development of mechanisms for stimulating the grandparent's labour in Russia.