93

Family reconstitution immerses the child in a new and full (step-) family in which alliances and rivalries have to be negotiated. Similarities create a bond between grandparents and grandchildren overarching the generation of the parents, with the same forced passive acceptance of the decision to separate or form a new couple made by the parents and the same imperative of remaining within the realm of the family, leaving the conjugal side exclusively to the parents. The article analyses the originality of the bond between the child and the grandparents of his or her family of origin and its unconditional nature, and observes how it can provide support in the adventure of separation and reconstitution. It also poses the question of the step-grandparent: can this new relation be created or not?