Entity Reference and Views to allow a nested structure
You should be fine with a content type called person and then have an entity reference field called "children" that points at the content type person. 

Then in Views create two relationships using your entity reference field. The second relationship should use the first as relationship setting. 

Call the first relationship, child and the second grandchild.

Then output Content Title three times, the second should use the relationship child the second grandchild.

Under row settings set it to group by Content: Title (the first).

Set a filter that the entity reference field can't be empty.

This should list all persons that have children.