Children who spend time with grandparents are happier, studies reveal

People who have grown up around grandparents know exactly what it feels like to get away with things parents say no to. Children who spend more time with their grandparents are happier and more secure, and it's not a random observation but a reality backed by scientific research. Yes, that's correct! A study conducted by the University of Oxford found that grandparents substantially contribute to children's well-being, and this very finding might question your nuclear-family choice.

Gone are the days when mothers were mostly expected to fulfill childcare duties. Today, in households managed by dual earners, both parents are equally responsible for the kids, and that's exactly when grandparents step in to raise their grandchildren. To understand the role of grandparents in the changing family dynamics, Professor Ann Buchanan from the Department of Social Policy and Social Work surveyed more than 1,500 children and found that those with strong grandparental bonds had fewer emotional and behavioral problems. She also found that grandparents play a crucial role in helping kids adjust to family problems, especially teenagers from broken families. Spending time with grandparents also reflects on kids' academic results.

Researchers used Taiwanese panel survey data and found that children living in the same household as their grandparents achieve more academically. This can be justified in two ways. 1. Highly educated grandparents can become their home tutor, helping them with their lessons. 2. Children growing up around grandparents learn to be respectful to others, including teachers and school administration, and good behavior might be reflected in their grades.

Co-founder of Englewood's Agresta Psychotherapy Group, Kimberly Agresta, also noticed substantial benefits when grandparents are involved in raising kids. She told North Jersey that when grandparents are involved in their grandchildren's lives early, they develop emotional closeness with them and see them as a social support. "So a child will feel that they have other adults, aside from their parents, who love and care about them in the same way, and this adds to their sense of stability and security," she added. 

Moving on, Kimberly shared how important it is for children from broken families to experience a strong bond with their grandparents. "In potentially traumatic situations, like if a child’s parents are divorcing or they’re being bullied at school, those situations are less impactful because they have other people in their lives who they have these attachments to and support from," she said. Grandparents are often not expected to discipline the child, and Kimberly said that allows them to love their grandchildren more freely than the parents. "Grandparents are a wealth of knowledge and information, and not only can they pass on valuable skills from real-life experience, but they can also share the past with their grandchildren. They can serve as historians, sharing all kinds of traditions and stories about when their own children were growing up, which creates a sense of continuity for a child," she added. By now, it's clear that grandchildren benefit from spending time with their grandparents, and remember that the reverse is also true. In fact, research confirms caring for grandchildren may increase brain function and memory among the elderly.

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