Grandparents are huge blessings in any child’s life. Aside from being parents’ go-to babysitters and source of parenting wisdom, lolos and lolas help improve the lives of their families especially their grandchildren in more ways than one. Below, read seven of the many reasons why grandparents are indeed priceless.
Grandparents shower their grandkids with love
Grandparents relish “lambing” to their grandchildren — and as we all know, there is nothing wrong with having many people love your little ones!
“The more people who love your child, the better,” Vanessa Jensen, Psy.D. tells the Cleveland Clinic Newsroom. “Presumably if they’re reasonably healthy people and reasonable in their approach to how they care for your child — it never hurts to have more people who can care about an individual child or a family.”
Lolo Ramon and Lola Rowena Halili spend some quality time with their apo, Maria Luna.PHOTO BY Courtesy of Dads HaliliGrandparents are a great source of wisdom
Lolos and lolas come from an entirely different generation and have had plenty of good and bad experiences in life — they are bound to have a different perspective. It is worth listening to because they can help kids understand the world in a more complex way.
Sarah Moorman, associate professor of sociology at Boston College, tells the Boston Globe, “Grandparents have a wealth of experience — they’ll often tell stories about their lives and how things worked when they were young, and kids become adults, they’re able to maximize those lessons.”
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Grandparents give grandkids a sense of security
According to Sarah Newman, a social psychologist and author of Little Things Mean a Lot: Creating Happy Memories with Your Grandchildren, kids see their grandparents not just as playmates but also as a source of comfort when they are feeling sad.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW“Grandparents are a security blanket,” Newman tells U.S. News. “If there’s somebody they trust and know is always on their side, that’s a huge emotional plus for the child. They have somebody around who’s comforting, who hugs them and sits with them and reads with them.”
Newman also writes that lolos and lolas have “infinite patience” with their grandkids (compared to the time they were your parents!). Because parents are more active in disciplining, a child may feel a bit more hesitant to open up to them for fear of being reprimanded. But she may be more comfortable opening up with her lolo or lola whom she probably feels will be more willing to listen without judgment.
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowLook at those big smiles on Lolo Vencee's and Lola Leony's faces as they hold baby Tala in their arms!PHOTO BY Courtesy of Isa MinaGrandparents let the kids have a bit more fun
Kimberly Agresta, a licensed clinical social worker in the United States, says that grandparents can have more fun with the little ones, mainly when parents are preoccupied with work or household responsibilities. Their “infinite patience” is why they can be such great playmates!
“Lots of parents are so busy working and running errands, we don’t really have the time to always sit and play with a child the way they may want us to. But grandparents generally have more time to give. They can be the kind of playmate a child is looking for,” says Agresta.
Grandparents and grandkids who spend time together experience good mental health
It’s not just the kids who benefit from quality time with their grandparents — lolo and lola do, too! A 2016 study done by researchers from Boston University, which looked into data from a long-term survey of families between 1985 and 2004, found that emotional closeness between adult grandchildren and their grandparents was linked with fewer symptoms of depression for both grandparent and grandchild.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWAnother study, which was published in 2014 in the Journal of the American Gerontological Society, found that grandparents who regularly spend quality time with their grandchildren while they are still children experience improvements in their mental health. So don’t hesitate to schedule dates between your kids and their grandparents regularly!
Grandkids can help improve their grandparents’ health
Lolos and Lolas who spend time with their tots also experience plenty of other health benefits, according to studies. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Marriage and the Family found that when grandparents look after their grandkids every week, they experience a boost in their brain function.
Another study published in the Journal of the North American Menopause Society said that older women who spent one day every week to care for their grandchildren achieved higher cognitive test scores. It is worth noting, however, that this study also found that when grandmas have to babysit for five days or more each week, they tend to experience slower thought processing and a decline in their working memory ability. So maybe don’t put the bulk of childcare responsibilities on lola and lolo!
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Lolo Ely and Lola Marilyn were so excited to meet their grandson Eli Matthew finally!PHOTO BY Courtesy of Mary Glee MoresBeing a grandparent can help lengthen an adult’s lifespan
Research has also suggested that spending time with grandchildren can make grandparents live longer. According to a 2017 study, older adults who regularly look after their grandkids enjoyed a 37% lower risk of mortality than those who were at the same age but did not have any babysitting responsibilities. The researchers behind this study believe this may have something to do with the adults having a sense of purpose and being more mentally active, writes Fatherly.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWTo learn more about why time with her Lolo and Lola is one of the best gifts you can give your child, click here.
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