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Hello everyone, can you believe we are in the last days of December already? It means that 2020 is just around the corner and the countdown to a new cycle has begun! It seems like just yesterday we were enjoying the summer rush, and now another year is almost over. Let’s get into the Christmas spirit, the more the better. I can say that Christmas celebration is all about family, from heart to heart, from one place to another; Christmas definitely brings us closer to each other. I have some lovely memories of my Christmases, and of course it makes me think of the loved ones that that in the past brought joy to my life; my grandma is definitely on this list and unfortunately she is no longer physically present, but she lives in my heart; there aren’t the words in the world to describe her, but I can say that she is largely the reason I’m where I am today. And also I have to say that I consider myself lucky to have had my lovely grandma in my life until I was almost 37.
Besides my lovely family memories, I decided to write this post because I read an article about the difference that we can make in people's lives, and then I started to reflect on how important is to be loved, supported and guided when we are little, and I realized that grandparents can be a wealth of knowledge and teach us important life lessons. There are several social studies and scientific evidences that grandparents contribute to children's wellbeing, and for example a research conducted by Professor Ann Buchanan from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (Oxford University) showed that a high level of grandparental involvement increases the well-being of children. Basically it concluded in a study of more than 1,500 children showed that those with a high level of grandparental involvement had fewer emotional and behavioural problems.
There are countless research studies and supporting statistics that highlight the many benefits that come from strong parent-child bonds, however, I decided to make a list of the 5 main reasons why grandparents are so important, but I am sure you can find more and more:
See the 5 benefits of having grandparents active in your child's life:
1- Grandparents provide a sense of security - According to Megan Tuohey (Relationship Psychologist) children who have access to a grandparent who loves them and their family well will experience a broader and deeper sense of ‘belonging’ to a tribe, which provides a sense of security and trust in their lives. And as a result these children are more likely to experience those same feelings of security and belonging in the world as they move through to adulthood.
2- Grandparents have a great amount of experience - As they are powerful models for their grandchildren and from grandparents, children learn both attitudes and values. And Prof. Sc.D. Gordana Buljan Flander points out that We should bear in mind that most children experience their first relationships and connections in their families with their primary carers or persons who take care of them. Such experience is very important because the child transfers it to their future experiences in adolescence and adulthood. Thus parents transfer their own parents’ experience into their relationship with their children.
3- Grandparents can greatly reduce family stress issues - Regarding this matter, there are 2 important considerations: firstly it is pointed out by Susan Adcox, author of the book "Stories From My Grandparent: An Heirloom Journal for Your Grandchild. Grandparents can help grandchildren deal with the stressful world they live in. To begin with, grandparents can be great at detecting when their grandchildren are under pressure. Because they usually don't see them every day, they may notice small changes in behavior or demeanor that parents may miss, because they do see them daily. And secondly, a study at Boston College found that “an emotionally close relationship between grandparent and grandchild is associated with fewer symptoms of depression for both generations.” For kids, having grandparents around means having the perfect companions to play with and have fun. Grandparents are some of the best partners when it comes to using creativity and imagination to discover the wonders of life.
4 - Grandparenthood can improve family relationships - the writer Harleena Singh (Discover Happiness) explain that the better the relationship is between parents and grandparents, the greater the contact and closeness between grandparents and grandchildren. However, it’s up to us parents to convey the message that the role of grandparents in the family is integral to our children’s lives. Even if you don’t have a great relationship with your parents, your kids may still get along well with them.
5 - Grandparents offer an affordable childcare option - it might sound a bit odd, but we have to take into account that nowadays, many families have both parents working. If they are willing and able, having a grandparent act as either an occasional babysitter or a paid childcare provider gives many parents a great sense of comfort knowing that they are leaving their children in capable and caring hands. As the social activist Rudolph Giuliani said “What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.”
My final words:
Don't forget to tell your children, your partner, your parents, your grandparents you love them. Give them a big hug when you see them. Don't forget to tell them that they are the best of Christmas; and as Nelson Rockefeller said: “Never forget that the most powerful force on earth is love”. I hope you found this post useful and informative. I really need your support, as this a self-funding project, so I kindly ask you (if you can or if you wish) to please share this post and subscribe to our mailing list!
References: To see the sources of this article, please click on each link within the text. See you, guys!
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