Beyond adding joy to grandparent’s lives, babysitting grandchildren has now been shown to increase cognitive functions and reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s according to a new study published by the journal of the North American Menopause Society (Source).

The study which followed 120 grandparents in Australia found grandmothers who babysat one day per week scored higher on a range of cognitive tests. One caveat, filed under “everything in moderation” found that grandmother’s that babysat five or more days per week performed lower on cognitive tests.

There is a wide body of research that shows regular social interaction helps seniors stay mentally healthier. Many grandparents report increased levels of life satisfaction from minding grandchildren stemming from feeling needed and increased life purpose to more importantly giving and receiving love.