Parenting is a difficult yet wonderful job. We love our kids more than we ever knew it was possible to love, but there are still those days when we’re thankful for a helping hand or a night out without kids.
If you ever feel conflicted about wanting to spend some time without your kids, don’t, especially if your parents are willing to babysit.
Families are truly blessed when they have grandparents who visit, help out and spend time with their grandkids. There are multiple studies that show this to be true. For starters, a study from the University of Oxford found that when grandkids spend time with their grandparents, they are better adjusted socially and emotionally. This same study found that children really enjoy spending time with their grandparents.
From personal experience, this feel true. We remember spending time with our grandparents when we were children, and we have many fond memories. We loved hearing the stories they would tell us about our parents, and we loved the fun activities we would do together. Let’s face it, parents are busy. Sometimes grandparents have more time to play.
Now, there’s a new study from the University of Oxford that gives even more reason to send our kids to Grandma’s house for the weekend. Professor Ann Buchanan conducted a study that included more than 1500 children, and she found that the children “with a high level of grandparental involvement had fewer emotional and behavioural problems.”
This same study found that when parents go through a divorce or decide to separate, it’s less traumatic for children who spend time with their grandparents. Kimberly Agresta, Englewood’s Agresta Psychotherapy Group’s co-founder, backs up this study. She says that when children spend time with their grandparents “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.”
Professor Buchanan also looked at the impact of grandmothers spending time with their grandchildren verses grandfathers spending time with their grandchildren. It turns out that while there are benefits to both, grandmothers and grandfathers tend to interact with their grandchildren slightly differently. Specifically, “grandmothers are more involved in nurturing, grandfathers get involved in activities and mentoring.”
Sounds like it’s very important to let our kids spend time with their grandparents. In fact, you should feel guilty at all for letting your parents or in-laws watch your kids. Your children will benefit immensely. Calling the in-laws now.
Do you remember spending time with your grandparents when you were a child? Do your children spend much time with their grandparents? Will this study data impact how much time your children spend with their grandparents?