And according to a study conducted with older women, taking care of grandkids isn’t just a godsend for busy working adults; it can also keep grandparents’ minds sharp and reduce dementia.
Examining a fairly small cohort of 186 postmenopausal women in Australia, the authors found that some interaction with grandchildren was beneficial. “The data suggest that the highest cognitive performance is demonstrated by postmenopausal women who spend 1 day/week minding grandchildren,” they stated.
The women in the study ranged from age 57 to 68. The results should be good news for baby boomers who are increasingly called up to do childcare duty.
The study in Menopause found that taking care of grandkids one day a week not only helped older women with symbolic and math skills but also assisted with verbal abilities. This might come as no surprise to those who interact with talkative toddlers on a regular basis.
While more research needs to be done on grandparenting and Alzheimer’s specifically, it is clear that getting involved with grandchildren is a great way for older people to stay healthy. A study in the Journal of Evolution and Human Behavior on elderly people in Europe (from ages 70 to 100) found that involvement with childcare led to lower mortality levels.
What might be more surprising, the study found that “the effect of caregiving extended to non-grandparents and to childless older adults who helped beyond their families.” This study looked at men and women, showing that grandpas can also benefit from the same mechanisms.
One commonality for all studies, though, is that too much responsibility for children can stress grandparents out and make their health outcomes worse. The study in Menopause found that if older women were involved in childcare five days a week, their performance on cognitive skills tests went down.
So it seems like a moderate amount of childcare experience can be great for grandparents, but having to be “parents” all over again is too tiring and stressful.
As Sonja Hilbrand explained to Reuters, “as long as you do not feel stressed about the intensity of help you provide you may be doing something good for others as well as for yourself.” Good news for grandparents—and of course their grandkids, alike.