If you loved the bedtime stories that you and your grandparents spent when you were younger, then you should know that they bring more than benefits other than helping you sleep at night. Spending more time with grandma and grandpa will result to better emotional growth.

If you were lucky to have spent your summers with your grandparents, then you know that these are the best vacations of your life. This is the much-needed time off from your boring daily school work, endless homework, and non-stop chores at home, it is good to have that most-awaited holiday with your grandparents. So if you have kids, do not rob them of their chance to have the same experience.

We don’t need scientific evidence to convince us why the bond between grandparents and grandchildren are so special. Still, experts have conducted numerous research to prove that this relationship can benefit both parties.

Grandma and grandpa are observed to have better mental health and longer lifespan when they have their children and grandchildren around, kids too can benefit from this relationship. It has a huge impact to their emotional growth.

Vanessa Jensen, PsyD from the Cleveland Clinic Children’s points out that spending more time with grandparents can bring number of people who love and care for the child. During her interview with the Cleveland Clinic’s Newsroom, she stated, “The more people who love your child, the better. 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.”

This means that if you have grandparents around and be involved in the process of raising a child, this will give an assurance that your children will always be surrounded by the people who will love them unconditionally. Even if the parents have to be away for days, entrusting the kids to grandma and grandpa, they would make sure that the children will never feel alone or unloved.

Always remember that the feelings of abandonment can have a huge impact on the child’s life, especially with their emotions. This can affect them even if they are still young. This is why Dr. Jensen believes that shaping their personalities like their emotions by having grandparents around them as often as possible, can be a source of comfort for these kids.

In cases where the child is not that exposed to a lot of social interaction or when the parents have to go through a difficult divorce, grandparents can be the child’s source of emotional protection and strength during this tough times.

Dr. Jensen also discussed the ongoing debate regarding some conflicts between parents and grandparents. Grandma and grandpa have the tendency to give more attention and pamper their grandchildren, sometimes more than the parents’ liking. Some parents insist on their children to stick with how they are disciplined at home. This is why it causes conflict between parents and grandparents.

But Jensen assures that letting the child enjoy their time spend with their grandparents gives them the chance to grow up much happier and also emotionally fulfilled. Simply because they are able to enjoy longer playtimes or eat food that are not allowed at home. So setting a few ground rules with grandma and grandpa is very important for the child to have a harmonious environment.