For the last two weeks, Squish has been surrounded by all four of her grandparents. It was the first time Elsa had met my mum and dad, who flew in to the United States all the way from Australia.

I had long anticipated my daughter meeting ‘Gran’ and ‘Pa’. Seeing them interact with each other for the first time and grow closer over the last fortnight was a precious experience.

Elsa, who is now walking constantly so long as there are hands to hold her up, recruited Pa every minute of the day to walk laps around the house, the park or any other venue we visited. She worked out very quickly what kind of facial expressions and noises to make to get a laugh out of Gran.

It was a ‘God wink’ that Elsa’s dedication happened to fall on the first Sunday my parents were in town; that they were present for (American) Father’s Day; and that Elsa took her first fully independent steps on their last night in town.

Building Bonds

We enjoyed a packed two weeks, exploring much of Wisconsin together. By the end of their time with Squish, my mum was running out of adjectives to describe her effervescent personality, and my dad said that meeting Elsa was the highlight of his time here.

Now Elsa has a reference point for Gran and Pa that we hope to maintain until she sees them again.

Squish is incredibly blessed to have four living grandparents — and spoilt rotten to enjoy dedicated attention from all of them these last two weeks. She truly had them wrapped around her little finger.

In describing the benefits of the grandparent-grandchild relationship, health writer Lisa Esposito explains:

For kids, grandparents provide stability, safety, wisdom and fun. In return, caring for grandchildren can help stave off depression, boost social connections and keep older adults mentally sharp. Research shows proven health benefits… from this important family relationship.

She spoke with Susan Newman, a social psychologist, who describes grandparents as a “security blanket”:

“If there’s somebody they trust and know is always on their side, that’s a huge emotional plus for the child. They have somebody around who’s comforting; who hugs them and sits with them and reads with them.”

Grandparents often have “infinite patience”, Newman explains, and often more time to spare than parents do in such a busy stage of life. To these benefits, we might add that grandparents offer a wealth of wisdom and life experience, give unconditional love and emotional support, often serve as role models and mentors, and contribute to the stability and continuity of family traditions and values.

Win-Win

It is not just grandchildren who benefit from the relationship, however, according to Esposito:

Watching grandchildren on a weekly basis may also boost grandparents’ brain function. A study published in 2014 in the Journal of Marriage and the Family analyzed data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe…

Another study, published in the Journal of the North American Menopause Society, found the highest cognitive scores among older women who spent one day weekly babysitting their grandchildren.

Esposito cautions that too much responsibility passed off to grandparents can take a toll on the older generation. And of course, parents should be wary of exploiting the generosity of their children’s grandparents — not to mention cautious about all the sweets and treats their children are likely to be fed!

But with these caveats in mind, grandparents are an immense blessing to young children.

And I’m glad my daughter has finally met all four of hers. Here’s to lots of fun family times to come.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.