The Special Relationship between Grandparents and Grandkids

While I can’t speak for all seniors, I will say among my circle of friends and acquaintances, talking about our grandchildren is a common topic.  For many of us, our grandchildren add a whole new component to our lives, and we have learned firsthand that the bond between grandparents and grandkids is a very special one.  

This may be because a grandparent’s role is more about enjoying time spent with the grandchildren and a lot less about discipline and rules.  That job we gladly leave to mom and dad.  Right from the beginning, we are the fresh pair of hands that walks a fretful grandbaby until they fall asleep.  As they grow older, many grandparents delight in taking the grandkids on   “adventures” such as trips to the neighborhood park, an animated movie, visits to the dinosaur exhibit, or a meal at their favorite restaurant.  

In addition grandkids are a great excuse to share hobbies that as retirees we now have more time to do from craft projects to baking, dancing, playing a musical instrument, photography, fishing, etc.  Most kids are happy to create a masterpiece from paper, finger paints, or crayons; paste on googly eyes to create a sock puppet; or decorate a box for their treasures.   Baking is another fun activity, and depending on their ages, they love to decorate a batch of homemade cookies, build a gingerbread house, or work alongside grandma to bake a cake or pie.  Having young ones around also helps to make holidays more magical as we see it through their innocent eyes.  Trimming a Christmas tree and decorating the house with holiday cheer is a whole lot more fun with young ones.    

Grandkids also give us the chance to lovingly remember the time we spent raising our own family.  Moreover if we missed out on things with our own children due to a busy career and other obligations that come along with being a parent, we are given an opportunity for a redo.  

Another great thing about hands-on grandparenting is it turns out it is beneficial for seniors.  A recent study from the National Health Service reports that grandparents who babysit their grandchildren had a 37 percent chance of living longer when compared to non-caregiving grandparents and non-grandparents.  It just might be grandchildren are our reward for raising our own children, and while many of us are taking a break from in-person visits with grandkids due to COVID, thankfully we have lots of ways to stay in touch.    

MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Des Moines – West Des Moines has to offer.