5 Benefits Grandchildren Can Bring to Their Grandparents
Do not underestimate the few hours you
spend with your grandparents on a regular basis. They can provide them with
numerous benefits, including refreshing their memory, protecting them from
dementia, and making them feel warmth, affection, and care.
At this stage of life, a grandfather or grandmother is in great need of someone who appreciates them,
listens to them, hears their stories, and engages in conversation with them.
This can dispel their feelings of isolation and depression and give them a
renewed sense of hope and energy to continue living.
Psychiatric experts emphasize that a
warm relationship with grandparents gives them a greater ability to communicate
and provides psychological and social stimulation. Communication with
grandchildren also gives them a sense of belonging and brings joy to their
hearts.
One of the serious mistakes
grandchildren make is bringing their smartphones with them when visiting their
grandparents and then becoming occupied with calls, texts, social media, and
videos. This can make older people feel unappreciated and that the phone has
become more important than maintaining family ties. They may even see such
behavior as an insult to their old age.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, said: “He is not one of us who does
not have mercy on our young and does not respect our elders.” (Hadith Sahih)
He also said: “Glorifying Allah involves showing honour to a
grey-haired Muslim.” (Reported by
Abu Dawud)
This emphasizes to every grandchild
the importance, virtue, and great value of honoring grandparents.
Benefits Grandchildren Can
Provide to Their Grandparents
Here are 5 benefits that every grandchild
can provide their grandparents:
1. Social Interaction Can
Support Cognitive and Mental Health
Psychiatric experts recommend that
grandchildren maintain regular communication with their grandparents. They
emphasize that this communication can be part of supporting dementia care, and
that social interaction, reduced feelings of loneliness, and moderate
participation in caring for grandchildren may support the mental and cognitive
health of elders.
2. Grandchildren Can Give
Grandparents Hope and Positive Energy
A grandchild can give a grandfather or
grandmother reasons for hope, movement, and interaction by providing them with
positive energy.
Recent studies indicate that a close
relationship between grandparents and grandchildren may be associated with
higher levels of optimism and hope among older adults, while grandchildren
benefit from their grandparents’ experiences and family memories.
3. Grandchildren Can
Strengthen Emotional Connection and Empathy
A grandfather or grandmother tends to
share in a grandchild’s emotional state. If the grandchild appears happy, the
grandparent feels that happiness, and if the grandchild appears enthusiastic,
that enthusiasm is reflected in the grandparent.
A study from Emory University in the
state of Georgia found that brain scans of 50 biological grandmothers, while
they viewed photographs of their grandchildren, showed stronger activity in
areas of the brain associated with emotional empathy, emotional processing, and
movement.
4. Caring for Grandchildren
May Support Memory and Verbal Skills
A recent study published this year,
involving 2,887 grandparents over the age of 50 in England, found that
participants who were involved in caring for their grandchildren achieved
better results in memory and verbal fluency tests.
This supports the importance of
grandparents participating in raising their grandchildren and involving them in
the process of education and caregiving, according to Al Jazeera.
5. Grandchild Care May Be
Associated With a Lower Risk of Dementia
A study involving 10,058 older adults
in China found that caring for grandchildren for between one and 39 hours per
week was associated with lower odds of dementia, as well as reduced feelings of
loneliness, according to JAMA Network Open.
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