According to science, grandparents who watch their grandkids live in average 5 years more.
Many parents struggle with parental duties and a lot of times, grandparents are there to help them take a break. They love taking care of the little bundles of joy.
But, some parents often feel guilty when they ask from their parents to babysit; however, you may think twice the next time because science indicates grandparents benefit from caring for their grandkids when done in balance.
Study Claims Grandparents Benefit from Babysitting
The study which was published in the Evolution and Human Behavior journal found that grandparents who provided some care to their grandkids had a reduced risk of death over a period of 20 years than the ones who didn’t have any caregiving roles.
The data which was analyzed was from the Berlin Aging Study which followed the health of more than 500 individuals aged 70 or older.
How Does Babysitting Prolong Your Parents’ Life?
According to Roman Factora, a doctor from the Cleveland Clinic, it’s probably because as we age, we want to remain active and socially engaged. We need cognitive stimulation as we because this helps us age well.
However, this study isn’t the first to show a connection between longevity and babysitting. A 2016 study published in the Evolution and Human Behavior journal had the similar conclusion from previous data analysis from the Berlin Aging study.
That study found that the grandparents who took care of their grandchildren lived 5 years more on average than those who didn’t.
Babysitting isn’t just Beneficial for Grandparents
The study from the Evolution and Human Behavior also concluded that older adults who helped take care for unrelated children also benefitted in terms of longevity.
And, the same goes for those people without children-childless adults who provide childcare lived three years longer average.
However, knowing this, it doesn’t mean you should constantly give your children over to your grandparents.
Moderate care does have health benefits; however, studies have also found that informal caregivers can experience psychological and physical stress from excessive involvement and consequently struggle with negative health effects, especially if a caregiver has anxiety or depression.
Balance is key.
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