Windows Magazine SY 18-19 Windows Magazine SY 18-19 | Page 4

7 Reasons why kids
Grandparents offer kids
much more than a kindly pat on the
head and home-baked cookies.
Research is increasingly proving
that children who enjoy active
relationships with their grandparents
reap multiple benefits, from gaining
a sense of family history to being
happier than those who grow up
without access to their parents’
parents. Here are a few of the many
reasons you should be glad if your
child has grandparents in his or her
life.
Values and Wisdom
You do your best to instill values
and morality in your children, and
it’s true that parents are the biggest
i n fl u e n c e i n a c h i l d ’ s l i f e .
Grandparents have a key role to
play in a child’s value development
as well. The stories, lessons, and
wisdom grandparents share about
life can have a significant impact on
your child’s moral development.
Pillars of Support
Grandparents are always there to
lend support when a child needs to
cry or complain—even if the child is
complaining about you. This can
work to your advantage: when a
child is convinced you’re being
horribly unfair, grandparents offer a
sympathetic ear, but can have a
good chance of explaining your
reasoning in a way children are
more willing to hear.
Grandparents Make Great Friends
As a parent, you can’t always be
your child’s friend, and other
children’s friendships often come
with peer pressure and
expectations. Grandparents don’t
have to worry about school or social
situations as much as you do, and
offer companionship without peer
pressure.
Mentors
Children are eager to learn new
skills, and grandparents can make
excellent mentors. Perhaps your
father has a way of teaching a child
to tie shoes that works better than
yours. Perhaps Grandma has more
time to help a child with math
homework than tired parents. Or
maybe a child discovers a love of
woodworking, sewing, or heck,
particle physics because of a skill
they admire in a grandparent.
offers a delightful description of
how much your child loves nana