6 reasons why your child needs to spend time with grandparents

After you its grandparents who are most important for your children. Here are few reasons why your child needs a grandparent

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: March 20, 2015 5:57 pm

Tags: Children's behaviour Family Health

Grandparents are always fun to be with. They shower love and affection without expecting a thing in return from your children. Sadly in today’s world where large families are disintegrating into nuclear ones, children miss out on spending enough time with their elders and remain off limits from that sweet shower of love that they could have otherwise enjoyed from their grandparents.

While the busy life that we live today keeps us from reuniting with the extended families more often, know that you need to reach out to the older generation actively at least for the sake of your child. Spending time with grandparents plays an important role in their well-being and also shapes their character and personality in many ways. Here are few of the things that only grandparents can give to your child.

They teach values and morals: As parents you are doing your best to impart good morals and values to your child and nobody doubts your intentions. However, the lessons that grandparents can teach children are more deep and profound in many ways. The simple reason is that the wisdom that they have gained after years of experience and hard work is no match to what you have just learned trying to keep up with the tough competition and demands of your fast paced life. There is no denying that experience and age has a lot to do with the wisdom that grandparents posses. So those little pearls of wisdom that grandparents dole out to your child through stories, morals, advice or simple talks is definitely going to shape his thoughts and reflect in his personality later. The more time your child spends with his grandparents, chances are he learns to pick up those valuable lessons of life from the wise men and women that will help him in the long run.

They are the best caregivers after parents: You do not have to worry much about your child’s welfare when he is with his grandparents. This is because the love and affection that they can extend towards your child remains unparalleled to any other kind that would come their way from other members of the family or even close friends. No matter what your equation is with them, you can rest assured that the bond your child shares with his grandparents is much stronger and deeper than you think.

They stand to be like a pillar of support: Every parent knows that dealing with kids isn’t an easy job, especially when it comes to handling their tantrums. This is a tricky part of parenting where parents are often baffled when it comes to countering toddler or even teen tantrums. While you have to be firm and strong on your decisions to discipline your kid, you may never know how it affects and hurts your child deep within. Though you will get along with your child soon and forget all about the tantrums, at that moment when you try to discipline your child it might be heart wrenching for him. He will always need someone to fall back on. Grandparents are the only ones who can fill up this gap. Crying to someone or simply whining and complaining to your heart’s satisfaction is one comfort that only grandparents can provide. They also posses the skill to reason out your actions to them in a more assuring and affectionate manner. This communication gap between you and your child can only be resolved by a grandparent. So even if you don’t see it straight, your equation with your child improves a lot if there is the intervention of a grandparent at times.

They are always there for them: As a parent you can take your child’s tantrums and whining only to a certain extent. This is still justifiable, as there are other things in life that would vie for your attention. However, your child needs attention every moment of his growing up years to feel loved and wanted. When parents move a step down, it is grandparents who take the brunt of a child’s tantrum and whining. Allow your child to cry his heart out to his grandparents and don’t think that this little extra attention will make your kid a spoilt brat. In fact, absence of loving people around when in need makes a child turn aggressive and hostile.

They understand you like no other friend: Having friends is important in life, but remember, friends are not found in the confines of the house. Sometimes a friendly connection at home helps to restore mental agility and is a great stress buster too. Of course your child finds a friend in you and that is the basis of all healthy parent-child relationships, but they know that grandparents also make great friends. Probably they are the only friends with whom they can have a steady relationship without the tag or pressure of any expectation. Grandparents rarely bother about the grades or other social parameters that as parents, you so worry about. Such kind of a relationship gives your child a healthy environment to thrive in and imparts better cognitive and social behaviour.

Their love and affection is limitless: There aren’t many words in the world to describe the love of grandparents for their grandchildren. It is the one love that your child enjoys without any underlying promises. This love that comes to them is pure and touches their hearts deep inside. If love has any role to play in transforming your child into a good human-being, remember the love of grandparents has the most positive effect on them. Grandparents just love their grandchildren to the fullest, no matter what.

Image source: Getty images

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Published : August 4, 2014 2:09 pm | Updated:March 20, 2015 5:57 pm

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