The Importance Of Grandparents In Your Child’s Life

Indian families and multigenerational households have always gone hand-in-hand. However, with young professionals flocking to metropolitan cities in the quest of making a living and creating nuclear families in the process, the concept of living with one’s parents seems to be diminishing by the day.

But apart from you and your partner, the only people who genuinely love and care for your children are their grandparents. And here’s why grandparents are so important.

Quality time for your child

Families have evolved, and parents may not be able to spend as much time with their children when compared to the older times. This is when grandparents come to the rescue and make up for the quality family time that children crave. They provide a sense of belonging to your child and are the closest alternative to fill up your and your partner’s shoes during the busy hours of the day. Whether it is dropping your child off at an after-school day-care program or indulging in fun summer activities to keep them busy, they are more than willing to be part of your little one’s life.

A repository of knowledge and experience

 The importance of grandparents is often underrated. For starters, they come with decades of hands-on experience in parenting. From dealing with temperamental toddlers to moody teenagers, they have gone through it all. It is always comforting to know that you have your parents or your partner’s parents to reach out to for parental advice on a tricky situation, whether it is coming up with natural cures for a fever or home remedies for a cough and cold. They also come with the added benefit of knowing how to handle your child as they have interacted with them since birth.

An anchor of support

It is a no-brainer that supporting your child through thick and thin is one of the primary rules of parenting. Who can provide better emotional and physical support than a loving grandparent? In today’s fast-paced world, children are often confronted with many life-changing situations like settling into a new preschool or even the sudden loss of a loved one. Knowing that you have a comforting grandparent to bank on is a blessing in disguise as grandparents understand the language of love and encouragement.

Learning important life lessons

As the saying goes, the most valuable lessons in life are free. Grandparents are the best teachers when it comes to learning valuable lessons like charity, being polite or even basic etiquette like being respectful to your neighbours. They shower your kids with love but also know when to pull strings when the going gets tough. Additionally, grandparents are often known to entertain children with stories of family history with a valuable lesson thrown in, accompanied by a good laugh.

A break from technology and gadgets

Today’s digital age sure has spoilt us for choice with a range of devices for our convenience and an app for literally every action we perform. However, the downfall of this is that children often resort to digital gadgets like smartphones and tablets to entertain themselves and keep themselves occupied. No matter how informative or educational the movies or online games are, they are ultimately harming your child’s eyes and curbing their mental development. Even if parents make their peace with digital gadgets and resort to them to comfort their children, grandparents are known to be staunch believers in keeping children away from too much technology. They will encourage children to adopt creative methods of keeping busy like painting, helping around in the kitchen, connecting with Mother Nature or even just having an engaging conversation on the good old rocking chair.

A balance between strict and lenient parenting

The importance of grandparents often lies in the fact that they strike a balance in your child’s life, especially when the child is looking for a much-needed break from worldly competition. As parents, we tend to make up a strict schedule for our children to teach them discipline and time management. However, grandparents, on the other hand, nurture the child in them and let them bend the rules a little bit, coining the phrase – what happens in grandma’s house, stays in grandma’s house. They know when your child needs a time-out but also ensure the little one does not get too comfortable during the break. This way, your child will also be able to cherish these childhood memories and share them with their children and grandchildren.

A sense of purpose for grandparents

The beauty of grandparents is that they love doing what they do. They see your children as an extension of you and are happy to help raise them. It also keeps them active and energised along with the added benefit of having a little angel to give them company and share their life stories and experiences with. Additionally, spending time with your child pushes them to come up with creative ideas to keep the little one busy and helps them think out of the box, stimulating their mental health in the process.

With all these reasons, it is safe to say that the importance of grandparents in your child’s life is much more than you can fathom. Living in a multigenerational household can be highly beneficial for your child, your partner, you and your child’s grandparents.