A remarkable American study at Brigham Young University finds that grandparents are very important with respect to the role they play in their grandchildren’s lives. The report makes it clear that they play a key role in the happiness of their grandchildren. Author Jeremy Yorgasun, assistant professor in The School of Family Life, says:
“The emotional relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren can significantly affect the children’s academic, psychological and social development. Grandparents matter above and beyond parents, they are an important resource.”
The study found that when grandparents are more involved in their grandchildren’s lives, the kids tend to be more social, and also more engaged in school activities. They were more likely to develop pro-social skills, which is vitally important for their social development. Things like showing compassion for others was noted as evident among this group.
According to the study, income is not a factor in these close bonds between grandparent and grandchild. Not only that, but it is also of little consequence whether or not the family is a one-parent or two-parent family.
It did find; however, that grandparents who live with their grandchildren are not quite as close to them as those who don’t live with their grandchildren. This is probably because the grandparent who resides with the children plays a role in discipline, while the others don’t. Grandparents who are non-resident are also more likely to promote positive development than those who live with their grandchildren.
Read more here.