There are few greater joys than having the privilege of being a grandparent. For many, this is a beautiful opportunity to help to raise children again. Often, many parents lead busy lives when they have a young family. Lots of older people will look back on their younger years and wish they had spent more time playing and enjoying life with their children. Often when you are older, you have more disposable income and time, to lather your grandchildren in love and spoil them rotten! In many countries and cultures, grandparents are the main people who look after younger children every day, as their parents want or need to return to work quickly. While it can simply be wonderful to spend time with your grandchildren, did you know there are lots of health benefits associated with being a grandparent?
Spending time with your grandchildren can help you prevent sad emotions and depression, while helping you to boost social connections and keep your brain ticking over. There has been scientific research that proves the health benefits of grandparent/grandchild relationships. Not only does looking after grandchildren feel like a great thing to do, it does improve mental ability. It has a good effect on verbal fluency as well as your memory! And it is incredible for your grandchildren too. There is a tone of proven health benefits for them as well, but perhaps most importantly they have a much better view of the elderly, than their peers who don’t spend time with their grandparents.
As a grandparent you can not only have fun with your grandchildren and connect with them, you can also teach them valuable life lessons. You can show them important values and morals. You have lots of wisdom to impart and life experience, so you can share your thoughts and reflect with your grandchildren. They will quickly pick up on how you act and behave and will learn to copy. And not only are you helping your grandchildren, but you are also a great support to your own children. It is often hard and demanding being a parent and juggling many aspects of life. Being there as an extra pair of hands and an additional amount of love can be a real life-saver for many parents.
There are just so many quality activities you can do with your grandchildren. And they don’t all have to be active and energetic! Take reading for example. If you read on your own, it can be quite a quiet, lonely activity. But if you add grandchildren to the activity, suddenly it is a fun shared experience of adventure and imagination! There is a lot more fun to be had spending time storytelling with your grandchildren, rather than leaving them to their iPads. In this area of the world near Bestland, the lake is a great place to spend time having fun with your grandchildren. You can take them out on a boat trip, go fishing or have a pleasant walk on the water’s edge. As a grandparent, you are in a position to be able to teach them new skills, tell them about the past and shower them with love. With all of the lakes in the nearby area, you can take your grandchildren on adventure hunts and wildlife walks. These are probably things they may have never done before, or their parents don’t have time to do. You can teach them all about the local wildlife and plants! The area around Bestland is a beautiful place. There are many parks in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho that are wonderful for children. You can take them to enjoy the swings and slides, or take them to the vast open space greenery parks for a runaround. Coeur d’Alene is filling up with families who are moving to the area for the great outdoors, so it is well set up for lots of things that children can do.
So, if you are a grandparent, make sure you spend time with your grandchildren. Not only will you see health benefits for yourself, you will also see them for your grandchildren. Connecting with them and spending time with them is important for you both, and you will have so much fun along the way as well!
