In older times there was an unwritten social contract that children would be taken care of by grandparents and would have a major say in their development and caring. However, due to irreversible changes, that world is vanishing fast. People nowadays, mostly live in nuclear families with working couples in a Big city in an atomized setting.

We realize that having grandparents living with you only to take care of kids is not the most realistic scenario for many people, but here we list the reasons why, if possible, you should try to get your children to spend more time with grandparents and appreciate how important they are for the kids:

Why Children Need Grandparents?

1. Daycare abuse and bullying is more worrisome than you think: With rising cost of living, many couples have to work full time jobs to just make it in the city. This causes people to drop their children off at daycare for most of the day. Now, the hysteria about abuse by daycare workers is exaggerated, but there is a kernel of truth to it, there is a chance (small but not insignificant) that your child will be abused by daycare workers. Add to this there is rampant bullying at daycares where older children frequently bully and abuse younger ones. According to National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) children who spend more than 30 hours a week tend to be more antisocial and aggressive towards their peers. Needless to say, having Grandparents around not only removes the chances of your child being abused, but also reduces the likelihood of them developing personality problems.
2. Happier Children: A study by the Oxford University found that children with involved grandparents grow up significantly happier than ones that do not. The study, however mentioned that simple contact was not enough and Grandparents had to be actively involved in the child’s life to have a positive effect on their happiness and well-being. In today’s day and age where depression has become a lifestyle you could be depriving your child of a leg up if you keep them away from their Grandparents.
3. Instill better values in kids: A study by the BYU School of Family reports that children with involved Grandparents tend to develop more desirable qualities like kindness. Having involved Grandparents in your child’s life makes them, develop pro-social traits and on a more cynical note, increased kindness in your children also makes it more likely for your child to care for you, so there is not only the child’s benefit involved but also that of the parents.
4. Stable homes: Like it or not divorce and separation have become a specter that haunts many people. Due to the myriad stresses and tolls modern life inflicts on people, many relationships just crack despite people’s best efforts. Sadly, a broken home is just about the worst thing that can happen to a child. According to Office for National statistics (UK) children who grow up in broken homes are five times more likely to develop mental problems than average, they are also nine times more likely to commit crime. Grandparents can greatly shield the children from the consequences of a broken marriage and blunt the negative effects that might have on the kids. So if your marriage is not doing well then involving your parents can make all the difference in your kid’s life.
5. Chances are you might need financial assistance for kids: Due to economic uncertainties and job insecurity there is an increase in the number of parents who need financial assistance to raise kids. A study undertaken by the University of Chicago shows that 62% of grandparents have provided financial aid for grandchildren and that number is only increasing. This shows the selfless nature of the grandparents and the increased likelihood that you might need their help to raise the kids thus showing that children need grandparents.
6. Healthier kids: According to a study undertaken by Boston university, close relationship between grandparents and kids leads to decreased likelihood of depression among kids. The big news to come out the study is that the positive health effects of involved grandparents have long term benefits that continue well into adulthood.
7. Grandparents really care about the kids: This study is in the realm of Freakonomics but despite the universal fact that old people make poor drivers, a study published in the Pediatrics medical journal found that children are 50% less likely to be hurt in an accident with grandparents as drivers than they are with their own parents. This statistic can only make sense if we realize how much grandparents care about the kids and the extreme caution they take for them, do you really want to deprive your kids of that?