Caring for grandchildren has unexpected benefits for the brain

There is an idea that is often repeated in many homes: when grandchildren arrive, grandparents light up and the house fills with laughter. And also, as has just been shown, with health. The latter is not just a romantic metaphor about family affection, which is also very important for individual well-being, but a scientific hypothesis that has just received solid empirical support. Older adults who help care for their grandchildren have better cognitive function and less mental deterioration over time. This is the conclusion of a study published inPsychology and Aging by behavioral science specialist Yvonne Brehmer and her collaborators from various universities and research centers in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden.To reach this conclusion, they have analyzed data from almost 3,000 grandparents participating in the so-called Longitudinal Study on Aging, conducted in England. These researchers have taken advantage of the surveys and cognitive tests carried out between 2017 and 2022 on people over 50 years old participating in the aforementioned aging study. What they discovered is surprising. Those grandparents who, at some point in the previous year, had played with their grandchildren, done leisure activities with them, helped with homework, or with any other daily task, obtained higher scores in memory and verbal fluency tests than those who had not. A difference that is maintained even after adjusting personal data based on factors such as age or general health status, which further reinforces the idea that it is not just that the "healthiest" people are the ones who look after their grandchildren, but that looking after them favors their health.

A natural brain training

One of the most interesting findings of this study is that the cause is not the amount of time spent together. In fact, it is not necessary to look after them for a long time or do specific activities for this cognitive benefit to appear. The authors have observed that being a caregiver grandparent in itself is associated with better mental functioning, regardless of the intensity or nature of the tasks performed with the grandchildren. This suggests that what matters is not the quantity but the act of participating: the role of a grandparent involved in the lives of children generates mental, emotional, social, and intellectual stimulation that acts as a kind of natural brain training. To understand why caring for children can influence cognition, let's think of the brain as a muscle. Just as when we do moderate exercise we strengthen our muscles and improve circulation and other physiological functions, when we interact with other people, solve problems, help with homework, or simply follow a lively conversation, we are engaging and strengthening neural circuits involved in memory, attention, language, and planning. And, furthermore, in this case, they tend to generate feelings of well-being and reward, which are very motivating.For older adults, these external stimuli can act as an informal, yet powerful, therapy against cognitive decline, which, with age, tends to appear gradually in many people. This cerebral and mental gymnastics can help keep the brain active and flexible for longer.

Favors women more

This study also revealed a recurring pattern in various research on aging and social life: older women who care for their grandchildren seem to experience more cognitive benefit than men in the same situation. Participating grandmothers showed less cognitive decline over time compared to those who did not care for grandchildren, a relationship that became clearer over the years of follow-up. This phenomenon could be related to various social and cultural factors, such as the traditional role of many women in education and family interactions, but it can also reflect differences in how men and women emotionally and socially process the role of caregiver. In any case, more research is needed to unravel these dynamics, but the results are clear: the experience of acting as grandmothers and grandfathers positively impacts the brain.

The study not only provides scientific data but also offers us a humanistic view on aging. We live in societies where getting old is often associated with a loss of abilities, autonomy, and social connections. And undoubtedly, adding years brings these effects. However, this new study emphasizes the active, social, and cognitive value of older people. Participating in family life, engaging in intergenerational activities, and maintaining meaningful connections is not only emotionally rewarding but can also be a strategy for sustaining and enhancing mental health over the years.