Tell Grandma! Babysitting the Kids Might Be Good for Her Brain

Grandmas don’t usually need a reason to spend time with their grandkids. But if she ever needs some prodding . . .

A new study found grandparents might reap some HEALTH BENEFITS from babysitting their grandkids. (That’s assuming the multiple strains of FLU your kids are harboring don’t take them down first.)

Researchers found that grandmas who do a lot of babysitting tend to be sharper MENTALLY than grandmas who don’t. Grandfathers see an effect too, just not as much.

Maybe DON’T tell them this next part: It’s not exactly settled science. The researchers admitted they’re not sure if it actually CAUSES that boost, or if it’s just a coincidence.

It’s possible that wrangling kids keeps their brain more active. Or, mentally sharp grandparents might just be more likely to take on those babysitting duties. (So, they’re not sure if it’s “causation or correlation.”)

Either way, they found GRANDFATHERS don’t see quite the same effect. It might help, just not as much . . . possibly because they’re less hands-on.

They found men tend to fill a more “peripheral and supportive role” when watching the grandkids. So, grandmas do the heavy lifting.

(StudyFinds)
Photo by Ekaterina Shakharova on Unsplash