The Unbreakable Bond between Grandparents and Grandchildren

​Becoming a grandparent has been such an honor that we dedicated the Peanut Story to our grandchildren. It reads: “We dedicate this book to all of our little “peanuts” and wish for them special and enduring friendships like the one their grandmothers shared with each other.”

It’s true that my sister and I were best friends growing up. We shared a bedroom, clothes, friends, and so much more. Now we get to share in the joy of being grandmothers and we have found this role to be very different from being mothers – but equally as important.

We are, of course, available when possible to lend a hand and provide caregiving to our grandchildren in order to help our hard-working, but sometimes harried, children. However, we have found – and the research agrees – that the role of grandparents goes beyond just being another adult in the lives of the children. Grandparents can have a substantial impact on the growth and development of young children.

The extra hugs and cuddles from grandparents can go a long way in providing emotional support and adding an extra sense of security in a young child’s life. Additional emotional care can be achieved by the simple act of a grandparent listening carefully to their grandchild, and then, in return, sharing their wisdom and experiences.

Statistically, children with a strong bond with their grandparents grow to have fewer mental health struggles and have higher academic achievement. Some of this is related to the additional nurturing that grandparents offer. However, grandparents can also help foster new interests and hobbies by taking their grandchildren on adventures and experiences they may otherwise not receive.

Grandparents may also serve as role models for young children and can expose them to unique perspectives that can only come from an older, seasoned person. And the interactions between grandchildren and their grandparents appear to help with the development of social skills in children, such as compassion and understanding others.

Both my sister and I loved being young mothers to our children, and we both grieved that role, while simultaneously celebrating, when our children reached adulthood and independence. Neither of us ever considered how much we would fall in love with this new stage in our lives.  But we learned from the best – our Nana had that unusual combination of spunk and gentle love for us. And she taught us how to play Pinochle, make a mean spaghetti sauce, and laugh loudly without hesitation or embarrassment. We hope each of you also had a special grandparent in your life. In fact, it was the arrival of our first grandchildren that motivated us to create the Little Honey’s Little Adventures book series. We wanted to share some of our life experiences with them - and with any other children open to listening and learning from our stories.
​
My sister goes by Yia Yia and I found a book to give her grandchildren called My Yia Yia Loves Me but there are a plethora of children’s books about the relationship between grandchildren and grandparents. Do you have any favorites? Feel free to share in the comment section!