Leisure time helps maintain bonds with adult grandchildren
A Canadian study has confirmed an old adage: A family that plays together stays together.
“Leisure is vital in the formation of bonds that last from generation to generation,” says lead author, Shannon Hebblethwaite, a Professor in Concordia University’s Department of Applied Human Sciences.
“Shared leisure time allows grandchildren and their grandparents to establish common interests that, in turn, enable them to develop strong intergenerational relationships.”
Published in Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, the study builds on previous research that found healthy intergenerational connections help grandparents age better and feel more positively about life.
This new study is among the first to examine a cohort of grandchildren and their grandparents.
“Most studies look into parenting, children or seniors. Few have examined how leisure contributes to the bonds between adult grandchildren and grandparents in the same family,” Professor Hebblethwaite said.
Exchanging with youth can be a catalyst for discovery among seniors. Some grandparents learned about email, video-conferencing or technology through their grandchildren to stay connected with them.
Forging strong ties with the matriarch or patriarch of a clan is beneficial for grandchildren, too, and can sharpen their sense of empathy, says Professor Hebblethwaite.
“After being doted on as kids, adult grandchildren have an opportunity to shift that dynamic and give back to their grandparents.”
