Babysitting Your Grandchildren Makes You Live Longer, According to Science

Babysitting Your Grandchildren Makes You Live Longer, According to Science Sure exercise and a healthy diet can add years to ones life and, evidently, so can babysitting grandchildren. According to recent research, grandparents who watch their grandchildren live another five years on average. When you think about how much exercise it is to run around chasing a toddler, the science isnt all that surprising. But theres mora to the science than just keeping physically active grandparents who babysit are more socially engaged and cognitively stimulated, as well.The study, published inEvolution and menschenwrdig Behavior,analyzed data from theBerlin Aging Study, which tracked the health outcomes of more than 500 people ages 70 years and older.In the original main study (which took place between 1990 and 1993), researchers closely examined a core sample of 516 individuals in 14 sessions, covering their mental and physical health, their psychological functioning and their social and econo mic situation. Since then, surviving participants have been reexamined seven times, as the study has been continued as a longitudinal study.By looking at the data, the new research found that babysitting grandkids or providing at least some level of care for them actually lowered those adults risks of death over a 20-year period.In fact, a host of research also suggests that, when grandparents babysit, their presence also benefits their grandchildren.Young children who are cared for by grandparents tend to develop better vocabulary skills, and learn more about their roots and culture than young children who are not cared for by their grandparents.This is not sciences first link betweenbabysitting and longevity of life among grandparents. In a 2016 study published inEvolution and Human Behavior,researchers found came to a similar conclusion. The researchers had also discovered that any childless adults who provided childcare lived an average of three years longer.Another study out of Australia also suggests that spending a moderate amount of time caring for grandkidsmay prevent Alzheimers Disease by increasing brain function and memory.Of course, babysitting the grandchildren can also take a toll on older adults iftheres too much pressure on them. Previous studies have discovered thatgrandparents and other informal caregiverscan start to feel physical and psychological stress if theyre too heavily involved. That, of course, can lead tostress-related illnesses.Because every family is different, its important to have open dialogue about boundaries and expectations for everyone involved.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solo travel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.