Grandparents only want the best for their grandchildren. That’s why a lot of grandparents tend to spoil their grandkids because they want their grandchildren to be happy. However, researchers have found that this behavior might be doing more harm than good for children.
Grandparents might spoil their grandkids too much
Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found that grandparents who spoil their grandkids might actually be “killing” their grandkids with kindness.
They add that the grandparents actually had a negative effect on their grandchildren’s health. This was mostly because grandparents had a habit of overfeeding or giving their grandkids too many treats, and not letting them get enough exercise.
Another study from the UK found that children who were cared for by their grandparents between the ages of 9 months and 3 years were more likely to become overweight compared to those who were taken care of by their parents.
Parents and grandparents should work together
A lot of parents depend on grandparents to help with taking care of the kids. Grandparents usually the people that parents ask if they need someone to babysit their kids, or to help with caring for their children in general.
Additionally, having a close relationship with their grandparents has a lot of benefits for children up until their adolescence.
This means that parents need to understand the role and the impact that grandparents have on their kids. This means that they should talk to grandparents and make sure that the rules they follow at home are also followed whenever their kids visit their grandparents.
Working together is important for parents and grandparents if they want to make sure that their children grow up to healthy and well-adjusted.
Source: webmd.boots.com
READ: Grandparents don’t always know best: A study finds
