Grandparents have played a crucial role in human communities for a very long time. Need someone to watch the kids while mom and dad work? Grandparents. Need some advice on how to handle a 2-year-old temper tantrum? Ask the ones who saw YOUR 2-year-old tantrums!

Studies are showing just how important it is to have grandparents around the family.

It seems obvious, but grandparents have an abundance of time and knowledge that they are ready to pass down to whoever is next in the pipeline! These 10 studies prove our point exactly.

1. They encourage happiness

A study published in The Gerontologist by researchers Sara Moorman and Jeffery Stokes tells us how important grandparents are to happiness! They looked at the effect between the solidarity of grandparents and adult grandchildren and learned that they are very influential. The tighter the relationship between the two meant a lower average of depressive symptoms in grandparents AND grandchildren!

2. Good listeners

Parents aren’t exactly the best neutral parties. After a kid argues with mom or dad, who can they vent to healthily? Enter: Grandparents! Grandparents often provide advice in a way that a grandchild is more likely to listen.

3. They connect us to our past

Learning about our family’s past and culture is instrumental in developing roots and history to look back on. Grandparents are the links that connect and teach us the things our ancestors passed to them. Think Italian grandmas teaching you how to make pasta from scratch.

4. Life Lessons

If you’ve ever got stuck listening to a life lesson from a grandparent, you know what we mean. Often, what they say really does have some value in it (even if we don’t want to listen). They have seen so much more life and are willing to share it!

5. Mutual friendship

Kids love getting spoiled by grandparents, and grandparents like spoiling kids! Studies even show that kids with involved grandparents have greater overall well-being compared to those who don’t. Another study shows that kids with involved grandparents could even live longer!

6. Gives familial stability

Things around us change faster than we can really keep up with. Having a solid support structure reinforced kids’ view of their identity and provides something for them to fall back on when something traumatic happens (divorce, death, etc.)

7. We learn to not take life so seriously

As you age, you are forced to reconcile yourself with your shortcomings. Don’t deny it; you fell asleep on the couch again! Grandparents show us that there is humor in the little things in life. We all get old, and our grandparents are there to laugh at the process for us.

8. They simply make good friends

Because of the distance between grandparents and their grandkids, they can have a different sort of relationship than the kids can with their own parents. They don’t have to be strict and don’t follow up on things like grades. They can just be a good friend without any of the responsibility.

9. A needed mentor

Mentorship isn’t a thing for many people anymore. It’s a sad thing, really. There is something valuable in learning from those who have been around and doing something longer than we have. Tradition has something to teach us, even if it isn’t perfect.

10. They teach us style!

All styles are on a pendulum. Just look at how flared jeans are back! Your grandparents, without a doubt, have some style that they rocked when they were young. Going down to the cigar lounge? Bow-tie and suit will do perfectly. We can all learn from their style.

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Source: Fatherly, Brain Sharper