Babysitting your grandkids might not make you feel younger

Babysitting your grandkids might not make you feel younger


We love them. It’s great to see them. But babysitting the grandkids, contrary to prevailing wisdom, probably won’t make you feel younger.

That’s the message in a new study by European scientists who quizzed grandparents before and after they cared for their grandkids. The new findings contradict earlier research from 2016 that suggested people 65 years and older who care for the little ones felt, on average, at least two years younger than their actual age.

It turns out those findings don’t hold up for a variety of reasons. Earlier investigations, for example, tend to lose track of participants who become ill and drop out of studies. Also previous work might have involved selection bias, leading to participants who already feel younger.

Notably, the latest study found that older adults caring for children with whom they are unrelated did feel a little younger. How can this be? Researchers offer an idea: Kids who aren’t kin aren’t calling you grandma or grandpa. In short, being around your own grandkids reminds you of old age. That impacts how old you feel.

This also is the first study that asked people about their subjective age both before and after they babysat the grandkids.

Previous surveys show that most older adults already feel younger than their biological age, which itself can lead to better health and quality of life. After all, someone who feels younger than their years might be more active and get more exercise. But the grandkids don’t offer an added benefit.

We still love ’em. And yes, we’ll continue babysitting for their parents. But alas, the Fountain of Youth lies elsewhere.

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