A study shows that support from a child’s maternal grandmother has positive, long-term impacts on children facing adversity.
Past research has shown that having grandparents around, especially in certain communities, can boost how kids succeed overall. Now, a study from the University of Turku suggests support from mom’s mom can mitigate the emotional and behavioral impacts of family challenges like substance abuse, illness, financial stress, and grief.
Researchers analyzed data from a 2007 survey involving over 1,500 children aged 11 to 16. The questions measured the how often they interacted with grandparents, if children felt they were dependable, whether they provided financial assistance, and if they helped take care of them.
The grandchildren-grandmother support model is rare, observed sporadically among elephants, primates, birds, and whales. Scientists believe this unique bond may have developed to improve child survival rates in humans. Some even argue that grandmothers hold the key to human longevity. So, perhaps there’s an evolutionary reason why you can’t shake your mom.
Learn more about the study here.
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