Nowadays, most grandparents handle at least some care for their grandchildren. Now a new study shows it's good for their health and helps them to live longer!
Data from 500 seniors in the Berlin Aging Study shows that those who babysat lived longer - and it didn't matter whether it was their own grandkids or someone else's.
Taking care of kids keeps them physically active and helps relieve stress, but overdoing it can cross a line and cancel out those health benefits, the study states.
"You want to make sure that you find that right balance where you are doing what you can to stay active, doing good for the folks that you're helping out with, but don't do too much where you get to the point where you're overly stressed," Dr. Ronan Factora of the Cleveland Clinic said.
Another benefit is the social interaction that helps keep the brain healthy.
And on the flip side, spending time with grandma and grandpa is also great for kids. It gives them extra stability and emotional support.