Playtime Helps Grandparents and Grandchildren Connect

A new study has confirmed an old adage: A family that plays together stays together. Researchers from Concordia University of Montreal examined the ways grandparents can maintain close ties with their adult grandchildren. True to the old maxim, recreation emerged as the glue sealing intergenerational bonds.

"Leisure is vital in the formation of bonds that last from generation to generation," says lead author Shannon Hebblethwaite, a professor in Concordia University's Department of Applied Human Sciences. "Shared leisure time allows grandchildren and their grandparents to establish common interests that, in turn, enable them to develop strong intergenerational relationships."

Published in Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, the study builds on research about the ways healthy intergenerational connections help seniors feel more positive about life. "The study of intergenerational bonds in adult grandchildren is relatively new," says Hebblethwaite. "Little attention has been paid to this relationship, yet grandparenting will become increasingly relevant as North America's population ages."

The researchers interviewed grandparents aged 65 to 89 and grandchildren aged 18 to 24. The families reported that occasions that typically bring generations together include vacations, holiday celebrations, cooking, shopping and gardening. Grandparents often use such get-togethers as opportunities to teach, mentor and pass on legacies. "They share family histories, personal experiences and life lessons," says Hebblethwaite. "They pass on family values, traditions and the importance of family cohesion.”

Finding common interests between generations can sometimes pose a challenge—should Lady Gaga or Elvis Presley be the soundtrack for a road trip? But participants emphasized that these activities allowed them to learn from each other. "One young man recalled his initial resistance to baking pies with his grandmother, but he ended up being a great chef," reports Hebblethwaite.

For seniors, exchanging with youth can be a catalyst for discovery. The study found that some grandparents learned about email, videoconferencing or technology through their grandchildren to stay connected with them. Sharing of knowledge during such leisure pursuits allowed grandparents and grandchildren to develop stronger bonds.

Forging strong ties with the matriarch or patriarch of a clan is also beneficial for grandchildren, and can sharpen their sense of empathy, says Hebblethwaite. "After being doted on as kids, adult grandchildren have an opportunity to shift that dynamic and give back to their grandparents."

"Expressions of Generativity Through Family Leisure: Experiences of Grandparents and Adult Grandchildren," published in Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, was authored by Shannon Hebblethwaite of Concordia University and Joan Norris of Wilfrid Laurier University.