Having other people look after your children not only gives you a break, allows you to get other things done and gives you time to miss them, it’s also essential for your child’s development for them spend time with other people and not just their parents. If you don’t have family close by then, it’s vital to make time for your children to see them. Alternatively, they don’t have to be family to make an impact on your child’s life; they could be very close friends who act as grandparents, aunties and uncles or cousins. Either way, building these relationships with different generations is significant for children and their development but it is also essential for you too, and here’s why:

Grandparents

The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is a special one and if you’re lucky enough to live close to your parents or your partner’s parents then make the most of it and encourage this relationship.

Grandparents are ideal babysitters; often they don’t work and depending on the hours that grandparents spend looking after their grandchildren, they might be entitled to certain benefits such as tax credits or boosts on their pensions. It’s worth looking into and speaking to family law solicitors for clarification if you want to make a more official arrangement. You know your parents or your partner’s parents, they brought you up so they can be trusted, you know how they’ll be like as parents – although they’re probably much more lenient as grandparents.  

Studies have shown that older people spending time with young children give the older people improved mental and physical health as being around the young often takes them back to their youth. It also decreases any feelings of loneliness and gives them more purpose and honour.

Developing these connections can help older adults feel a greater sense of fulfilment. It also provides an opportunity for both the adults and the children to learn new skills. It can invigorate and energise older adults and helps to reduce the likelihood of depression in the elderly as well as aid in the cognitive stimulation as well as broaden social circles.

For you, knowing that your children are with someone who loves them and can give your children some quality time and attention while you are at work or busy elsewhere, is reassuring for you and also gives you more flexibility, convenience and peace of mind.

And for your children, spending time with their grandparents teaches them lessons that they wouldn’t learn otherwise. They get to witness the wisdom and experience of their grandparents; they will learn about helping others and understand the dignity of every life. It can help to alleviate any fears children may have of the elderly and also help children to understand and later accept their ageing. It also helps to keep family stories and history alive.

Aunts and Uncles

Spending time with aunts and uncles is great for kids because it’s similar to spending time with parents but just that bit more fun.  Aunts and uncles generally love to spoil their nieces and nephews, and as your children get older, they can rely on their aunts and uncles to be wonderful confidants. If there’s anything their unsure about talking to you about, speaking to an aunt or uncle is often a soundboard for how their mum or dad might react and will be able to give them advice on this. Aunts and uncles can step away; they’re not always there in the madness so they can often provide a set of fresh eyes or an outside opinion on something or just an ear or shoulder to cry on.

Showing your children a good, healthy relationship between you and your siblings will also teach them good values and set an excellent example of relationships and how they should be with their siblings.

Aunts and uncles provide a good role model for your children, they are someone different than yourself but are close enough to create an impact on your child’s life.

It also bonds you and your siblings, your children give you both something else to love and to enjoy, to talk about and care about and it’s lovely to experience to share your children growing up with your siblings.

Cousins

Growing up with cousins is a joy and if your kids don’t have any who live close, then make an effort to go and see them so that your kids can get to know them and reap the benefits of their family. Cousins are like having all the benefits of a sibling, without actually having to live with them. They know your secrets, and they know what it’s like to have a mum or dad similar to yours so you can relate when talking about them, but also just that bit different to make it fun to sleep over and enjoy a change of scenery and a little bit of spoiling.

Cousins are like your best friends without having to make any effort, they are just there, they get it, and they’ll be there for all the important family events, so you can sneak off and have fun while the adults are boring themselves with talking.

Cousins can be great allies, and the relationship is so unique as you don’t see them all the time, but when you do it’s as if you only saw them yesterday. The time spent together is usually memorable and so much fun. Even if cousins are the same age as your children or a bit older, it doesn’t matter. Cousins don’t leave the little ones out, they’re always included (or should be) and no one cares about age, they become a gang and get on with it.

Nursery

If you are lucky enough to be able to be a stay at home parent, then that is wonderful and means you ’re able to give one-on-one bonding time with your child and are in control of what they are doing on a daily basis. However, sending your child to a nursery to socialise with other children of a similar age will also benefit them massively as it helps them to develop social and everyday skills.

According to research from the London School of Economics and Oxford University, the children of stay-at-home mums fare less well than those who go to a nursery and have poorer speech and movement.

Children who go to nursery or playgroups learning early on about being part of a team, they learn to work together and learn how to solve problems. Going to nursery helps children to prepare for school, it helps with their language skills development, teaches them respect for authority and eases them into separation and making new bonds and relationships.

At a playgroup or nursery, your child will also have access to a much wider variety of play equipment than you can provide at home. She or he will have to learn how to share toys and take turns which is all character building. Your child may also get the opportunity to use big adventure toys such as climbing frames that you might not have space for at home and they will also benefit from and enjoy playing in groups.

Your child will learn to listen to other children’s ideas of play and follow their instructions as well as giving their own.

This not only increases your child’s independence and confidence and gives them the companionship of other children and the skills to play appropriately with others, but it also gives your child the chance to make relationships with other adults which will help them to learn that other people as well as you can be trusted and liked.

Why It’s Important For You

As a parent, you need to take time for yourself, and you need to take care of yourself to be able to take care of others. While your schedule may not allow much time for this, asking your family members to help out and making sure your children spend time with different family members is vital for your children’s development. So there is no need to feel guilty about asking others to take care of your children as it benefits them as much as it helps you.

Being a parent is hard work. It is constant work and often thankless work. It is very easy to stop caring for yourself or to get overwhelmed by your role as a parent, but, if you stop caring for yourself, then your ability to care for your child is impacted, and your ability to enjoy being a parent is impacted too.

You should take time for yourself to do whatever it is that makes you feel like you. Making time to exercise is essential for your health and well-being as well as going out with friends. It could be that before you had children, there was a hobby that you enjoyed, if so then get back to that. Spending time with other adults is essential for you too as you can also become lonely as a parent.