Babysitting Your Grandkids Could Be a Brain Boost—Here's What Research Shows

If you're a grandparent who regularly helps out with childcare, here's some good news: you might be doing your brain a favor. A new study published in the journal Psychology and Aging found that grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren tend to have stronger memory and language skills as they age—and the benefits appear to hold regardless of how often they help or what activities they do together.

What the Research Found

Researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands analyzed data from 2,887 grandparents over age 50 (with an average age of 67) who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Between 2016 and 2022, participants completed surveys and cognitive assessments three times, reporting whether they had cared for a grandchild in the previous year.

The results were striking: grandparents who provided childcare scored significantly higher on measures of memory and verbal fluency compared to those who didn't. These differences remained even after researchers accounted for age, overall health, and other relevant factors. The pattern held true regardless of how frequently grandparents provided care or which types of caregiving activities they performed.

The study also showed that grandmothers who helped care for their grandchildren experienced less cognitive decline over time than grandmothers who did not provide care.

What Counts as Caregiving?

The caregiving activities in the study covered a wide range of responsibilities, including:

• Watching grandchildren overnight
• Caring for sick grandchildren
• Playing or taking part in leisure activities
• Helping with homework
• Driving grandchildren to school or other activities
• Preparing meals and similar forms of support

Why Being Involved Matters Most

One of the most surprising findings was that simply being a caregiving grandparent seemed to matter more for cognitive functioning than the frequency or type of care provided. Lead researcher Flavia Chereches, MS, explained: "What stood out most to us was that being a caregiving grandparent seemed to matter more for cognitive functioning than how often grandparents provided care or what exactly they did with their grandchildren."

This suggests that the broader experience of being engaged in caregiving—rather than the specific details—may be what protects the brain. However, researchers noted that the quality of the caregiving experience likely matters. "Providing care voluntarily, within a supportive family environment, may have different effects for grandparents than caregiving in a more stressful environment where they feel unsupported or feel that the caregiving is not voluntary or a burden," Chereches noted.

What This Means for You

The findings suggest that staying engaged through caregiving roles could support memory and thinking skills later in life. If you're a grandparent looking for ways to protect your cognitive health, this research offers an encouraging message: spending time with your grandchildren and helping with their care may provide real brain benefits.

Of course, more research is needed to fully understand how family dynamics and other factors influence these outcomes. But for now, the evidence suggests that grandparenting isn't just good for the kids—it might be good for your brain too.