Mom Shares Why You Should Bring the Grandparents on Vacation

Grandparents are the backbone of many families. Not only are they beloved by their grandchildren, they allow working parents to balance childcare and their jobs—and in some cases, they give moms and dads some much-needed time off from their kids on vacation.

One mom, Amanda Hopper, shared a hilarious video of her husband leaving her baby outside her parents’ hotel room. He sits the child up outside their door and knocks, before running back to his own room. The baby begins to follow him, until the grandparents appear—and are delighted with their surprise delivery.

Hopper told Newsweek: “At the end of the video you can hear my mom laugh and say ‘I love it’. We don’t live close so they love any time they can get with the kids. It was wonderful to have them there.”

Some commenters agreed that going on vacation with grandparents – as long as they are happy to help out with young children – is great for everyone involved. Grandparents get some quality time with the kids, while parents are grateful for the extra pairs of hands. “I am a grandmother and I approve of this message,” one person wrote.

Another added: “Speaking as one of those grandparents, drop them babies off any time… We love it.”

Someone else said: “I’m the grandma & enjoy the chance to vacation together & have the chance to make memories with my grandkids.”

A survey by the insurance firm SunLife shows that more than half of grandparents in the U.K. provide childcare during the working week, giving up more than four hours a day on average. Without this support, many parents—and moms in particular—would struggle to balance work and childcare.

Research by the University of Oxford showed that a high level of grandparental involvement increases the wellbeing of children. A study of more than 1,500 children showed that those with a high level of grandparental involvement had fewer emotional and behavioural problems.

Some researchers have noted that children who have grandparents involved in caretaking may have better mental health outcomes. For example, one study assessing the role of grandparents on the mental health of African-American young people found that having a grandparent in the household was associated with lower instances of depressive symptoms.

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