September 11, 2026
We celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, so no surprise that for nearly 50 years we’ve been celebrating Grandparents Day, which is always the first Sunday after Labor Day.
Being around children, teens and young adults who share our DNA or other familial connections brings a special joy as we grow old. Many other older adults have created relationships with young people who are not related and enjoy informal intergen opportunities such as playdates and tutoring.
So, whether the kids in your life are “grand” or not, Sept. 13 is a celebration for all of us.
Benefits of being a grandparent
Blue Zones, which has traveled the world to explore key ingredients to longevity and healthy aging, says being a grandparent has several benefits:
“From passing down wisdom and family traditions, providing financial support, or helping with childcare, there are many ways that grandparents enrich the lives of their grandchildren. Studies have shown that children benefit both physically and emotionally from spending time with their grandparents. But what about the grandparents? Do they also reap rewards from interactions with their grandchildren? The answer is a resounding yes.”
Here are 3 benefits.
- Less depression and loneliness. A Boston College study which looked at relationships between grandparents and their adult grandchildren, found that both experienced psychological benefits, including fewer symptoms of depression.
- Sharper minds. Caring for grandchildren can have positive cognitive benefits, according to several studies, but with a caveat – providing full-time care can have the opposite effect.
- Greater sense of purpose. “Caring for and spending time with grandchildren can improve an older adult’s sense of purpose, a characteristic that has been linked to longevity in the original Blue Zones regions. An 11-year Columbia University study came to a similar conclusion. It found that healthy people between ages 65 to 92 who had clear goals or purpose lived longer and better lives than those who did not,” writes Blue Zones freelance journalist Lisa Monroe.
Being around children also offers physical benefits. “Older adults who are spending time with younger children, especially helping to care or babysit, tend to be more active, get more steps per day, more exercise,” says Kenneth Koncilja, MD, geriatrician for Cleveland Clinic, adding that this kind of activity has huge benefits for blood sugar, blood pressure,and stress hormones.
Creating grandparent-like opportunities
Of course, becoming a grandparent is not up to us, but fortunately there are lots of ways to interact with younger people, from becoming friends with a neighbor child to volunteering for a church’s vacation bible school or Sunday nursery.
Other volunteer opportunities include:
- Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, a nationwide program that pairs a volunteer with child of the same sex for mentoring and friendship;
- Becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) or Guardian Ad Litem (GAL), working with Juvenile Court to advocate for children removed from their home because of abuse or neglect;
- Tutoring with your local school, library, youth or arts organization;
- Providing free business-related mentoring to young adults through SCORE.
Grandfriend opportunities at Kendal
Kendal is home to the Kendal Early Learning Center (KELC), which welcomes residents to visit and read to the preschoolers and stop by to play . This week, in honor of Grandparents Day, the center threw a playdate party and invited all the residents, fondly called “grandfriends,” for a morning of games and grand friendship. Photographed above are ‘grandfriends’ Catherine and David at the celebration.
One of KELC’s regular volunteers is Elizabeth Fairchild, who moved to Kendal last summer, in part because of the on-site center.
“I don’t have children or grandchildren of my own, but I like kids and I looked forward to getting to know some. At KELC, I read to the kids occasionally, but mostly I play. I’ve made a balloon painting, eaten egg and chili, both made of sand and pebbles, assisted teachers with clean up and tried to learn all kids’ names, none of which are Linda, Barbara or Bobbie.
Now, I spend an hour a week with them, but I may increase this in the coming months depending on the needs of the center. I admire what I see. Teachers interact with kids in a gentle and consistent manner. The children are taught to recognize when they have crossed boundaries or hurt another’s feelings. They learn how to apologize and resolve issues. This is so different than the teaching I had as a child. I was taught to sit still, obey and be quiet. Empathy and compassion were not part of the regular curriculum. I’m fortunate to be involved, and their energy and enthusiasm help keep me young.
My favorite thing is seeing one of the kids outside of the center and having them say, ‘Hi Elizabeth,’ explaining to their parent that I’m a grandfriend.”
