Grandparents are often a part of a child's everyday care, but they rarely come up at well visits. A 2026 meta-analysis pooled 59 samples covering more than 71,000 children and found a small but consistent positive association between the strength of the grandparent-grandchild relationship and children's developmental outcomes, spanning psychological, social, behavioral, physical, and cognitive domains. Read more here.

Here are a few tips to offer parents:

• Build in one-on-one time: A regular outing or activity with just one grandchild, even briefly, gives a child undivided attention that's easy to miss in a busy household.
• Let grandparents show enthusiasm for the child's interests: Asking questions about a hobby or game the child loves, and genuinely engaging with it, reinforces that the child's interests matter.
• Involve grandparents in problem-solving, not just discipline: Instead of stepping in to correct behavior, grandparents can ask a child how they'd solve a disagreement or mistake themselves.