According to a new study by Canadian researchers, children who visit their grandparents and great-grandparents often, help keep them from forming negative stereotypes about older people. Children who are around elderly people often, at a very young age, before they can speak, are less likely to associate them with negative cultural images, according to the the study published in Educational Gerontology. When I saw this article on the website, http://www.upi.com/, I immediately thought of my 2 year old son who absolutely adores his great-grandparents( who are in their late 80's) and live close to us. He asks to see them almost on a daily basis and I think when he's a little older, he'll realize how lucky he is to have such experienced and influential people in his life. I, on the other hand, did'nt grow up seeing my grandparents much, and my great grandparents were no longer alive when I was born. I really did not feel comfortable around older people until I married my husband, who is very close with his grandparents and visits often. I gained a new insight on life and the value of those who have seen and lived through great historical events. I'm proud to say that when my son sits in his great-grandmothers lap, he doesn't see an old lady, he see's another valuable member of the family that he loves and looks up to.
