How important are grandparents to children today?
Even before the mid-20th century, grandparents and grandchildren usually spent significantly less time together. Lower life expectancy limited the time they spent together, so independent relationships between the two generations were relatively rare. Daily family life was also more strongly characterized by mutual support and fixed obligations.
Today, for many children, grandparents are among their most important caregivers after their parents. They give them time, attention, and life experience. Shared conversations, rituals, and experiences strengthen trust and a sense of security. Through a different perspective and the passing down of traditions, children learn to better make sense of changes and understand different ways of life.
What spending time together might look like in practice
- Reading aloud and making up stories: Children expand their vocabulary and develop their imagination.
- Baking and cooking: They learn about processes, take on small tasks, and discover family traditions.
- Gardening and crafts: Hands-on activities foster patience, dexterity, and a sense of responsibility.
- Walks and outings: Shared discoveries spark conversations and create lasting memories.
- Board and card games: Rules, concentration, and fair play are practiced in a playful way.
- Looking at old photos: Children learn more about their family and can better understand the experiences of previous generations.
- Listening to music and singing songs: Sounds, lyrics, and personal memories bring both generations together.
- Helping with homework: Grandparents provide calm, attention, and extra support.
- Organizing celebrations and rituals: Recurring experiences convey a sense of reliability and strengthen the feeling of belonging.
- Talking about worries: A patient listener helps children process their feelings.
To keep such a bond alive, good communication is essential. Those who have changes in their hearing checked early on and wear theirhearing aidsregularly create the right conditions for clear conversations, shared experiences, and a close relationship.
How does hearing affect the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren?
The closeness—and thus the bond—between grandparents and grandchildren develops through playing together, on the way to the playground, or through a story told off the cuff. Hearing loss can significantly hinder the quality of such a connection or the process of building it. Why? Consider this: children’s voices are usually high-pitched and not very loud. With age-related high-frequency hearing loss, these voices are therefore often perceived as unclear.
As these situations become more frequent, the nature of their interactions changes. Grandparents may ask for repeats more often or participate more hesitantly in conversations. Grandchildren may shorten their stories because they have to be repeated. The effort required increases, especially at family gatherings with multiple voices and background noise. As a result, spontaneity and casual small talk—important building blocks of a close relationship—are lost.
An example from everyday family life
Eight-year-old Lea comes running excitedly into the kitchen to see her grandfather Helmut on Saturday afternoon. Even as she takes off her jacket, she’s telling him about the theater rehearsal at school. She speaks quickly, glancing at her sparkling crown as she explains why she’s suddenly been allowed to play a different character in the play.
Helmut, whose hearing isn’t as good as it used to be, catches only a few words and asks her to repeat herself twice. The first time, Lea repeats the sentence louder. The second time, her grandfather responds to something she didn’t even say. Lea laughs at first, but then falls silent. Her gaze wanders to her mother, who summarizes the conversation for her father. He nods and looks at Lea. “Oh, never mind,” she says, sets the crown on the table, and starts talking about something else.
How Generations Can Learn to Understand Each Other Again
This example shows that the sooner you have your hearing checked and get a hearing aid fitted, the sooner you’ll be able to actively follow conversations with your grandchildren again. Helmut should have taken the recurring misunderstandings seriously sooner and had his hearing checked. With professionally fitted hearing aids, it would have been easier for him to understand Lea’s high-pitched, soft child’s voice and respond to her stories.
For Lea, this would have meant that she could have happily continued telling her story instead of cutting it short with a disappointed “Oh, never mind.” Helmut could have asked specific questions, laughed with her, and shown genuine interest. Nothing would have stood in the way of building a cross-generational relationship.
Here's what you can do yourself:
- Have your hearing checked early if you have trouble understanding children’s voices, individual words, or conversations in larger groups.
- Wear your hearing aids every day so your brain can get used to the new sounds.
- Practice with your grandchildren—for example, by reading aloud, playing, or telling stories.
- Pay close attention to your everyday listening experiences and take note of which voices, sounds, or situations still cause you difficulty.
- Describe specific experiences to your hearing care professional so they can regularly fine-tune your hearing aids.
- Reduce background noise by turning off the TV or radio during conversations.
- Ask your grandchild to speak to you first, wait for eye contact, and speak clearly.
- Be open about your hearing loss. Children often feel comfortable around hearing aids and quickly adapt to simple conversation rules.
If you find yourself laughing along with your grandchild just to be safe every other time they make a joke, you should have your hearing checked. A good conversation thrives on spontaneous reactions and the feeling of being truly connected.
Use our free hearing aid specialist and ENT doctor search to quickly find qualified professionals near you. An early checkup helps you become aware of your hearing health and, with properly fitted hearing aids, can help you enjoy carefree moments with your grandchildren.
