Spending more time with family among the best things about getting old, study finds

Spending more time with family - and not caring what others think are among the best things about getting old, a study has found.

Research polling 1,600 UK adults aged 60 and over found looking after the grandchildren is a highlight of older age.

And it’s not just watching over the youngsters, but playing games with them, teaching them news skills and reading with them are also among the top 20 things about your later years.

Retiring from work, taking up new hobbies and having more time to travel are also considered to be some of the best things about aging.

Patrick Stannah, MD of Stannah Stairlifts, which commissioned the research, said: ‘Having more time for yourself is such a valuable thing once you retire.

‘But what’s even more exciting is being able to reconnect with your family – especially with your grandchildren.

‘Our second Silver Census found over-60s look forward to spending time with their children’s children, whether it’s taking them on outings or reading together.

‘It is heart-warming to see such strong inter-generational links blossoming around both traditional activities as well modern communications channels.’

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The study also found 45 per cent of doting grandparents get to spend more time with their grandchildren now than they did with their own children when they were the same age.

And one in six even said they are emotionally closer to their grandchildren than their own children.

The study found that the top 20 things about growing older were:

• Retiring
• Getting more choice over how to spend your time
• Having more time for travel
• Having more time for family
• Not caring what people think
• Going on more/longer holidays
• Being less stressed
• Being able to live spontaneously
• Taking grandchildren on outings
• Looking after your grandchildren
• Being able to take up new hobbies
• Having more disposable income to do what you want
• Teaching your grandchildren new skills
• Being more knowledgeable
• Reading with your grandchildren
• Playing games with grandchildren e.g. Monopoly, card games
• Telling stories to grandchildren about when you were a child
• Buying books for grandchildren
• Reading to your grandchildren at bedtime
• Not feeling tied down to one place