When it comes to hobbies and passions, family support means a lot—and even better if that help happens to be absolutely adorable.
A video posted on TikTok by Carly Lauren (@carlylaurennn) has gone viral for showing a grandmother’s unwavering support for her dance instructor granddaughter. In the clip, Lauren teaches a Jazzercise class. The camera pans over to her grandmother seated in the corner of the studio, waving hello to her. Since it was posted on March 28, the video has received over 220,000 likes and more than 1,360 comments.
“POV [point of view]: Your grandma always shows up to support you, no matter what,” Lauren captioned the video. Newsweek asked @carlylaurennn for comment via TikTok.
People in the comments were touched by the display of love, with many reflecting on their own relationships with grandparents, past or present.
“My grandmother never missed a soccer game or school play or spelling bee or anything. God, I miss her so much,” @eft4790 wrote.
“When I was young, I played the flute and we had this concert, and my grandmother [drove] with her little bike to my school (about 30 minutes) in the rain just to see me play,” @xxmxxsxx2309 posted. “She was the only one that came, and afterwards I sat at the back of her bike and we drove home.”
Some even spoke from the perspective of Lauren’s grandma. “I am this mom/grandma!” @jacquiecarusokell commented. “I can’t bear the thought of missing anything for my daughter, and now my granddaughter! I am early to every game, etc. It’s so important and I hope they are proud too.”
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Relationships With Grandparents Are Mutually Beneficial
Research presented at the Society for Social Work and Research 14th Annual Conference revealed the importance of grandparent-adolescent relationships.
Results from a survey of 1,478 students between the ages of 11 and 16 showed that grandparents are a “significant factor” in the lives of adolescents, and that better grandparent-grandchild relationships and involvement correlate to higher levels of “emotional closeness to, importance or, and respect for their closest grandparent’s views”.
The study said that grandparents are important people who exist outside of an adolescent’s immediate family, positioning them as an effective point of support amid the changes in their lives.
However, a study published in the journal Social Science and Medicine showed that these benefits go both ways. The authors found that grandparents who have frequent family contact and participate in childcare may see improved health in certain areas.
“The additional role of grandparenthood may make life more fulfilling, and this in turn may lead to better health,” the authors wrote. “Grandparenthood can provide a new life purpose, potentially reducing health problems such as depression symptoms and improving, for example, cognitive abilities or physical strength, while leading to a better self-perceived quality of life.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.