Home / News / Viral & Trending Kids are more likely to open up to their grandparents vs. their parents, survey shows Tanya Yatsenko/Stocksy Thereâs a reason grandparents are so valuable in a kidâs âvillage." By Alexandra Frost August 16, 2024 Tanya Yatsenko/Stocksy Rectangle Thereâs a reason grandparents are so valuable in a kidâs âvillageâ– they are easy to talk to, have decades of wisdom, and often are the listening ear a kid needs when they donât want to tell their parents something. A new survey by Preply, conducted in 2023 including 1500 Americans in 50 states, shows that almost half of kids would choose to confide in their grandparents over their parents. In addition to this fact, we learn from the survey that nicknames often prevail over real names, even including a map where we see lots of uses of âPapa” and âPapawâ over âGrandpa,â and a few corners of the country, such as Washington, Arizona, and Maine, where âGrampsâ prevails. We also learn more about the current state of grandparent-grandchild relationships, which paints a promising and meaningful picture. Related: My strict parents became indulgent grandparents who spoil my kids rottenâand itâs great Maternal grandmas are often the closest relationship, the survey also shows, followed by paternal grandmas. Then comes the granddads. Almost half of people report speaking to their grandparents at least monthly on the phone, and the average American visits their grandparents 27 times per year. Related: You have every right to set boundaries with your kidsâ grandparents So is it a bad thing if kids want to talk to their grandparents over their parents? Probably not, with some caveats. If a grandparent is withholding information that would be necessary to properly parent the kid, that could get sticky. Or, if the parent and child arenât really having meaningful conversations in addition to the grandparents, thatâs also problematic. But overall, having another safe and close adult to go to can only enrich a kidâs life. A version of this story was originally published on Oct. 15, 2023. It has been updated. The latest News What parents need to know about the âglass childâ effectâand how to address it News New study shows Black women are 25% more likely to have C-sections, but why? News âPass the babyâ anxiety: Why moms are setting boundaries this holiday season News Nicole Scherzinger fought to keep Moanaâs mom aliveâand calls out Disneyâs missing moms