Spending Time With Young People Has Its Benefits

Join naturally integrated social groups

Cornell University gerontologist Karl Pillemer surveyed 2,000 people over age 65 to ask their best advice for living. "One of their strongest recommendations for growing older is to stay socially integrated,” he says, noting that this can be challenging given our natural inclination to "gravitate toward others close to our own age." His advice? Search  out  existing organizations, such as houses of worship or civic organizations, that  blend  a variety of ages for you. Local libraries are often rich sources of information about these; neighborhood listservs also can help you find multiage groups.

Call hospitals, daycare centers, school districts, or volunteer groups

Whether you’re interested in holding babies, reading to toddlers or tutoring teens, many local organizations are eager to welcome older volunteers. Ellen Cyrus, 74, of Tamarack, Minn., signed up with a volunteer organization in her community to do projects as varied as painting city hall with student groups and helping to run an annual, cross-age charity fashion show. “We have ‘models’ from babies on up to seniors, and everybody feels good about it,” says the retired administrative assistant. “I think it’s very important that youth and seniors somehow dovetail. It’s beneficial for everybody, because [we all] need a comfort for our soul at times.”

Reach out to your closest college

Many campuses have student groups in place — such as Project Generations — that are designed to foster interaction between students and older people. Contact your nearby college’s community outreach department for more information. Gret Atkin, 72, a retired Cornell University researcher, plays puzzles and games with younger opponents at Ithaca College through a program run by her college-affiliated retirement community. She also meets younger classmates while auditing several courses at the college. One illuminating moment: a recent discussion  during  a Sociology of Aging course about dating traditions. “The idea of whether you waited to kiss somebody on the second or third date was foreign to them,” Atkin laughs. The evolution of phones inevitably sparked another lively conversation. “Students were like, ‘You mean you actually had to share your phone with somebody else?’” Atkin recalls. “They just couldn’t believe that was the way it was at one time!”