Grandma is good for more than baking cookies, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. As it turns out, teens who have close relationships with their grandparents tend to be more stable and sociable than their peers.

The study, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, surveyed 1,400 teens between the ages of 12 and 18—paying especially close attention to questions that would measure hyperactivity, excessive worrying, bullying and social skills. The higher the score, the more a teen was likely to have problems.

Researchers found that teens who had good relationships with one or both of their parents had lower (and thus better) scores than their peers. If they also had good relationships with their grandparents, the scores were all the better. Scientists speculate that grandparents provide an additional bulwark of stability in their grandchildren’s lives—and potentially a safe harbor on those occasions when kids and their parents aren’t getting along. (Wall Street Journal)