Older grans babysitting

I met an grandmother 68 years the other day ,who was devastated . She looks after her 2 year old GD every day , and whilst carrying a bowl of soup, the GD ran to her and the hot soup burnt the child's arm . She said her hands are not as strong and she is so tired .Perhaps much as we love our families we have to make them realise we are getting OLD !! I love all my DGC and look after them for a few hours at a time ,but I know I am not capable of doing everyday now.

I am 65 and look after, 2 grandchildren aged 8 and 4, they are both at school, but one day a week both parents need to be leaving for work at 7am, so i get up at 6am. in order to be at their house to supervise showers, breakfast, and take them to school, I try to leave the rest of that day relatively free, so that I am rested when I collect them from school at 3:30pm.I give them tea and take them home when parents arrive home from work at about 6pm. I also collect them on at least one other day in the week, and have to fit this in around shopping and caring for my 90 year old mother, who lives a 50 minute drive away, twice a week. I share the elderly caring with my sisters who live closer to her. I find that as long as I pace myself, I am able to cope and have quite a busy social life as well. I have rheumatoid arthritis and I am waiting for knee replacements, so not the fittest Granny at the school gate!
I find that when I am not needed for child care, or haven't seen them for couple of days, I get a bit sad, so I think at the moment the benefit works both ways.

Only one more term then the youngest (one day a week) will be starting school - I'm a bit really, she is a joy most of the time!

I think the penny is beginning to drop with this generation that if they dont produce babies until they are 35 + we the grandparents may struggle to look after their offspring.
We have 16 grandchildren and so can't/wont commit to any regular duties - but we are available for emergencies, illness, some weekends away , weddings etc. We thoroughly enjoy time spent with all of them ranging from 7months - through to teenagers but we also make sure we have plenty of time booked into the diary for ourselves.
Although with so many of them not many days go by without a call!

I'm 63 and have looked after my four year old GD since she was a baby. It actually made me ill. I began to suffer from vertigo, due to exhaustion. I now find her a dream to be with as she can talk and do most things for herself. I wouldn't want NOT look after her now.

I am 72 and have 6 grandchildren. The youngest is 10 months old and my daughter will be going back to work when the baby is a year old. The baby will be going to nursery 3 days a week and daughter will have one day a week off , son in law one day a fortnight. Therefore they have asked me (or us) to childmind one day a month ( the other grandmother will do the other). I love looking after the baby who is adorable (aren't they all?) but worry about how I will cope. I've got a bit of a bad knee at the moment and a dodgy back sometimes and I worry about carrying her up and down the stairs as they live in a second floor flat with no lift. Fortunately the pushchair is kept downstairs. Daughter says put her in a sling to take her out , but a) it's hard to get on and do up and b) I find it very heavy for any length of time. I also worry about any accident happening on my watch as I used to look after my eldest grnchild at the same age and he fell and cut his head, needing stitches when I was minding him which has made me neurotic ever since, though I wasn't blamed. I'm hoping DH will be able to come with me and help with the carrying but he often had meetings so may not be able to every time.

I am 69 and do a minimum of 2 13 hour days per week looking after a 5 year old before and after school and a 22 month old all day. I also do many extra days and part days (e.g. when children are ill and can't go to nursery or school on the other days). I love that I have such a close relationship with them, but I am beyond bushed by the end of the day. I have just found that there will be a third one later in the year. Part of me is pleased, part of me very very daunted! I also have another two DGC resident at half terms. So many mixed feelings I would like to talk about, so much tiredness, so little time.........

I have 5 GC living locally and have always resisted a regular arrangement - working on the principle that what you do for one, you do for all. I'm now 65 and their ages range from 10 down to 2. Since retiring from work six years ago, I spent four years supporting elderly parents, with Alzheimer's and vascular dementia thrown in, a further year selling their property, catching up with friends and holidays. Then my daughter was diagnosed with cervical cancer. My life went on hold for a year while she underwent pretty radical treatment and I spent a lot of time with her two, aged 6 and 3. This allowed her to concentrate on dealing with her condition. She did and is now fully recovered. I now feel as though I know those two GC better than the others - and am grateful to have had that opportunity. Difficult though it was at the time. . . . The only other time my age impinges on childcare is with the two year old. He's a bruiser! Not only is he very heavy to carry and move in and out of the car or the pram or a swing on the park, even, his pram, car seat and other essential equipment I find very bulky, very heavy and very difficult to deal with. The whole experience is physically exhausting! I love to chat with them all - and find I still have much to learn.

At 78 I have a 13 yr old and a 9yrold at least 3 times a week ........... I know ........ different to having a toddler . They can be here at 7 am or after school , I prefer the mornings cos they eat breakfast and head off to school , but in the afternoon it involve homework and tea ! I feel I am just minding them now , they have their phones etc and we don't get much interaction . Today just the 9 yr old , he got out the paints and worked away , took himself out for a walk then asked nicely could he play on the Laptop ........ we made lunch together and it was nice just the one , he is heading home now and I got the laptop back

I think if you are over 70 and looking after a baby or toddler then you deserve a medal! At 74 I know I couldn't do it. I am fit and very active with five grandchildren between 13 and 6 and I am happy to babysit if their parents go out in the evening, or they need dropping off or meeting from school because their dad is travelling and Its a workday for DD. But to be on a regular childcare schedule at this age isn't something I'm interested in. During the summer months we will have one or two of them for an overnight stay which is fun, but I just don't have the energy or desire to be "locked into" a regular babysitting schedule any more......maybe because I've come to realize that life is short and I want to enjoy my garden, my tennis pals or just pottering around my home!

Just met an American of 66 years old on holiday. She drives 80 miles a day to look after grandsons of 3 and 5, take them off her teacher daughter hands first thing, do the school run etc. She saw it as a gift to her daughter when the pregnancies were announced. Impressive and I would say quite sacrificial!

I have to admit that I'm not 70 but 60 next month! I look after my DGD1whom is 4yrs old and my DGD3 whom is 13mths for 3 days a week and my DGS2 whom is 3yrs and my DGD4 whom is 10mths one day a week so child caring for 4 days a week. By Friday I'm bushed too!! But feel I'm so lucky being able to have such a fantastic relationship with them all. There are disadvantages to it that I catch all the bugs and germs that they catch too which isn't nice! My husband works so I don't get any help!

Currently looking after one grandchild (18 months) 3 full days a week. Delightful times but feeling tired by the 3rd day. Am 63 years old but keep fit with lots of stretching and flexibility exercises which help when crawling around the floor!

I was 55 when I started looking after 3 month old grandson. Having not cared for a small baby for 25 years I was very worried by the responsibility and tired at the end of the day. I loved him dearly but found the only way to cope was to have a routine which included going out for a long walk, visiting my DOM for a cuppa and then lunch and afternoon nap for baby. something he did until he was about 4. I think our house was so much quieter than the nursery he went to other days. Once he went to school I looked after his small sister and cousin for 1 day a week. Now coming up 70 I am glad I did it but not sure I could manage all the lifting and nappy changing. When they come to stay now its all computer games etc and we have a great time together.

My granddaughter is just 2 and lives in Australia, so regular childcare is definitely off the agenda! However we are visiting at the moment and are babysitting tonight - I am only 62 and pretty fit, but getting her into her cot is quite a struggle. I am taking her swimming tomorrow, have done that before and enjoyed it. DH (65) spent ages playing with her in the sea this afternoon and had an hour or more nap this evening while I put her to bed! Last time we were here DD and SiL went away for 3 days - we had a great time with the little one, who didn't ask for them at all, but it was pretty full on and exhausting. We need to make the best of any time we have with her. I have warned DS and DD2 that they had better hurry up and have children if they want us to be hand on grandparents!

My DS (main carer for his DD) told me he couldn't understand how working parents could afford the cost of childcare. He was very surprised to hear that many of them will be getting childcare for free from the GPs, and said that he would never expect that.
I don't live close to them, so the question doesn't arise. I would offer to child mind if I lived nearer but I definitely wouldn't go along with any "expectations" or emotional blackmail, as some GPs seem to be getting.

RockNanny said:
"I am at a bit of a loss now as to how to change things so that my DD and SIL do not feel disappointed in me."
I'd say Don't bother changing anything. Your DD has no right to pressurise you or to give the impression there is some sort of competition with the other GPs.

I feel blessed to be able to look after our 2 GD aged 2 & 5 for 2 days a week, it gives me a reason to live, yes I am tired by the end of the day but don't mind, I am flattered that our daughter trusts us to care for her precious ones

I used to run play & share sessions for parenting groups, and some grandparents used to bring grandchildren. At first I wondered why they weren't interacting with the children, till I realised the poor souls were kn*ckered! We had a gent of 70+ who was full time carer to two boisterous under 4s, and another couple of harrassed grannies.

Sorry, but I don't think that's " hands on", I'd say more "put upon".

My daughter is a single Mum and does a stirling job of looking after them both and they have a fabulous nanny who my little grand-daughter adores. I pick up the slack at other times for example good friday and easter monday gone. It is exhausting and I am ready for a glass of wine and a little bowl of crisps when Mummy comes home. But the little one seems to think these are her crisps and promptly takes the bowl away and goes to sit with it munching. She too has a stompy-foot as we call it and I too have to try not to laugh . . . they are so funny these little ones. I was messing about playing the fool with her a bit in bed before sleep this weekend and she gave me a stern look and said it was 'sleeping time'!
I tell her what do we do with a stompy-foot? She knows she gets tickled so that seems to diffuse any situation and she ends up in giggles! Yes it is exhausting . . . I am 66 but I absolutely love it and make sure I keep fit to cope with it. I have two others in France so do not see them as much . . . though they too exhaust me when they see me . . . my grandson is determined to beat me at table tennis and tennis and tells his friends I am very 'sport if' that's why I beat him still . . . but one day he will.
I feel so lucky and grateful also to have these opportunities to spend time with them whilst they are small. They really grow so fast and then they are off doing their own things.

I am 65 with PD. We have 6 grandchildren living a mile away from us and I have looked after them all in turn - the eldest is 13. Since my diagnosis 4 years ago we have acquired twins of 17 months. They were a delightful surprise addition to the family but they are exhausting. A gin and tonic or glass of wine is a necessity once I get home! However the relationships that I have forged with each and every one of them makes it all worthwhile and I don't regret a minute I spend with them.

Isn't it lovely to realise you are not alone? So reassuring to read others trials and tribulations on here. I've been beating myself up thinking I can't cope for much longer with my delightful but very wearing grandchildren. I've been looking after them for eight years during the week 7.30am til 5.30pm. Littlest starts school in September Hurrah! I can do it!

I look after my 2 grandsons and have done since they were 9 months old when my daughter went back to work. The eldest is now 8 and the youngest 5 and now attend school. It as been hard work and we are now doing the school run as they come to us everyday at 7.45 am however when I look back I see how lucky we have been to have been able to do this not only for my daughter but also for us. The memories we have are endless and I know we have been so lucky to have had them entrusted to us. When they aren't with us I find life can be boring as they have given us a purpose as we have got older. I am 69 and my hubby is 70. Trust me you may feel tired but so fulfilled.

I looked after my first grandson (now 4-1/2) for two days a week from a year old, but mainly in my home - but I used to take him out for day trips. Since my second grandson was born (2 in May) I have looked after them both one day a week at my daughter's house, which I have okay but I tend to end up doing some of her cleaning and gardening too! It got more difficult when the older boy started at an afternoon nursery class from 12.40-3pm. I have to give them an early lunch to be able to leave by 12.20pm to walk to the school. I come back and put the second one for an a sleep and then have to leave at 2.40pm for that uphill walk back to the collect the older one. I miss our days out, there's not enough time to do much in the morning other than go to the park. However, yesterday my son-in-law was on holiday and as the school is on Easter holidays I took the 4 year old up to London Zoo and we had an absolutely fantastic day - but I was exhausted in the evening. However, I wouldn't change it for the world and my husband is very jealous that he's working and not able to spend so much time with the boys. My daughter's in-laws live in Sardinia and don't have much opportunity to see their two grandsons - other than when the family goes out there for two weeks each year. I didn't know any of my grandparents and I cherish the fact that my grandsons will have a different experience.

We have just had the grandsons (2 and 4) for 2 nights. Mum and Dad stayed locally in a lovely hotel! We are still absolutely knackered from getting up at 5.45! We love having them and have thought endlessly about moving nearer to them as it's a 3 hour journey. But they love coming here. We live by a river in easy walking distance to the centre of our little town and the park etc. We have a great time. The thing that gets us is it's constant from 5.45 to 7.30 when they go to bed. My DD and SIL were very grateful for 2 good nights sleep and lazy mornings. So yes we do find it tiring. I'm 66 and OH is 70.

Them living too far away does have some benefits. We just get the good bits and no caring responsibilities. The deciding factor was not emotional or family related, more the cost of trains and geographical logistics.