I love them dearly but .......

Victoria - I feel for you. You are not selfish at all. Could you be honest with your DD or DiL - just tell her you find childminding exhausting and really cannot do as much. Perhaps settle on how much you do feel able to do and ask her to respect your wishes? You will probably find she is so scared of losing your services altogether that she will readily agree. Good luck - and don't feel bad about standing up for yourself.

What is it they say? Something to the effect of "Children have so much energy because they suck it out of you." Never a truer word!?

This thread has been a hoot , and nice to know that most of us feel the same about it.

Greyduster love that quote!

I can't decide what's more tiring, the children or the disruption to my normal routine. One Christmas a couple of years ago we had our son and family visiting, just the 4 of them. The others all live relatively near but this family are a 5 hour drive away so always stay a few days, they don't travel lightly and now there's a dog to add into the equation. 2 days in I looked round the house, piles of Christmas gifts stacked in the lounge, not to mention various electronic gadgets busy charging. There was a dog crate in the kitchen and a dog's water bowl that I somehow managed to step in at regular intervals. At one point I snuck upstairs, passing a version of Mountain Warehouse outdoor shop in the downstairs cloakroom, what seemed to be shoe shop in the hallway and a cosmetics/hairdressing business in the bathroom. I studiously avoided looking in the spare bedrooms. At last I reached our bedroom, some bits from the smallest bedroom decanted there to make room for the grandchildrens' belongings but otherwise unscathed, a quiet tranquil space. I lay on the bed and took a deep breath. Within a minute my youngest daughter, single no children and a bit of a neat freak crept into the room. "Have you come in here for a bit of peace?", she asked, "do you mind if I come too it's awful out there, I just can't stand the mess"
But I'm not really complaining, it's a lovely "problem" to have and I'm still hoping my youngest will meet a lovely man and have babies of her own.... not sure how she'll cope with the mess tho'!

Oh Coppernob et al, I feel so much better. I love seeing my GS,and having him to myself one day a week, but find I too look at how long we have to go at times during the day! I never feel I am the best granny anyway( hence the handle), but we certainly have a lot of laughs and fun in the day, and the joyous smile when he sees me is wondrous! But gosh, they do take all your energy, mental and physical. There is another arrival due any day, I am sure I will feel exactly the same when I look after them. Sadly,time itself goes so quickly- only seems 2 mins since DGS arrived, and now he is running races down the garden with his daddy, and it only seems a few minutes ago his daddy was doing the same with me. Precious moments, even though I do clock watch!

We have DGSs 1 and 2 staying for a week while mum is away and they aren't too much trouble as they are at school most of the day. But it's the getting them and their stuff organised, the homeworks (massive in the case of DGS1 who is 10) and the running here and there to activities that exhausts me. Added to my heavy cold, I am shattered by the end of the day. How on earth did I do it with 4? Really points to how age takes its toll!

Over Christmas from 23rd to 31st were staying: DD1; her 3 children 8, 3 and 1 (who was poorly); SIL1 (who was poorly); DD2; her D aged 5; DS and DIL and there most of the time DD3 and her 2 sons 10 and 6 and new partner. I think you could say it was a full house! Mess and chaos reigned! But it was great to see the kids enjoying themselves as they all get on really well.

I'm still clearing up ?