Anybody still looking after Grandchildren ?

I look after my granddaughters 2 days a week, they are 2 & 3. Neither my DD or her partner will be able to work from home. I won't stop looking after them unless I am forced to. If nursery closes I will be looking after them more.

We have been told by DDs not to see them for the foreseeable future but we will Facetime and Whatsapp. DD2 is a Teacher and if schools close she is going to Home School four of our school age GC along with two girls whose parents are front line medical staff. At the same time she will be preparing work for her classes - she is going to be busy! We look after our youngest GS one day a week but this will be our last week for the time being - we have offered to pay for alternative arrangements.

We look after DGD aged 19 months each Tuesday and had her overnight on Saturday so parents could have a rare night out. Yesterday DH said we can’t have her for the time being as he has high BP and uses an ACE inhibitor, asthma and a very persistent permanent cough. ?. I’m a few years younger so not as concerned as he is but have to respect his decision. DD has decided not to send her to nursery on Wednesdays, other GP’s have her on Monday. DD is working her 3 days from home as of this week. Think I may go round and take her out for a while tomorrow because it is impossible to get anything done otherwise. Now DH is cross in case I bring virus home ?‍♀️

My children have been lovely, they have aske me to self isolate and they will stay away physically until things are clearer. They have offered to come immediately if we need them. We have tall wooden gates at the end of our longish drive. My son has offered to put anything we need over the gates for us without coming in if we are uncomfortable about any of them bringing the virus in with them. We are a bit worried about it so we will all play safe.

Both sons have pointed out that if they and their healthy children acquire this virus, they are likely only to have mild symptoms or even not notice at all. They could, however, be carrying the thing, and unwittingly pass it on to me and DH. And the stats are heavily weighted against the over 70s.
So we have agreed together that our usual child care responsibilities are suspended sor now (big sad sigh) and we have bought wallpaper, paint, compost, seeds, wood etc for all those projects which we have Long promised ourselves.
(I'm very sad though...grandkids will be brought here to wave and shout to us from the safety of the car!)

I'm 72 and look after my two GC in a shift pattern, overnight as well sometimes, school pick ups etc. They are 6 and 3yrs. My daughter is in LFB and son in law in the MET. They cannot work at home and because of the shift pattern, no carers will do it. I have to keep on having them, don't I?? What would my daughter and son in law do if I refuse? lose their jobs??? So worried!!

My daughter has cancelled my help for next 4-6 weeks. It was three days a week. She’s also self -isolating her daughter by taking her out of school ...and herself ( both asthmatic ) . Don’t blame her.

Laughterlines, what a lovely sensible post from you I read.

I am 62 - I had my granddaughter from Friday to Sunday as planned and took her to her usual First Holy Communion class, and Mass. No hymn books, no Mass sheets, no holy water, no chalice at Communion (not that I drink out of it anyway).

My daughter moved in the week and they wouldn't have been able to manage if I hadn't looked after the baby, just giving him to mum to breastfed.

I don't go out much anyway so staying fairly isolated in general is not a problem for me. I have an 84 year old friend whose wife is dying in a nursing home and he is not allowed to visit her - very sad indeed.

DD has just rung and said she will pick her children up - I usually do it on a Monday and Friday - but she works part time so is able to work fewer hours on more days to make up the time.

DH died at beginning of Feb and the girls and I watched him dying for over a week, so have been through a lot. I do not want them to have to worry about me, so am going with their flow.

If weather nice at weekend, they plan to visit and we all stay in garden.

Children are such lovely germy critters, picking noses and generally not observing hygiene rules!

Dd is a teacher with 7,5 and 2 yr olds. We have them 3 days with one sleep over. We are in mid 60s and both asthmatic, husband still works. Intend to keep going until schools close and keep on top of prevention measures.

Please don't look after grandkids if there is an alternative, particularly while the schools stay open. One blessing of this disease is that it doesn't seem to affect children badly, but they are very effective at spreading bugs, however many times you tell them to wash their hands!

Two of our granddaughters lived at our house for 2 or 3 days per week and used to visit most days. Now we can only talk to them on WhatsApp. It breaks my heart but my daughter has made the right decision, because she wants her dad and I to have the best possible chance of survival.

Had my grandsons to stay over at the weekend. Their school is still open and I work part time in an office where people have young children. So I don’t see the point of keeping away from my grandchildren at the moment as I’m mixing with people and clients. I’m concerned if my firm shuts and we all have to stay at home will I still get paid? I’m on my own with very limited income. I know a lot of small businesses will go under so hope the government will be able to help people financially. Appreciate health is most important but it’s horrible when you haven’t money for food or to pay bills.

Our daughter is a nurse so in the front line. We have no choice to look after her two girls 7 & 8. She has however, cancelled all their after school activities. Just plenty of hand washing going on here and I'm disinfecting door handles daily.

Still looking after x2 aged nearly 4 and 2 - at nursery. Still have to go to work (NHS) so feel GCs the least of my worries. DH high risk but I can’t change my work - annual hand washing assessment due any time so have been practicing!!

We will only have to help look after gc if the schools close, but we will do it. DS is a police officer and dil is a paediatric community nurse, so along with most parents aren’t in a position to have time off work.

Neither of us have any health problems, aged 64 and 68, so we will be happy to help them.

On another note, my dad is 91, lives alone nearby, has Altzheimer’s and my sister and I will have no choice but to carry on giving the care he needs.

So many problems with community care, and I can’t see how it’s all going to work out

Was at Wisley Gardens last week with youngest DD and DGSs. A woman in her mid 60s was looking after a 3 year old. She looked old and hagard as the child ran rampant around the soft play area ?

I've just looked after my 3year old granddaughter for the weekend I would be more concerned for her health than myself or husband, we are both in our late sixties but healthy. Carrying on with normal life but more hand washing etc.

Business as usual here until/if one of us gets ill, or the AC decide to stay away. I know we have to be sensible but the world has gone mad!

I am expecting to pick my grandson up tomorrow from school, give him his tea and take him to his ballet class. My problem is that I have my birthday at the weekend and have booked a meal for 14 of us - children and grandchildren which I domn't want to cancel

Agree with CrazyGrandma2. We don't live near enough to look after GCs regularly but have offered to help out in case of school closure, assuming we are both fit and healthy. Son and partner plus children visited yesterday and were pleased that we had a spare pack of loo rolls which they took with them as the shops local to them had run out!

I m mid 60’s and have had my 16 month grandson for 3 out of the last 6 days, without me doing that my daughter and husband are unable to work. They both work in the travel industry and at present are working full out trying to get people home and dealing with holidays that have had to be cancelled. I m also about to come out of retirement and go back to work as a nurse, don’t know for how long but the NHS is struggling

My grandchildren live on my road. They are age 6 and 9. I have no intention of not seeing them. I'm 59 so borderline at risk though. I would feel different if I was a lot older though.

We don’t have a choice as our daughter is a single parent and there is no-one else to have our granddaughter during the school holiday as she is still having to go into work.

There are many Grandparents where we live in that position.
I was chatting to one today, not much younger than me. Her 2 GCs come to her every day after school for their Tea.
Daughter and SiL at work - they need to work to support their family.
Another older lady told me - not everyone can afford to buy in bulk.
My grandchildren are all well past that stage, but I can understand their worry, and dilemma.
They are the generation who are going to keep the nation going through this emergency.

We were asked to have our two overnight last night as mum was poorly (very probably ‘it’) and DS front line medic. Now hear that the littlest has a fever.
Now we have a long week or so to see if we have got it too.