Fabulous to help and support our grown-up children with the grand-children we love. From time to time, here and there, and of course in emergencies. Wonderful.
But I truly feel it is totally wrong for grown-up children to assume and expect that we will practically bring up their children for them. No, no and no - been there, done that - no more. I want to have quality time with the grand-children, have fun, special times and holidays - not the day to day care and up-bringing. Not our place, not our job - and I am very proud to say that our daughter who has 2 little ones would never ever dream of expecting us to do so. They take their own responsibilities very seriously, and as she chooses to work full-time, spends a huge proportion of her income on a Nanny. She knows that although I live abroad, if she phoned me in the middle of the night in an emergency, I'd drive to the airport and jump onto the next plane - and that we will have the children for many weeks during holidays.
Parents are... parents. And grand-parents .... grand-parents. As it should be