AIBU not to want to look after one year old while parents are abroad for 4 d.

Sorry to being this up but what part of Italy are they going to?

Because if the situation doesn't improve it will not be a good idea at all as Italy currently has the most people with Coronavirus and some Towns are in Lockdown.

Can't believe it as I write it. It sounds so extreme.
But we have no idea still if this will burn itself out.

I looked after my grandson 2 1/2 at the time, for a week while DD and SIL were abroad for a week. HUGE responsibility, but d’you know what, probably the best week of my life! Loved it! Sounds like DGC is happy with you, you might really enjoy it,

She can express some milk, freeze it and leave it with you, presumably. I wouldn't necessarily expect her to stop just because baby is over one year old - my granddaughter is four now and still has one feed a day (grandson made decision himself to stop when he was just about five).
I slept in the room with my grandson when he stayed with us for the first time, so I was close at hand when he woke in the night needing reassurance.

Looked after DGS when he was about 8 months for 4 days, he was fine. Then looked after him and his sister when he was 19 months old and she was 5 months old for about 5 days. Tiring, but I coped, luckily they were good sleepers.

I'd be worried about saying " no", incase the parents gave him to someone less reliable. I think going with them would be the best option.

Re feeding with expressed milk, is the baby used to taking a bottle? Because speaking from experience it often isn’t that easy at all, whether expressed or formula.

If my Gds is anything to go by, breast past the baby/weaning stage was more of a comfort thing than a source of nourishment.

My friend has found herself in a similar dilemma , though only for an overnight . Baby at 8 months refuses point blank to take a bottle in the evening . My friend is going with the parents to the wedding, but has booked into a B & B close to the hotel. She will look after baby during the day, and mum will pop in and feed when necessary. That's the plan !! He will happily eat finger foods and solids during the day but needs his breast feed at night.

Obviously it's different as it's only for one night, you are in a different situation being a longer trip away. Definitely make sure he is taking a bottle at night, this could make or break the whole situation . Good luck.

We had to look after our son and DIL's barely-walking toddler for a week while they were on holiday and though she loved being with us she pined by the end of the first day and kept asking and looking for her parents. We comforted and distracted her and looking back it strengthened the bonds between us. She's now 16 and though we live at opposite ends of the country, we couldn't be closer. In fact, on later visits as a toddler she would cry at the prospect of leaving us, every time. I found it comforted her to give her something of mine, like a pretty scarf with my perfume on it, as she sat in the car waiting to leave. Children do see such things as talismans, if you present them that way. Maybe your grandchild's parents could do something similar.

I posted back in February that I thought it might not be possible for the wedding ot go ahead because of the coroanvirus.... but maybe it will be burnt out by May?

otherwise I feel a bit Cassandra like

surely they wont be going.
you should not look after the child.
children are great carriers, and older people are at greater risk.
you didnt want to do it anyway, that should be answer enough, and now it is positively risky, all round. they should cancel.

I do not think you are being unreasonable at all. Actually, I think the parents are being unreasonable wanting to leave their young child while they go abroad. I am the mother of a young child myself, so I can appreciate their predicament. But this is too much. I could understand 1, maybe 2 nights, while the parents had a weekend to themselves a short distance away. But I cannot fathom leaving my 1-year-old for 4 nights while I attended an event in a different country. Nor asking my parents to care for my toddler for 4 nights.

Have I missed it or surely the trip is cancelled now ?