I'm feeling inadequate.......... .......

I really don't blame you & agree you did the sensible thing.
My dd is expecting. I was very honest yesterday and said I didn't think I would cope with both dgds overnight (7 year age difference) and I'm in my late 40s!! Time will tell I expect.....

There is a very good reason why we are designed to have children when we are young and also that the menopause comes when it does! It is lovely to have a little input into the DGC but any more than that is just not practical for very many of us.
I think that the financial implications of childcare and the expectation that mums should work are unrealistic pressures which make for unreasonable demands being put on grandparents. I think this stems from housing primarily as in our own parents' day house purchase was not the norm and there was much more renting so there were no big mortgage payments or maintenance costs to find. We are now very much a consumer society with so much intrusive advertising.

chickenlegs I'm younger but still worry about my DGC aged 5 and 3 when I have to look after them. We recently had them overnight while DD and SiL went away for the night (only the 2nd time they've done so since DGC were born). It's much harder when they're not your DC!

I agree Magrithea. I'm always relieved when the parents return and I can hand them over in one piece! Im particularly neurotic about playgrounds imagining the dreadful accidents which could happen (but havent so far!) I wasnt like this with my children.

Children do adapt to different carers - mine understand that I cannot lift them and rush up to cuddle my knees. They also have their nappies changed standing up and are very co-operative - "Bum in the air like you just don't care!"

But no grandparent should agree to care if they are not sure they can keep the child safe - we have everything geared up to the children here - gates are tied up and medicines are in locked boxes etc. It has to be, as I cannot leap to save them if they are about to run out of a gate etc.

I look back and boggle at all I used to do - and be able to do.