Hello all,
Advice/feedback sought! Husband and I help out with grandchildren most weeks, 5 days a week. Daughter lives close by and is alone with 2 small children (one still breastfeeding) most weeks as her husband works abroad.
We share school runs and help with meals, baths and bedtime, plus give kids one on one time and watch them while daughter does chores. Quite often they all stay with us Mon-Friday as its easier for us all to be in same house.
We love our involvement with the kids and though it's hard work and very tiring, we wouldn't change it for the world.
However we are finding certain things difficult.
Firstly, we are very poor, and get no contribution other than a bit of shopping (sometimes). Also we run a small home business, and caring for the grandkids makes it hard for us to give enough time to this. A small contribution would go towards our childcare costs and would allow us to pay for a little help. We are trying to find a way to ask for a contribution, but not sure if it's appropriate, or how much.
Secondly, we find many of our friends and family disapprove of our arrangement, suggesting we are too involved. Our daughter very much wants our involvement. The grandkids certainly benefit from it. We love it, other than the money worries, but it is tiring, and the disapproval/raised eyebrows upsets us - we know extended family arrangements are common, so wonder what it's about.
Advice/feedback greatly appreciated?
Thank you all.
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