Childminding for grandaughter

Hi and welcome Evergreen
That's quite a commitment, hope it all goes well for you
Are you sure that they will get help via Government funding from the age of two?

I look after my grandson two days a week and it is exhausting keeping up with a toddler. He's two and I am sixty three. If you are able to share the load, then I would suggest that. It is a big commitment.

I did exactly the same with my granddaughter at your age (four years ago). I took her to a toddler group for the mornings of the two days I had her, which gave us both company (and where I made a new friend who has become very close), then brought her home or pushed her through town until she fell asleep. It was tiring but delightful, it kept me very fit and gave us a lovely bond. I hope it will go well for you when you get into it.

I had my grandson most weekends from him being one - he’s 3 now and I’m 80. It was exhausting but I had to step in as DD1 and SiL both work weekends and can’t change things and there was no-one else to help out. One drawback for me was everywhere I took him was always crowded, but you should be luckier if you’ve yours midweek. As for vouchers - unless it’s a benefit of working for the NHS - the hours of free childcare don’t start until the term after the child is 3 and my DD pays £15 a day for DGS’s meals and £65 a day that his free hours don’t cover. Perhaps the OP’s family are in receipt of certain benefits which would qualify for a free place sooner?

In retrospect the years have flown and once he’s at school things will be different as DD will have to find a different job as her employer won’t change her hours.

Bloody Hell - I’ve just aged myself 10 years!!! I’m only 70!

I looked after both my grandsons from 10 months old until they started school two and half days a week .3 days in the school holidays I’m in my late sixties and the youngest one stared school today
It’s hard work but I have enjoyed it .and have a loving relationship with both of them , my husband retired 4 years ago so I have had help .
While they are small have a rest when they have their nap .
As they got older we had lots of fun days out.
Also played lots of games .jigsaw puzzle s ect .and they have their own toys that they leave here to play with
I found other mums and grandparents that I got talking to in the park were always friendly

We committed to a day a week for grandson 1. Less than 3 years later, his parent had a baby and other daughter had 2. At times we had 4 under 5 year olds on our child care day. Luckily the 2,older children were soon in nursery.
We have loved being with our grandchildren but yes, it’s very tiring x

Thankyou yes.it is a big commitment and as its some way off yet weve said we will review it nearer the time to see if anything else has turned up once the panic of the situation has subsided (having to buy all equipment or source it from somewhere again as first lot given away and suitcases of girly baby clothes carefully packed away but it will be a boy (we are all delighted) but practically ..none of these clothes are of anyuse to her. Its just i like to be organised so looking at whats?on offer in our are re babygroups what days etc and is there even a local meetup of grandparent carers of little ones etc etc.

Just caught up reading all your lovely posts
You have shown me it can be done and i applaud you all for your magnificent efforts.Hope some of you manage to stay with me for support on my journey.

I have always had grandchildren one day each week , two days is quite a commitment. I think the most important thing is to be honest with yourself about how much you are able to do for your Great Grandchild.
You have done your bit with your own children and no doubt Grandchildren so please don't take too much on !! I think if I give one day each week then I have the time to do two days in an emergency . I know how expensive nursery fees are and my DD and SIL are not big earners so I recognize how difficult it is for them .However I stick to my guns , and it remains one day each week. Good luck !

I agree with Shelflife that's a big commitment Evergreen could you compromise and help with nursery fees for one of the days. Caring for a young child when you are older is very tiring and you should have time for yourself now.
Good luck whatever you decide.

As a health visitor, I saw this a lot, and would advise:

Your age isn't important, but your health & vitality are. make it very clear that you will do your best, and let them know if you feel you cannot cope.

Keep everything simple, don't worry about using ready prepared meals etc.

Look around your area - there will be toddler / stay and play type groups that welcome grandparents (indeed, you will often find they outnumber the parents!). Use these to give a structure to your day.

Do you like swimming, and is a pool nearby? We find taking LOs swimming is a lovely experience, takes up a good bit of time, excellent exercise for us all, and usually tires them out!

If you decide to help with nursery fees instead (I obviously don't know your situation) then consider - depending on the geography / transport - caring for your DGGC for 2 half-days rather than 1 whole day. You may find this less tiring.

Nurseries are expensive - in this country we have a perfect storm of high standards and minimal state help. I applaud the high standards, and would like to see nursery staff paid more, but under the current arrangement we end up with this situation.

I am in the same situation with my new (first) grandchild, I offered 2 days a week but I have been thinking of the logistics of it ( They live 30/40 minutes away) and I also care for my husband who has had a stroke, I hav been thinking of paying for one day of their child care instead but it is nearly £75 per day I know they would struggle if they had too pay anymore. Seems silly you can get help at age 3 but not as a baby.

My gran watched my eldest for about a year to cover the gap between me going back to work and nursery starting - exactly the same as your situation.

She had a ball, and the relationship between my gran and DD was a joy to see. I remember coming home from work one day and my gran and daughter had turned the living room into a fort with pillows and duvets everywhere and my gran telling me she’d taught my DD how to do jooglie wilkies (forward rolls), she was 78 at the time.
I hope you have the same fun my gran did, and enjoy your time.

And thanks for the post in general, am sat here in tears remembering the most wonderful kind women I ever had the pleasure of knowing in my late gran.

We looked after our two grandchildren for two or three days a week, one from shortly after birth. We still have our grandchildren during holidays and three days after school.
Although it can be tiring at times, I have enjoyed it but I do feel rather guilty that my grandchildren get far more emotional input and and attention than my children did - simply because I was working then and wasn't as good at prioritising my children as I should have been.

Having said all that, my husband is here as well and he does quite a lot too so I think it would be more tiring doing it single handedly. See how it goes but don't be afraid to say if you are finding two days too much.

I can't understand why nurseries are so expensive in this country. I believe fees are much cheaper in other countries.

I have been looking after my oldest 2 grandchildren for the past 18 years, 2 days a week….picking up from school etc, giving them tea, taking them to after school activities.. I don’t know how I did it, but I was younger then. I also have 4 toddler grandchildren now. Their mums don’t work, so I don’t have to help out on a regular basis, just the odd babysitting. I think I benefited emotionally, I was freshly separated and divorced and took my mind away from that. Good luck and consider it lucky you are so involved with your GC, since many on GN are denied that special relationship.

OP

You have valid concerns.

Why not start slowly (1 day a week or less) and move on from there, see how it goes?

My advice would be to be honest with your grandchildren if it is too much for you. I have 2 grandchildren twice a week and have asked DD to put the eldest age 2 in nursery 1 of those days for which I will pay as I find it exhausting to be honest and I don’t want it to become a chore as it is such a pleasure at the moment so come October he is off to nursery for one of those days. Honesty is the best policy all round.

Yes be firm from the start. It isn’t easy to backtrack.
I’ve been there and done that. I have 8 GC and although haven’t had all of them on a regular basis, I told my DD when she had her 4th child, I wouldn’t be available to have her , only for the odd babysitting session. Dd completely understood. I have had 3 of my own, looked after 3 bereaved children for 10 years and had my 8Gc on and off. Now is ‘me time’. I would be resentful if I could not follow my various hobbies and clubs and shoot off to our holiday home, at a moments notice.
Selfish? I hope not.

Not selfish at all Gingster you have done so much for your family already you certainly deserve some time for yourself now. Enjoy your life.

It is well worth doing if you can, building a relationship is special. Syggestions:

*decide on and develop a clear routine with them for your days together, obviously fitting in with normal/parental routines but fitting in with your needs as well
* find out about what is around to take them to. Maybe little music group sessions for tiniest, library sessions with nursery rhymes, toddler group nearby, to help fill time and give variety.
*plan a few specific activities, maybe have "yoyr" toys to take, so tgere is something different to play with
*adapt as they grow up, change things to fit new developments
*as appropriate, allow breather time for you to sit and return..during nap time or if nothing else 20 minutes of C beebies as that becomes interesting to them
* messy and wet always works so outside with water , supervised, is a good one, or inside in bath as they grow.

Good luck and enjoy!

"Rest" ..not return!!!

I think you'll love it. There is so much you can do with little ones. I had the time of my life helping to look after my small GS. I am only sorry now that he's in his teens and doesn't need looking after. You should be able to have lots of adventures together.

I'm now 73 and have 3 grandchildren 10, 7 and 4 that I've looked after 2 days a week from when the oldest was 10 months old. The youngest is just about to start school. I live a distance away so stay overnight. Its hard work and tiring but I'm so glad I've done it as I feel so close to them. So different from just a visit now and then. You'll be fine, just enjoy it