its so hard looking after my lovely GC

I so know how you feel. I have my grandchildren 5, 3 & almost 2 on a Friday. Even if I take them to a ballpark it's hard work. How can I watch the youngest when the 3 year old is hurling himself down the slide. Because their all so close in age they are always via ing for individual attention. All I can hear are their little voices shouting "and me and me" I'm run ragged. But I love them so. When I go to their house and ring the bell 3 chubby hands try to poke through the letter box. I can hear them shouting "nanna nanna" and their faces light up with delight when they see me. They are the youngest of my 8 grandchildren so I know how quickly they will grow. Every Friday I just brace myself for a day of love and chaos.

Welcome. You are very lucky to be looking after them but I know it can be draining. Sounds like a bit of time invested in getting prepared for the weekly onslaught. Do you have plenty of toys and puzzles? If not, could their parents sort you out some from home. Maybe things that they would be pleased to see on a weekly basis and that are not too space-consuming for you to store.Then when you get out the Duplo or whatever it will be a treat.
Also somewhere there is a really good thread on occupying small children -
Dig back through grandparenting threads and you will probably find it. Things like giving them a washing up bowl of bubbles.
DVDs and baths are the only way I know to "turn them off" for a while - could you do bath time at yours and return them washed and pyjamaed? Possible to spin bath time out for ages if they have a few things to play with. Means gran gets to sit on the toilet seat and do nothing for at least half an hour. [grin-
Finally on the days you don't get them - do you do any exercise to boost your strength, resilience and energy?

I think that many of us can sympathize with you stacigran. Am I going off key or am I right to say that our grandchildren of today seem to need a lot more attention and entertaining that say a generation ago. I am quite pleased that my grandchildren are almost at the stage that I won't be caring for them in the school holidays. DH and I have found the easiest entertainment has been taking them to the beach (luckily it is nearby) and on picnics to the countryside where they have really enjoyed being outdoors. Of course all this relies on good weather!! If we are indoors with them all day we are knackered for the few days after!! It takes us some time to recover.

staci You don't say how old you are, but I when I have my 2yr old dgd for a day, I'm absolutely exhausted. I don't think I'd survive a 4yr old as well!
I'm 67 and reasonably fit.

Welcome, you are not alone. Two years ago when our GC were 2 and 4, we found them very wearing - and we do not provide regular weekly childcare as we live too far away.

Now they are 4 and 6 we find life a lot easier, they have enough language to express their wants, they are generally amenable to reason, know how to sit at a table and eat properly and they are both potty trained. We do get the occasional tantrum. Generally we find that if we treat them like dogs and take them out for a good long run every day or to play for a long time in the play ground, where we can sit down intermittently, they are less exhausting when they get home.

Have you discussed your tiredness with their parents? Perhaps you could take them to children's sessions at a local leisure centre or swimming lessons, where you can sit and watch other people take care of them

Welcome, stacigran. I used to find looking after the dgcs exhausting but thankfully that stage doesn't last forever.

I had my 4yr old DGS for a sleepover last week which we both enjoy. I collected him Friday in time for tea at ours & delivered him back to his after tea on Saturday.
By which time I was totally shattered! Even though he is pretty easy to look after & much better behaved at mine.
I used to be a child minder & there were always lots of children in our house. I look back now & wonder how I coped but it just seemed easy at the time.
Mind you, even vacuuming the house seems like hard work these days.

Welcome!

Thanks, i am new! Hoping to find some sympathy, at least, as its thin on the ground at home! Perhaps I am just more disorganised than when i was a mum. Also my home is not really set up for the whirlwind of activity!

Stacigran , you were quite a lot of years younger when you had your own remember .
We go to see ours on a very frequent basis but they do puff us out a bit at times. Still would not have it any other way .
If you are a Newbie enjoy your time here , it CAN be fun !

I do know another gran who has her GC several days days a week and sails through looking calm and glamorous whereas i turn up at the Nursery gate with jam in my hair, no make up and smallest GC in mismatched socks having a tantrum! i am SO exhausted!

If you are new, then welcome!

Other G'netters have said the same thing, so I don't think you are alone! (or grumpy, for that matter)