What, if anything, did you buy, borrow or find useful please?

I can only concur with most of what's been said above. We had charge of our GS for two days a week from the age of six months, and just about everything he had at home we had in ours - high chair, stair gates, travel cot - for which we bought a deeper more comfortable mattress from a company online - and bed linen; as he got older, a bed guard, various stages of car seat, a folding stroller to keep in the car, clothes, nappies, plug socket covers, locks for low kitchen cupboards, a seemingly endless collection of wellingtons, and toys without number. He is now nine. He still has a room here full of his Action Men, Lego, games, books, soft toys, and clothes he seems to grow out of almost before he gets the chance to wear them. The muslin cloths we used from day one he still uses when he eats spag bol or noodles here (and so does grandad!), and one of his old drinking beakers is his favourite milkshake cup. You have great joys to come, wildrose!

Congratulations wildrose!

For my DGS I made sure I had a cot (with all bed linen) and highchair, nappies and clothes, as well as an assortment of toys as he grew.

Now he's 4, and I still have clothes, shoes, wellies, underwear, toothbrush, toys and books for him. All he really needs to bring when he comes to visit is the Current Favourite toy - which we then left on the train after visiting a friend so I had to go and get him a new one!

Some of the stuff only gets worn a few times, but I just want him to feel welcome, so that any time he comes he can just pick up his life and feel at home.

My first GD was attached to her dummy. She often carried one in one hand and had one in her mouth. If she lost one ( or both, God forbid) there was uproar. We kept an emergency supply in a kitchen draw. She would check on it often. She is now nearly 10, but still smiles at the memory.
p.S. She gave up her dummy when she was about 3

Congratulations wildrose, it's an experience like no other. Everyone says how wonderful being a first time Nanny is but believe me, if you're excited now wait until your little bundle is here. It's just amazing.
Not sure anybody has mentioned a change mat? Will need this right from the word go! Also did you know you can buy packs of disposable change mats? I always found them great & really light to be able to keep in your change bag (& throw away if you'd used it somewhere where you weren't too keen!)
The biggest problem with having a grandchild? Not buying everything you see! There are so many gorgeous things out there now for babies. I have to struggle to be sensible! Enjoy every minute, I'm sure you will (& your daughter sounds lovely & appreciative). Have fun x

Evertheoptimist. Just a tip if you are short of a bib or two for a slightly older child. We use a tea towel with a peg holding it at the back to keep grandsons clothes clean.

We kept a bag of disposable nappies, baby wipes, bibs. All my GC were breast fed so we didn't need bottles etc. As they got older we had feeder cups, toys, a stair gate and a high chair. We also had a couple of car seats for them, as I often took them to nursery school.
None of these are needed now. The youngest is 3, and they live in Glasgow.

Hi Wildrose, we find it useful to have our own car seat so if I'm on granny duty and need to shop etc. I can do so. It's also worth picking up a second-hand buggy or stroller for trips down to the park...

So many great ideas - thank you all so much Sorry I haven't time to reply individually as we are expecting visitors but I do appreciate your input. The thing that shines through most of all is that you all take great pleasure from having grandchildren in your lives - I know life will never be as quiet as it is now for us but I'm delighted at the thought! to all of you x

I would advise gettingvthings as tou need them . We have 6 grandchildren and we find they usually bring changing stuff erc with them when they come. We kept our childrens old cot a nd they have all used it as so me wont sleep well in travel cots. We were given a newish second hand high chair (plastic) which they have all used. We bought a stair gate which is very important when they are mobile- we keep it at the bottom of the atairs during the say and move it to the top at night. We havelots of toys and books mostly bought from charity shops and vilage fetes which they live playing with. Stared with baby toys (;well washed!) and gradually got older toys as they grew. I have a collection of plastic cups plates bowls ans cutlery plus a tommy tippee type sippee cup which they all yse when they come. Havent bothered with sterilisers as some were breast fed and bottle fed ones had bottles sterilsed in microwave. Id wait and see! Disposable changing mat is helpful and as thet get older absorbent waterproof under-sheets for beds. I also have little steps for bathroom, child toilet seats and a pottyplus non slip mat and a few bath toys. Also we now have a second hand push chair (from my son) with removable seat which doubles as a car seat (fixed with ordinary seat belts). Goodness didn't realise i had so much! Acquired gradually.

Bibs, bibs and more bibs! Bibs are like socks in this house, in that one minute I've a drawerful and next there's none! I assume they make their way to DDs houses.
Oh and baby wipes. I pick up a box every time they're on offer.

We seem to have got as much stuff in our house now for assorted grandchildren as had for our own!
As they are now ranging from 6 months to six years with more to come, I keep curver boxes labelled with age appropriate toys so I can get the right one out when they visit.
Yes to
Car s ats/booster seats in every car to save time
Buggy
Spouted beakers
High chairs
Low chairs
Stair gates
Garden toys

PS. I bought most things from charity shops too or car boots.

Small unit to sterilise in the microwave would be useful, extra pkt of nappies,wipes,changing mat,toys and plenty if tea and biscuits for the adults. This is all from experience as l have 4 DGC now under 4! Babysit if you can so parents can gonout for a quiet meal too,good luck!

Haven't read all messages, so sorry if this is repetitive.
Its amazing how much you can do without. Like others I started off by accumulating all sorts of things in anticipation, but as they ( boys - now 3 and nearly 6) grew, less and less was needed. We survived without stairgates as parents and children all sleep in a ground floor room - a bit like sardines. Toys were accumulated from charity shops. Best new buy was a high chair - a Cosatto make which folds flat when not in use.Otherwise its quite an item to have to store. Most baby seats can be transferred between cars these days too.

sue01 that's a lovely idea. Have heard it before but probably wouldn't have thought about it without a prompt - thank you !

Thingmajig I love the idea of a little garden swing when the time comes! We hope to spend many happy hours together in our lovely garden - my DD and SiL don't have a garden as yet so am sure they will enjoy it here when they visit too, especially as we can take over to give them a rest
trisher yes I like the idea of a foldaway mat rather than the oblong affairs I used to have all those years ago. I think I will pop to IKEA to check out their chairs but my daughter has ordered a little portable one for traveling after seeing the recommendations on here
Luckygirl I am intrigued by the description of the seat that fixes to a table! We have been given two stair gates for when they become necessary so that's a great help and I can't wait to start a toy box. I remember my two loved tidying things away (very strange) once they had finished. No doubt I'll pick little bits up each time I'm out but, for now, we have rattles and stacking cups - the usual basic stuff. A harness will be a must too if my daughter agrees and we already have a little canvas playhouse that my DH couldn't resist!
Deedaa I won't be able to care for our little one during the working week as it's too far to travel but I'll be more than happy to do my bit at any other time when he/she is old enough to stay overnight (or when my daughter is happy to leave them) I have been stocking up on creams, wipes and Muslim cloths
Pippa000 ha ha I already have a "thingy" in my car It holds wipes for us and bags for rubbish but will be repurposed soon! Spare pants etc are a fab idea for later on. Marble stairs - wow! And ouch!
Kittylester that's a great idea. A friend of a friend has invited me to look through her stash as she calls it. I'm sure it will held some useful bits and pieces.
Thanks all!

One thing we always do - with grandchildren and the babies of family and friends - is to buy all the newspapers and magazines we can find, relating to the day of the birth.

Wrapped up, they make a wonderful gift to be opened when the baby grows up !

I forgot the stairgate which we had to prevent puppies going upstairs and resurrected. They are usually on loan somewhere else. A friend has currently taken them to the seaside so she can keep her dog in the kitchen of their rented holiday cottage.

It's worth asking around if you are only having occasional visits and setting up a 'cooperative' with other grans.

We had a small pack away booster seat, which we used when we were out, very useful in places that didn't have high chairs. I also did a 'baby' bag for the back of our car, with the essentials - nappies, wipes, nappy bags, hand wash gel, nappy cream, spare clothes, small towel, etc, which was added to with necessities as they grew, such as plastic bowls, spoons, knife and fork, spare pants/knickers as they were being toilet trained, which lived in the boot of the car so it was always available when we took the children anywhere. We still have a 'thingy' which fits over the back of the front car seat, and can be reached from their car seat which stores toys, books etc for when the children are in the car.

The stair gates have been resurrected as we live in a house with marble stairs and the family visiting live in a bungalow, I would hate them to fall down the stairs in the middle of the night on the way to the loo.

I knew I would be having GS1 most of the week when his mother went back to work so I had a good supply of muslins and babywipes. He was in reusable nappies but I kept a pack of disposables for emergencies. Obviously there were cups, plates and spoons, nappy cream, bibs, and one or two blankets. he either slept in his pram or on the sofa and I bought a second hand high chair on ebay. And of course over the years we have accumulated lots of toys and books. Mustn't forget the stairgate which has only just been removed after GS3!

We gradually added stuff as time went by. The stair gate is probably the most important thing so you can relax once they start to get mobile. We have a mothercare seat that fixes to a table that has been very useful. And we also have various bits of cutlery, cups etc.

The main things we have are lots and lots of books and basic toys - mainly bought second hand; and the pushchair of course that saves the children from having to fit theirs in the car. Extras are a paddling pool and a little tent to keep them out of the sun - and for them to have fun in.

Oh - and a harness.

A nappy bag that holds a changing mat is better than just a mat I think (fully transportable and packs away easily).
Ikea high chair is great-all white plastic so completely washable. (DS hoses theirs down in garden) Their foldable chair to fit a dining chair is good as well.
Don't go for too many bottles GD was breastfed and didn't like bottles went to sippy cup very early

We seem to have a house full of things for DGD!

We initially bought a wee play-mat (got it at an NCT sale) for her to lie on and a bouncy chair. I just used a big plastic container as a steriliser. Things were added on as we needed them, a wee booster chair that can be used at the table or on the floor, baby garden swing which she still loves. My brother passed on a basic buggy and travel cot he had used with his GS, although we replaced the buggy with one from Ebay which had better wheels for our rough terrain!
Potty time now of course, so one for downstairs and one for in her room if she ever gets to the no-nappy-naps.

Now we have a wee toddler bed for her (she's so wee and dainty a single bed seems too big!) and so much stuff/toys you'd think she lived here!!! Paints, crayons, play doh, books by the dozen, dolls, soft toys, garden toys ... the list is endless. We decorated her plain white room with lovely (cheap and removable) wall decals and it looks great!

Of course, the car seat for when he/she outgrows the baby size ... we went with the rear-facing till 4 advice, and one which has passed the extended Swedish test, so not cheap!

Grand-children are very expensive, but the greatest joy ever!

Oops sorry about that Pippa000. We bought a paddling pool for my goddaughters yesterday and that must be on my mind. How fab to have a proper pool though! Enjoy your floating
syshal thanks for posting the pic. I am tempted to order that now that I have seen it!

All of the above plus a similar travel high chair to this which attaches to a dining chair. Mine used to pack away into a little suitcase size. Most are fabric, which while more compact, get filthy at just one meal.