Situation forcing rules to be broken

Makes no sense that a someone who is paid can look after a child but Someone who is not paid, can’t. It’s not an age thing, as I have a friend who is old enough to be GM but isn’t , she is a paid nanny, she can look after a child, but the child’s GM , same age, can’t.

I think that now the retirement age has moved to 66 from 60 most women are now working and therefore cannot mind Grandchildren.

I agree with Summerlove. We had conversations with our children at the start. Having been a full time mother we were not prepared to be a carer full time. Always prepared to help out but not a permanent commitment.

I used to look after 18month old and do school run for 6 yr old a couple of days a week but as I have COPD daughter won't let me help now. She was working from home but after a couple of days realised it was just impossible with a toddler running around all day.

As she earns more than husband, who was not furloughed, but classed as a key worker because he works in a call centre selling mobile phones, not sure this essential! Anyway his employers only solution was for him to have unpaid Family Leave . They have had to manage without his wage. I only have small pension but offered to help financially but so far they are managing fine. My daughter said they are spending less on going out on trips and eating out etc. So far so good

How is it ok to employ a cleaner, possibly travelling across London on the underground, coming into your home and touching every surface but you cannot look after a grandchild whose parents have not left their house since the second week of March other than for exercise. We grandparents have done just the same. Well this week we have started looking after DGD for one day a week which we did prior to lockdown. DD working from home in cyber security, lives in a very small open plan house. She’s trying to make international webex calls with a very demanding toddler hanging onto her knee. I am a conservative voter but this lot have really lost the plot.

Childminders can now have more than one child. I know a childminder who now has two children and they are three and four and in this nice weather she has had them out playing in their large garden a lot. She also has one of those large canopy things and has a water play thing under there. She told me when inside one plays in play house and other plays with lego etc. she keeps them playing separately. She washes their hands a lot and sits them at either end of table for eating.

My sister has started looking after her gd. Her dil is a key worker and works for NHS so cannot be furloughed. Her son is self employed but not being paid anything as only been self employed since Xmas. After 9 weeks of being home looking after his daughter and home schooling her he has gone back to work as struggling to pay the bills. My sister has helped out financially as well. Now she is having gd until she can go back to school. My sister has no underlying heath issues and is fit and healthy so says she does not think she is at high risk, plus in South West so very few cases of Covid 19 there.

We are now doing 2 days a week as it is making so much difference to the parents. Who can wfh in a technically demanding job which requires pinpoint accuracy with 18 month old toddling around demanding attention? No one is the answer. Cummings, Johnson, Rees-Mogg etc with their fleets of nannies will never have done childcare other than the odd pat of the head. Hopefully it will be short term till nursery is fully back, but it is definitely essential.

totally agree with oopsadaisy3

My twin GC normally go to a childminder before school so I’m not tied to dropping off but I pick up from school, my choice.
During this pandemic SIL been furloughed so child care not an issue, but if they had needed childcare twins could have gone to the childminder, who is the same age as me, but not me! (Both of us are fit, well and just over 60).

Is I’m 64, is looking after my grandchild (6) actually illegal? My son and daughter in law are both key workers.

Can an only child have siblings?

grannylyn65

Can an only child have siblings?

I would say ‘sort of’ thinking of my DH’s situation.

It is a dilemma for all those wishing to assist others in very difficult circumstances. The legal position changed on 1st June. The coronavirus regulations are a statutory instrument and can be found on legislation.gov.uk no.350 of 2020. Click on ' latest available' version of for the up to date correct legal position. Restrictions on individual movements ( Reg 6) .is now only on overnight stays, with some exemptions, but these do not include babysitting overnight stays. Reg.7 is the restrictions on gatherings. You can have one other non household person in your home, or 5 visitors to your garden. However gatherings in excess of the above are allowed for the provision of reasonably necessary 'voluntary' services, so if you wish to volunteer your services where deemed reasonably necessary, you may. It is up to individuals to carry out their own risk assessment, and to mitigate any risks, and also to assess any available alternative to voluntary babysitting. Where this is the only viable option open to the individuals concerned, it will probably meet the test if being deemed reasonably necessary. You can be fined if you break the law but as you can see, the law retains a fair amount of flexibility.

It would be interesting to know how many people on here are (like me) still working age and therefore help with child care has to be squeezed in around their own work? I am in my 50’s and don’t have the option for giving up my job to help with child care but I do what I can; At the moment I am working from home So I am able to help one of my DD and am staying with her to do so, but I know the eldest and her DH are also struggling.

We are helping our daughter with 2 young children as she can’t go back to part time work otherwise ,In our home as we are both well and fit , they come half a day in the garden or conservatory and normally we have them more but managing to keep it lower times and not do the school run yet like normally as daughter is a key worker too so we have to help her

In the current situation we have to do what we think is safe, and most helpful to our families. Our own health has to be considered as well of course. Reading some of these posts I think there are some very fortunate young families having Grandparents who are so willing to help.

BluePizzaWalking I am glad you find caring for your grandchildren so rewarding, others do not feel the same way and should not be criticised for this. I do not particularly enjoy child care and I'm sure there are others like me, this doesn't mean we love our grandchildren any less.

Well said sodapop

Since the 'bubbles' came in, as from Monday we can go and help our single parent daughter with her two young children as she struggles to look after them and work from home to keep her job. TBH we have been doing so for the past two weeks as the situation got desperate and I was frightened she was going under. She has had the virus anyway, so I really feel the minimal risk is well worth taking.

I am helping with my grandchildren as my daughter and hubby both key workers and we have no choices , I am not picking up the older one after school. She leaves work early to pick up but I have the 2 small ones for a few hours a week as without us they can’t work, surely Boris has to think about pairs of grandparents soon in one bubble

I’m probably being a bit thick but I don’t understand why grandparents living together are not considered acceptable to be in a bubble. Surely they constitute one unit ?

Tbh, I think a lot of perfectly sensible people are now making their own decisions.

Yes! Why would it ok for my 6 year old DGD to return to school (in a bubble of 15) but not ok for me to see her? Boris makes no sense!

As your daughter is a single parent with dependent children she can form a bubble with you and your husband , where you would be counted as one household.