My husband and I are in our 40s, and we care for our toddler grandson four days a week while his mom attends school. We agreed to help with childcare for classes, but over time it's expanded into many evenings, overnights, and most weekends because she often has social plans, activities, or other commitments.
We adore our grandson and genuinely enjoy being with him, but we're starting to feel burned out. We haven't had a weekend to ourselves since May 1, 2026, and it feels like we're expected to always be available.
One thing that's becoming particularly difficult is that our time doesn't seem to be respected. Plans are often made with very little notice, drop-offs and pick-ups rarely happen at the agreed time, and we're often asked to help even when we've already explained that we have family commitments or aren't feeling well.
I want to be clear that I don't object to a young mother having a social life, going to the gym, or pursuing school. I want to support her. What I'm struggling with is feeling like our willingness to help has gradually become an expectation rather than something we're asked to do.
My husband feels exactly the same way, and we're worried that if we don't make some changes, we'll become resentful. We love our grandson deeply and want to enjoy being grandparents, not feel like we're co-parenting.
Has anyone else experienced this? How did you set healthy boundaries without hurting the relationship?
You must be old if you have a purse or a wallet.
Good Morning Thursday 23rd July 2026
Cox’s Apples Can’t seem to find any!
