Grandparents providing more free childcare.

I will be interested to see how the BBC presents this.
My 2 grandchildren are aged 2 and a half and 8 months, and I'm about to look after them for one day a week (but at their home) so that my daughter can start doing some home-based work. She looked into a part-time job when the oldest was coming up for one, but even with me looking after Sienna for one and a half days a week, childcare for the other day meant it made no financial sense at all (I was working part-time then, so couldn't do more, and she wouldn't want me to give up that much of my time anyway). My youngest daughter is now expecting her first, and we've already talked about me looking after baby on a Saturday once baby is weaned so she can teach (she's a performer, so Saturdays are a good source of dance/drama/singing teaching jobs) Her husband's a chef, so he works ridiculous hours already.
I'm sure as the grandchildren get older (and increase in number!) I will be doing more. My daughter who currently has 2 wants to train as a Doula in the short term, and eventually, once the children are older, she wants to become a midwife. The unpredictability of those working hours will mean that Dad at nights and weekends and Nanna the rest of the time will be the obvious childcare providers.
Basically, the cost of child-care is prohibitive, and without grandparents helping it's an impossible situation.

Philippines tragedy meant we were not on yesterday but some of the footage they took is online www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24913575

Where I said that we get no recognition for our contribution to the economy, I meant from the government, instead of just NIC credits perhaps a guaranteed living wage for all like that recently proposed in Switzerland could bridge this gap?

The most wonderful words I have heard came from my lovely 2 year old granddaughter....

”I love you Nana”. She had been poorly a few days earlier and while her poor Mummy was trying to deal with a child who had been violently sick all over her bed, a mummy who also had been violently sick a little while earlier, who has to work full-time and be a home-maker.

In the midst of all this, the little girl said to her mummy...”I want Nana, she can make me better”.

Her Mummy was not hurt by this, she was reassured and happy that, on the 2 days a week that I look after my Granddaughter, she is happy, loved and in good hands. Yes she does tire me out but I am the lucky one. I am able to do this and I have a toolbox of skills such as Reiki that I can use. So many grandparents are really struggling too and, in the midst of this, they are trying to do their best to support their families. They are the hub at the centre of the wheel that holds everything together.

But who looks after Nana? What happens if something happens to Nana?

They say an army marches on its stomach....“Nanas Army" marches on love.

How many times have you wished you could do more, to make it better? Ever since our granddaughter came into my life I have been using my Reiki healing on her. Mummy and Daddy could not understand how Nana was the one who seemed to magically get her to sleep, how she was always happy to go to bed at our house...I think the Reiki teddy bears helped with that one!

Now, when she bumps herself she says....”Nana put your hands on.“

I am holding a workshop for Nanas, Grans, Grannies, Grandmas.. to learn Reiki so that they can give themselves healing to keep themselves going, give healing to granddad who may also be feeling tired, give healing to each other, give healing to their families and develop a support network of like minded Nanas to share love and ideas. To be there for each other because, after all we are all one.

This is a small, intimate group workshop and will take you to Reiki level 1. It will change your life and the lives of those you love. Message me straight away to reserve a place. In the mean time I will send you an article I did for a magazine titled “Burn bright, don’t burn out”. It will help you to look after yourself so that you can look after the people you love.

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