Precisely Jilly! I'm not in the right place on the planet to do nannying but thank goodness, is what I say. Its absolutely outrageous that women in their 50s, 60s, 70s even are blackmailed emotionally by their offspring this way. A friend of mine received a summons last week from her DIL to fly - yes fly - over to the UK to mind her grandson whilst dear DIL was away at a --work jolly--conference. My friend is not gainfully employed, is a bit hard up in fact and has had to buy a plane ticket - during the high season - to go over there! And, dear readers, she has done it, and is complaining like mad to her pals. I asked, "why didn't you just say no, or at least ask for the plane fare". She replied "I didn't like to". She has had to put her dog in kennels at further expense.