Baby’s Time with Grandparents

Bizzy wrote: I think we expect too much from grandparents sometimes though, seeing their grandkids should be a pleasure and something they do cause they want to

I have to say I agree with this.

Personally I think that those of you who have 'hands on' Grandparents are truly lucky.

However I shouldn't really have an opinion on this considering that both sets of grandparents for my DDs are in Ireland so have had very limited contact

I also agree with Bizzy, I really want the kids grandparents to enjoy having them and I don't want it to be expected, in saying that we are incredibly lucky with ours.
DH's parents have Lachie every second weekend for 2-3 nights and they love it, he loves it and so do we - we are all winners. He first went there when everything went to cr*p on the farm and mum stayed one night, DHs mum the next so I could be at morning milking but they both couldn't stay the next night so Dh's mum took him home - he had jst turned one - and we have not looked back.

He hasn't stayed at my mums but she is happy to look after both of them for an hour or two here and there. Dad sees them all the time here at home but is not the babysitting type. They all live about an hour away but we usually see all of them at least once a week. Dh's mum can't wait until Tessa is old enough to stay as well - and I can't either. She is brilliant with them and totally devoted. We are really lucky and their support has certainly made the last year easier as it has been really full on.

The kids only have one set of Grandparents (my parents) That they see.

We visit my parents on a saturday night and stay for dinner.
Mum and Dad never stop by (we live 10mins away)but we make saturdays our "Catch up" day.

They also babysit maybe once every 5 weeks or so and will take both kids for the night.
When Janaya was little my parents loved having her. So much that they called me on their holiday away and asked if they could come and get her and take her back to spend the rest of the holiday with them
Now that I have two they aren't so keen
But they are in their 40's and are still working full time so I dont expect much from them (and they always remind me they want a life too!)

My mum would be so offended if I got a babysitter without checking with her first. Its funny what a variety of grandparents are out there!!I agree though Sarah the grandparents role is changing. I use to go visit my grandmother and she had minties and made us weak cups of sugary tea and let us watch cartoons on tv all no-nos at home LOL but my parents take an almost parental role with Jake and I feel like hes missing out on that treat-y aspect. I'd much rather he saw them less often but had a more traditionally grandparent/grandchild relationship (traditional for me anyway) than what we have now.

My parents work full time, I try and make sure Dad gets to see Hollie once a fortnight, and Mum gets to see her once a week. Mum will occasionally have her overnight.

I live two seconds away from my inlaws, quiet literally. They take Hollie once a week so that we can go to study, and occasionally a little more often if we want to head into Chch to do stuff. Because they live so close they prefer if we ask if we want them, as they're worried about 'crowding us'. They are both incredibly busy individuals and not afraid to say no, and we try to limit how often we ask for help.

I am very very lucky Not that living so close to the inlaws doesn't have it's pitfalls!