My DH and I are helping to raise our grandchildren. Our daughter died when her children were 10 and 7, we had been taking caring of her and the children 2 years before she died. After she died the children went to live with their dad and his girlfriend, this was in 2003. They still came to visit us alot, they just lived about 3 miles away. Then in March 2004, a new baby sister was born. She became our grandbaby too. Then in March 2007, her mother just ups and decides that she wants to go back to an old boyfriend in another state. She leaves her little girl with her daddy. The kids dad is a trucker and is just home on the weekend. So we have been taking care of all three kids since then. They are 17, 14, and 5 3/4 now, we have them all week and dad has them the weekend. But I wouldn't change it.