I too feel that I should try to help them out whenever possible. We are empty nesters and are loving it. But when we have watched these 2 little ones, I remember how glad I am that I am finished raising children. They are a joy, but chasing a 2 year old and a 1 year old is a tough job! Praises to all who do!

I nanny for two of my daughters,one has a 6 yr. old son(they live with us) and one has a 5 yr. old daughter.It is so much more fun to be a grand parent.Spoil them rotton and send them with thier Moms.I love to do crafty things with them.They make the world go round!!(I know why I had mine when I was young!!!

My brother and his wife have guardianship of their grandson. They have had him since he was 6 weeks old, he just turned 10, my brother is 62, my SIL is 60. Wears me out just thinking about it.

There is nothing to it. I was 48 when DGS came to us. Would not want him to be anywhere else. The day may come that his Mom will be able to have him again, and that will probably kill me.

i would do it if i had to.....but, it would be hard...and alot of getting used to.....lol

My hat is off to all of you who are taking on such a challenge. I have one granddaughter who is 22 months old. I keep her one evening a week and she spends the night. My daughter picks her up the next morning. I love her dearly, she is the light of life to us. I am so exhausted when she goes home. But..what the kicker is..she is so calm when it is just my husband, me and Chloe. Once mom and dad walk in the house...there is total chaos. Chloe turns into a different child.
Best wishes to all of you how have taken rearing young children.
Peace and Blessings

I don't really know if you can say that I'm raising my grandchild, but my daughter and nine month old grandson are living at home. Yesterday was her first day of college. And she gets free daycare while she's there. That's a HUGE break for me and grandpa! Most of the time when they are here she doesn't really pay much attention to him so that leaves it up to us to interact with him. No pats on the back to us, but I feel if it wasn't for me and grandpa (which the baby calls "da-da") I don't think the baby would have survived a month. I'm looking forward to her finishing school and then moving out. I will miss the baby terribly though! But to anyone else out there who are raising them on their own, my hats off to you!!!

That's not guts... that is insanity.
I taught school for 30 years/ Kindergarten for 18 and I can tell you that in my experiences an only child raised by older people don't fit in. Usually the parents are too over-protective, don't understand children, have unrealistic expectations for them (and dress them weird!)

My cousin's son was a miracle baby when he was born when she was 48 and he was 50. Now 18 he is dealing with trying to leave home to go to school and cope with his father's recent strokes and Mom's insecurities and needs. Just not fair!

I admire grandparents who have stepped up and taken responsibility. But the thing is this: when a child has a grandparent caring for them they know it is a grandparent and cope quite well with it. When their parents are the age of grandparents they know that they are different and that's a problem!

Thanks, we've got 1 more year to go. LOL

karenSimon-I personally think they're nuts. LOL No way would I even think about that. There's just too much of a generation gap-my mom had me when she was 38, my younger sister at 42. A generation gap that couldn't be closed. It's also not fair to the child, that their mother is grandparents or maybe great grandparents compared to their classmates parents.