Shabbapinkfrog - really sorry to hear about your boys...I expect young L is a great comfort to you, also your musical 12 YO! You sound like a super grandma. Lovely pics, and yes, they do look alike! xx

the dds' gps all live miles away-closest is my mum at a 3 hr drive

it's wrong to take the piss but am sure there is a balance

I don't think my dds see their grandparents often enough at all but it's hard to make such long journeys frequently (dh's mum lives a 6-hour drive away-we've only been up there twice this year)

am I jealous? you betcha

would actually quite like the occasional night out with dh and haven't really discovered a local source of baby-sitting yet

No worries love.

oh - sorry, darn it - this is what I get for not reading all the way through. That looks like a really crass barge in by me. Didn't mean to crash in like that ShabbaPF.

perhaps the grandprents want to, perhaps they get paid?

I am jealous though. You (OP) must know a lot of people with very old parents, presumably retired?

yes it is - although my DS1's eyes make me sad on that picture - we had, what seemed a lifetime of sadness, we are getting there - wherever the hell 'there is' xxx

it is the beautiful vibrant eyes-both of them

yes it is - glad you thought they were alike - I think thats why my grandson is so special xx

beautiful pictures.aww yes they look alike.

sorry about gareth and matthew.losing children is so traumatic

Totally agree that if everyone's happy with the arrangement, then what's not to like?

Like other posters though, I also know quite a few families where the GPs appear to be doing rather a lot (e.g. looking after 3 under-4s for long hours) while the parents are earning lots of money and paying nowt for childcare.

My ILs work F/T and I wouldn't dream of asking my parents to commit to providing free c/care for my children. They have already done their child-rearing and now they are enjoying their hard-earned cash through their holidays and numerous interests. The great thing from their perspective is that they don't have to do any of the discipline stuff with my DCs; it's just all about the treats and fun when we see them at the weekends. Plus, I have no qualms about asking them for the occasional babysitting favour on a weekend evening as I know I haven't relied on them at other times.

In some ways, I'm jealous of those who don't have to pay for their childcare as it's an expense I could really do without. On the other hand, I've got that daft pride thing and want to stand on my own two feet. If I wasn't prepared to take some time out of work/pay out the majority of my earnings on c/care, I wouldn't have had children.