I have 2 children, age 10 and 7. They're pretty self sufficient and aren't hard to look after, especially if you chuck them some tech!
Occasionally though I need help from my parents with childcare. It's only things like dropping one to a dance class once a month if I'm running late at work, or collecting them from school occasionally and keeping hold of them for 30 mins max.
They're early 70s and in good health. Good enough health to socialise with friends a couple of times a week and go on days out/holidays.
They'll always agree to help me when I need it, but oh my god everything is such a drama.
They'll drop dd to dance class and then phone me to moan for 10 minutes about how busy the car park was, or drop my son to horse riding and complain for 15 minutes about how bumpy the farm track is.
They'll moan if the kids are 2 minutes late from school, or call up whinging for 15 minutes telling me they all got soaking wet as it was raining. It's really starting to irritate me that my mum in particular cannot do anything without whinging. I know I'm moaning and I'm lucky I have childcare when I need it, but has anyone noticed that as their parents have got older that everything is a drama.
She looked after my kids for 3 hours in the holidays one day and sent a text that was pure whinging -
The dogs been barking, I've had to answer your door twice for parcels, the kids have been watching tv for 3 hours solid and won't have a conversation with me, I can't unlock your lounge window, your bin smells and needs changing and the kids keep leaving the toilet roll on the sink instead of putting it back on the holder.
Surely it's not normal to sent rants like this? About literally nothing.