Family support - Yay or Nay - Please vote

[Happyhippo90]

I am trying to understand how many people have family support around that helps with kids.

I mean family that steps in and e.g. look after kids when unwell and parents have to work or look after kids for parents to have a night out or pick up kids from school or look after kids during summer holidays when parents work etc.

This could be part time help from them or full time or split between maternal grandparents or paternal grandparents. Any kind of help counts as help!

I am just trying to figure out how common this is!

YABU - Thank God grandparents help and I have family support around
YANBU - No family support, we just embraced the chaos and take it day by day

Nothing regular as they’re not very nearby and also work. But they will babysit overnight with planning, once in a while.

In an emergency either GP would step in without question, but probably not for illness or because we wanted a night out.

This will surely end up in the Daily Mail

family support isn't all or nothing.

some people have family childcare fixed up for regular days every week.

some have emergency cover

some have none.

we had family within 2hr who would step in for emergencies or if planned a few weeks in advance but no family support in a regular working week.

YANBU

I'm a grandparent who gives lots of help and support. It's the norm amongst my family and friends

No support at all.

My parents live in another country, my relatives in England live far away, no siblings. FIL is too old and frail to help, MIL has passed away. DH’s DSis leads her own life and not interested.

I have massive input from family. Minimum 4 school runs a week, plus help at weekends and go away 2/3 times a year with my friends, can be anywhere from 2 nights to a week away. We are a very close family and I help out in other ways such as cooking most nights and book all our trips. I wouldn't change it ☺️

But then we all live close by so it's a bit easier in that respect

YANBU

no family help here

Yanbu. Lone parent and it's tough going.

Mum and dad are early 50's and gran and granda early 70's so not an old family which is why there's so much input. Not expecting much after the next few years from grandparents.

My mum and dad were like another set of parents to my DC. I'm the same with DCG. In our family we all bring up the DC together. Works for us.

No regular family support. My in laws live overseas. I know in an emergency though my MIL would fly over to help us and she did just that a few years ago when I was in hospital for which I am so grateful!

No. My parents have never looked after ds 13 for me. I've never asked.

None, family have never even had DC overnight and they are 16 and 13 🤷‍♀️

We have had a lot of help over the years, I'm a SAHM but both sides will do pick ups sometimes because they want to see the children. Weekends so we can go away and overnights so we can have date nights. Also will do 5 nights so we can have a child free holiday. We have always included both sides for meals at ours , family holidays and days out. All our children are very close to their grandparents which I love. We are very lucky.

I will do the same when we have grandchildren

We have no family support whatsoever. Definitely making sure thats not the case for our kids when they have their babies!

Zero family near by so no help here

Yabu

My DM had DD1 for us for 2 days a week from when I first went back to work after maternity leave, until I went off again for DD2, so for about 18 months. Back then, she lived nearly 2 hours away, so would have her overnight at her house once every 2 weeks and would stay at our house on the other week for the night - she was incredibly helpful and we were very grateful!

When DDs were 4 & 6, we moved near to DM, so she maintained a close relationship with them and often looked after them, both when we needed childcare, and when she wanted to spend time with them - and them with her.

We have been very lucky to have so much help from DM, and I know she's happy that she put a lot of effort into her relationships with our girls, as even now as teenagers, both girls enjoy spending time with her and will often head out on their own to meet her for lunch, or a coffee etc..

I’m kind of in the middle now. My kids are at school. My Mum is really happy to help when needed but doesn’t live nearby, and also works some of the time.

So she’ll help in an emergency or the odd day but not on a regular basis.

There’s no need for her to tbh. My 8 yo goes to a childminder after school (I’m full time working single parent) and my teen does her own thing. I don’t think I’d want my parents helping all the time as tbh when they helped more it created an odd relationship.

Single mum and no family support since losing my lovely mum and sister within last few years.

When my kids have kids, I’ll likely still be working full time so I can’t see how I’ll be able to help them!