How often do your parents look after/pick up your kids?

[charliecat]

My mum will pick up the kids from school if I cant and bring them back to mine if its easier, feed them while shes got them...she does this 2/3 time a month.
She will also have them overnight if I warn her 3 weeks in advance she does this 2/3 times a year....although she did say last time she only wants one at a time as they wont sleep but I think thats because shes putting them to bed too early.
She will cancel things to look after them at the drop of a hat...
How often do your parents help out, pick up, look after your kids?

My parents will babysit now and again while dh and i go out but are unable to have them overnight due to lack of room. They are always there for me if i need them and my darling dad still acts like a private taxi service if we have doctors appointments.

My in-laws will have the boys whenever needed. My MIL often looks after ds2 while i go to the gym if dh is busy and whenever we go out they offer to have the boys overnight. I think FIL enjoys spending time with the boys as he was unable to do that with his own due to working away. In fact he gets quite upset if he doesnt see them at least once a week even if it is just for an hour. We even go on holiday with the in-laws, and they insist on us going out without the boys at least once during the break.

I know i am very lucky to have such helpful parents and in-laws. I dont know what we would do without them, apart from be stuck indoors. My parents used to do a lot more but now they are finally starting to have a life of their own (after much encouraging from us), i would rather see them having fun than spending all their time with us.

I couldn't work if my parents didn't help out. I am very lucky. My Dad takes DS1(11) and DS2(5) to school on his way to work, while my Mum looks after DS3(3) all day and collects DS1&2 from school. She looks after all three all day on teacher training days too. If I go out Mum usually babysits and my Dad looks after them once a week when my Mum and I go out but they are in bed by then. Ex-MIL is very self centred and I don't trust her to look after them. Ex- FIL doesn't seem interested. The boys have only seen them once or twice in the last year.

This week I have really learned how much my parents do for me. they are on holiday sunning themselves:). DS3's godmother (for DS3) and a friend (for a.m school run) are helping out as is my sister, but the running around is a nightmare. If your imagine DS3's godmother lives at point A, I live at point B, my frined is at point C and I work at point D. In the morning I am going from point B to A to C to D instead of B to D. My sister, who works nights, is up in time to collect them from school so the return journey is shorter, D to A to B.

I have realised, this week, what good friends I have and what wonderful parents I have too.

my parents do the bulk of our babysitting but that only involves one evening every couple of months.The are going to have them overnight this weekend-that is the 3rd(?)time we have had anight away from them since ds1 was born.(he's 6)

dh's parents live abroad and so never babysit ever.
none of our brothers or sisters have ever babysat or indeed offered to babysit.

I'll never forget when I had proper flu with a 2.5 year old and a baby. My Mum's contribution was to ring regularly to see how I was. One time I said, 'I'm on my knees ...' (ie desparate for help) and she said 'busy, busy, there's always a lot to do with little children' and quickly ended the conversation. My mother had no help when I was young so her attitude is, if I did it you have to, which upsets me. I will strive to be different when I have my own grandchildren.

I wish I could find a local granny type person who would like to befriend our family - I think we have a lot to give on a reciprocal basis, but I don't know how you go about trying to find someone.

I'd say to others who have help, cherish it and those who provide it, you are very lucky (sorry it sounds like sour grapes - not intended!)

Rarely, but that's because my Mum lives 100 miles away and works full time

ILs help out a lot, especially MIL. will drop anything to help. doesn't live locally, so drops anything with a couple of days/weeks notice!

mum died while pg and dad lives abroad, but is a star when we visit, if a bit rusty with awake babies.good at getting them to fall asleep on his shoulder.(what is that all about?) really good with small kids (his specialist subject-still have wonder memories of being that age myself)

Alas, my parents live abroad though they would love to look after ds1 and 2 as they are their only grandchildren and they are great with them. dh's dad is retired and looks after our niece 2 days a week plus one evening at least, one day of which is usually at our place so the kids can play together. Our niece is definitely the favourite grandchild of dh's parents which makes me feel awful for my boys. If we lived in the same country as my parents the boys would have fantastic grandparents and I would have great help.

We get no help from gp's. My folks live in Scotland, I'm in Portsmouth on the south coast, so too far away. DH's dad lives down the road but keeps poor health, his mum is 10 mins away, but has Multiple Sclerosis, so also can't help. Not anyone's fault btw, just the way it is, so if you've got gp's who can and do help then you are very lucky!

They are 78 and 80 and would love to do more than they do but we all know it's a bit too much for them. They are about 30 mins away by car but it's quite an effort for them to get to me just with their age and jittery driving. That aside they offer to help when they can and although I couldn't leave the kids with them for any length of time it's great when they come over and keep an eye on them whilst I'm in the house just to let me get on with stuff. Today I went to visit them and after 7 hours I could just tell that they would be glad when me and my brood left. They love us dearly but aren't as able anymore. Still I'm glad they are there and love them for what they do. My in-laws are miles away and of similar age but a bit more able. Although they never visit us, when we visit them they are happy to look after the kids whilst we go out albeit that the kids are in bed so as they aren't going out, there's not much to it really but still, it's appreciated.

Am glad to have both sets of grandparents still with us

Mine are old (73 and 78) and not in good health...and they live 270 miles away.

However my SIL lives locally and will babysit twice per month - which is invaluable (me and dh get a meal out and concentrate on each other)...but frankly, it still isn't enough! Dh has taken to calling me 'mum' for crissakes!

I am so lucky in this respect. I work full time and my mum does all the necessary with dd aged 4. We moved to be closer to them. I am now considering moving for promotion but in the grand scheme of things think that the relationship we have with my parents is irreplacable. When dd starts school my mum is going to drop off and pick up and she has always taken her to music, gym, toddler group, play school etc - while we work. My ILs are 100% useless and mean - they aren't interested in dd really and certainly not in us and I am only too glad that we don't live near them! My parents won't do evenings or over nights unless pushed but considering all the other this seems reasonable!!