Grandparents...do you enjoy having your grandchildren?

[LoveMyNewHomee]

My parents love having my children, they often ask if they can go over/stay the night. DH parents see it more as a chore and hate having them. They odd time we have to ask, because of work, they will probably do it but they don't like it. My DC are not hard work, they are 8 and 10 so not really young either.
Just wondered what other grandparents think

We have our just turned five grandson most days, he's a joy and we love every minute of his company.

Not a grandparent but my own children are irritating me atm so I wouldn't blame anyone not wanting them

@Mammyloveswine me neither

Sometimes

Dd loves spending time with paternal grandfather. He's fun and a good laugh. She struggles with my Dparents, because they lack imagination! Also, because of C19, my dad has decided to hide away and refuses to see us even at a great distance...

@PotteringAlong honestly I don't remember them being quite so annoying... but 6 months with them is just too much... the whinging... the whining...

@Mammyloveswine we said that we feel a bit like we’re all just a bit head battered. But, because the children are little (mine are 7,5 and 3) they express it my whinging, loving each other / hating each other every 4 minutes and constantly, constantly talking (DS2, I’m looking at you ).

@LoveMyNewHomee I think there are many variables with this one. I know my mum / PiL love my kids massively. I also know that they are hard work and having them overnight is a big ask. It’s not that they don’t love them, it’s just that they really like the fact that they can do the fun stuff and not the crap stuff, so they would rather us be there to corral them / feed them and then hand them back at the end of the day.

I wouldn’t read too much into it.

I have 3 gkids, 5, 3 and 2 and habe them a lot especially recently as i have been furloughed since March. I love them dearly but find them easier when we are out and about doing physical stuff that tires them out. What i do find challenging is the constant fighting between the 5 and 3 year olds. Drives me nuts

My in laws usually have DD (2 in November) four days a week in term time while we work - I’m a teacher.

MIL has called at least once a week over the holidays with varying excuses to get me to drop DD off there for a few hours....I think they’re missing her 😂

We always look forward to time with my OH's two grandchildren. They are 9 and 8 and are usually a joy to spend time with - although loud! Normally its lots of fun for all of us. We've just come back from three days at the coast with them. We're both shattered and it takes awhile to recover but they both seem to have had a great time and have already asked about the next time. Sometimes we do just take them out for the day but they often ask to stay over as well.

PILs love it, had then a day a week since they were 1. DM not so much, never had them ever. I am a bit sad to think she missed out but she certainly doesn't see it that way!

I go to their house. I live being with dgd. She's 8.

Love.
Live there also, sometimes.

I don't have grandchildren but most of my friends do.

Without exception they spend one or two days a week willingly providing free child care, travelling up to two hours each way to do so.
They also have the grandchildren to stay over either when needed or to give the parents a break for a night or two.

It never fails to amaze me that so many families on MN have uninterested grandparents. I don't know anyone like that.

I tend to enjoy it more after they've gone home! I like having them come, but I'm usually too busy to enjoy it while they're actually here!

I do find it quite tiring, constantly trying to keep them entertained - and then having to remember to feed them as well!

My mum would never give ds back if she had her way

When my DH were young my dad said he found them a nuisance but would regularly call to say he needed "help" mowing the grass, planting potatoes, washing the car....

DC, my dad would hate to admit he needed DH's help

I love dgs, I look after him four days a week whilst dd works, I do it to help dd, it's not what I planned to do and I do find it hard work. I would have preferred to be the fun granny that dgs visited rather than childcare granny if I'm honest. I hope I will enjoy it more as he gets older as I did with my own dc.

We do see a variety of different responses from different sets of grandparents.

My own are still around (in their 90s!), and actually still looked after my children (their great grandchildren) a day a week until quite recently! They absolutely loved it and were gutted when the youngest started school.

My own memories of being young was that they could never see enough of me and my siblings - we felt very loved and wanted. They just loved being around us.

Their daughter (my mother), is nothing like that! She's a much colder fish, she preferentially looks after my children over those of my siblings because they are the oldest (therefore easiest).

I do see a big spectrum in the level of grandparenting, among those I'm familiar with. Some adore it and see it as all the best bits of parenting without any of the tedium. Others (like my mother) find young children impossibly tedious.

Yes we do, our GC are the joy of our old age. Grandparenting is so much more fun than having your own children because we have far more patience now and more time to share with them. They have their own books, toys, games, bedroom at our house so can stay overnight. And if/when they occasionally stop being enjoyable , it's not for long until we can hand them back, pour a glass of wine and relax.

  As the GC grow up they are increasingly different characters and one of our new recent  pleasures, is taking one at a time  to spend  time alone  with us (while the other has solo-time with parent).  It's a  different but very enriching experience for all parties.

For our three at 6, 4 and 2, we split it fairly equally. It’s obvious which side don’t mind and which see it as a box ticking chore. And it’s also very apparent which set the children prefer to go to and who they’ve got a very natural a loving relationship with.

It’s hard, but the more thy put in in terms of effort and activities, the more everyone seems to enjoy it.

I love having my gs. I have him 2/3 days a week while his parents work. At 2 he is so interesting and we do so much together. He often visits with his parents throughout the week and he regularly stays overnight or for the weekend.

I see my other gc (ages 9 months, 4, 6 and 8) only twice a year as they live over 200 miles away and only visit with their parents. I enjoy their company for the short time they are here but we don’t have that special grandparent/grandchild relationship that we have with Gs who lives 5 miles away.

I have two gc, one from each DC, and I usually have them once a week on different days.
Dgd is 3, nearly 4, and dgs just turned 2 and has been here today.
I love having them mostly, although sometimes a full 10 hours on my own and at my age (67) can be a bit wearing, especially in the winter or if the weather is bad, and of course now with no baby gym, soft play etc.
But I intend to keep going until they start school, as I feel we have built up a very special bond - I love them both madly and would die for them. I feel very privileged that my kids trust me with their precious babies.
They bring love, sunshine and laughter into my life as well as back-ache and exhaustion.

I definitely think my parents are more interested in our kids than the in laws are. When we go to my parents, they do a lot more to entertain my kids (have lots of toys etc) than the in laws who don't bother with them really.

Both sets of parents are in their 70s and we generally don't ask them to look after them for long periods/overnight because we don't think it's fair on them. They physically can't manage it and MIL is also disabled.