Both our parents are in their late 60s. Mine used to watch DS1 here and there for special occasions and sometimes date nights. They live 40 minutes away so it isn't super convenient for short amounts of time. But since we've had DS2 (he's 15 months), they haven't really watched both boys. I get the feeling that my parents are overwhelmed by having both of them. I miss having those occasional nights out without spend $$$ on a babysitter. If you have more than 1 LO do your parents watch them both?
ETA: I guess I'm not being fair/accurate. They have watched them a few times, during the day or for a couple of hours at night, at our house.
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All the time! But my parents live half the distance from me that yours do and are very very young.
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My parents are in their mid 60s and watch both LOs frequently (date nights, etc).
Have you asked if they would mind watching both boys for a specific night?
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My mom is that age and said she will when we have a second but she is young at heart and was a teacher and DCP so it's in her wheelhouse. What I worry about is her being alone with 2 kids in the future and having a major health event before kids know how to call for help.
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My parents are similar age to yours and they only started watching both when DS was around 3.5... They used to offer to just watch DD.. not that helpful since we still had another one at home and couldn't go anywhere ...
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@Bluebonnet: they have for a couple shorter evenings but they haven't offered to take them. It's only when we've said, "Hey we can't find a babysitter..." We are leaving them with my parents for a weekend in May so that maybe a good test. DS2 is a handful and my mom has a very bad back.
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My parents are mid 60s and once watched my nephew (5) and my two (3 and about 6 months)- overnight!! And my baby wouldn't really take a bottle! They were exhausted.
We live too far for them to take care of them frequently but I feel confident that both my parents together could take care of both kids, or my mom alone. I think my dad would have a tough time but could do it in a pinch. And I think it will get easier as the kids get a little older.
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@T-Mom: yeah, I think they prefer to have them sleep over their house but don't feel totally comfortable with DS2 spending the night.
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No one has babysat for us since we have had 2!! My parents probably could do it if we asked but they definitely have not offered lol.
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My MIL (late 50s) has watched her other two (local) grandkids, and even taken them camping as young as 2 and 4. She definitely finds it tiring and it's usually only an ocassional thing but I know she loves it. FIL likes to pretend he's also watching them but most of the time he's asleep on a chair (he also has heart issues so he falls asleep all the time). I don't think she watched both at once until the younger was like six months old?
She'd love to watch our kid more but we're not local so it's not as easy.
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I only have one LO who my parents watch while we work full time and they do it for free. There is no question they'd do the same if/when we have another.
We are very grateful but I feel way too guilty asking them to also babysit evenings or weekends...so my husband and I basically don't go out, ever.
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We don't live close enough to either set of grandparents for regular babysitting; however, they've all been happy to watch two for us so we can get out for lunch/dinner/shopping when we visit them. My parents were a little more reluctant when they were young babies and are less confident at night (worried the kids will wake up looking for us). My in laws have actually watched the big girls twice for about a week while DH and took trips (an anniversary/friends' wedding trip to Italy two years ago, and a babymoon to Bermuda this past fall). I feel so lucky they did this for us! I didn't think they'd watch three, but apparently my MIL floated the idea to DH recently. DD3 is still way too young, but it's an exciting thought!
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My ILs are happy to watch both of our LOs when we see them (we live in different countries). We rarely see my dad (also different country), but he is also happy to watch them when we do. Now, I don't know how it would work if we lived nearby. My BIL and SIL overuse grandparent care and my MIL complains about it behind their backs.
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My inlaws had E three full days per week when I went back to work. It saved us thousands of pounds in childcare costs. But, by the time S was born, we could already see that it was getting too much for them and didn't think they would be able to cope with 2. They now have S 2 days per week and E for a couple of hrs after school on those days. They cope well but I couldn't see them managing any more.
@Raspberry: same. The downside to reduced childcare costs, for us, has been no family help at weekends. When we told my inlaws that we were reducing the burden on them during the week they were full of promises to give us the occasional night out but it only materialised once. We would never ask because they already do so much but we would LOVE date nights.
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My parents were the same way - they wanted to take our older DD to stay at their house overnight, but not the little one, until just recently (he's 2 now). Now that he can talk and communicate well they are excited to take him - hopefully the same will happen for you!
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My parents watch the two of them a lot but my mom wouldn't be able to do it alone. My MIL can't anymore either so my SIL helps out when she watches them. Both do overnights also. At this point, it's just easier with two adults.
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My parents are in their late 60s and I have some of the same concerns as you. They've had both boys for an hour here or there but most of the time when we ask them to "babysit" we put the boys to bed and then go to dinner or a movie after.
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Neither of our parents live close enough to provide any regular babysitting. But my in-laws regularly watch SILs kids (she has 3) and kept the youngest who is a toddler for a week while SIl took her older kids to Disney. They are 71 and 66.
My mom was just here for a couple weeks back for a visit and had 1 entire day she had both kids because we gave our nanny the day off. She was fine, and she had to do pre-school drop off and pick up and everything. My husband was out of town and I was at work from 6:45am-4:30 pm. My mom is 71.
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My parents are in their 60s also. My mom regularly helps out with childcare, but dad is more just playing with the older one; he doesn't really actually know how to DO stuff
But technically they can, as long as my dad doesn't have to put DD1 to bed or anything, he can help with simple things.
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My parents are 70. My mom watches both boys every day, and soon she will be watching all 3 every day. Ds2 wears her out, but it's because he's wild.
Watching 2 overwhelms my dad immensely however. He couldn't handle it without my mom there.
But technically they can, as long as my dad doesn't have to put DD1 to bed or anything, he can help with simple things.
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