I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you think it is your role to babysit your granddaughter. To me, a grandparent's role is to visit and be indulgent, to be visited and be indulgent, and to help IF ASKED TO and if it is agreeable to the grandparent. Babysitting when the parents need a babysitter-wonderful. I would have loved it if my late mother had been willing to babysit but she never was. Babysitting just because the grandparent feels they should be babysitting............I wouldn't have been happy about.

Deep down I think I would have seen it as an indictment of my parenting, though I may not have been able to articulate this. I certainly would tend to dig my heels in even harder in the face of constant requests and probably even not ask the person in question to babysit when I actually needed a babysitter.

I think you would all be happier if you could let go of the whole issue and simply take joy in the time you do have with your granddaughter, instead of wishing it was different. Let your son and DIL know you're there if needed but leave it at that. You may find that if you take a step backwards your DIL may also relax and be more forward about asking you to babysit.

You know, I think you've got some really good advice and in fact thought alot but just that thing. I maybe am trying to hard to be involved and need to step back some. Thanks so much for taking the time to write. I am going to let them make their own mistakes and enjoy their own successes and just be there to support them. Guess I needed to hear it from an impartial person. Makes a ton of sense!!!

Great advice!!! Thanks again

As a grandma, I love to babysit my only grandchild. Matter of fact, I watch her everyday while her parents work. However, I have to watch what I want to do with her on weekends. For example, this weekend I asked if we could take her to a Kids Fair where Barney, Dora, etc would be playing. Her parents decided that they would take her there..and that's wonderful! However, because I "babysit" everyday, I have to be careful and respect their weekends together. Most grandparents see their grandkids on the weekends, so we're kind of up-side down and I see her Monday through Friday and not on the weekends.
So, take a look at their schedule and respect it and back off when need by. If they really want a baby sitter, they will ask, believe me.

I love my grandchild more than anything in this world. He is my soul and inspiration. Since the birth of my grandchild, I have been the sole caregiver. Both parents have jobs that require long hours. I am disabled-physically. I have been watching my grandchild for 3 1/2 years. Sometimes, out of the 30 days in a month, my grandchild is with me 18 or more nights. I don't the pleasure of just spoiling a grandchild. I have to been the disciplinarian. I hated it when I raised my own child. Now, I have to scold my little one and reprimand them and give them timeouts. I get to witness the tantrums, screaming, yelling, and kicking. Whereas, the other grandmother didn't step in until the grandchild reached their 3rd birthday. She gets credit for spending time and buying items; whereas, I feel like a babysitter. Wednesday, my grandchild through a tantrum that words can not describe. I live in an apartment and things are easily heard. This child was screaming at the top of their lungs and I was worried that someone would call child services because of this intense tantrum. I never experience a tantrum this bad. I am suppose to have surgery on my spine and the doctor tells me that I can't lift anything that's over 25 pounds. My grandchild weighs 37 lbs. I literally can't leave my apt. for up to 5 days a week for fear that he will run from me and I can't chase him down. I am so frustrated and hating myself for how things turned out on Wednesday. I haven't slept because I am so distraught over the situation and I can't share any of this with anyone that is familiar with the families. So, that leaves me holding everything in.

I was wondering if someone might have an answer or some advice for me.

My first grandson is the apple of my eye. Both my daughter & son-in-law work full time & the baby is in full time day care. What I do not understand is how they can take a day off of their jobs and STILL put the baby in daycare. Yes, I know they pay for it - but - if they need a mental health day, what about my little sweetheart? The little one is showing signs of separation anxiety and it breaks my heart. I can't tell you how much I cry over this.

I would watch him if they'd let me, but their answer is 'he's doing so well and they want him to keep to the schedule.'

This is one of those situations that you realy have no control over. It's their baby and they'll do what they think best. You would be far better off, IMHO, not to express you opinion to them because it will just cause resentment.

It would be different if the child were not being well cared for, but it seems he is. Separation anxiety is a typical stage of development that most kids go through and in itself is nothing to be overly concerned about. So you should try to control your anxiety and instead think positively about how great it is to be a grandmother.

It would be nice for all of you if it could be arranged for him to spend a occasional day with Grandma, but you need to pitch this in a way that doesn't make you seem critcal of them. Present it to them as a bonding opportuntiy for both of you. It is important for kids to get to know and love their other close relatives and they need to spend some quality time together for that to happen.

Good luck!

I have a question but I don't know where to post it...can anyone help?

If you want to start your own thread, on the main page of this forum (assuming it's a grandparenting question you want to ask, otherwise go to the correct forum from the Home Forums page), scroll to the bottom and fill in the boxes just like you did to post this follow up. It's best to think of a subject title that will impart understanding, like "My grandchild hates me" or "what name should my child cal his grandmother?" and _not_ "Question" or "Help needed".