I'm reading this as DGS naps. I've been keeping him since DD2 returned to work - 32 months now. Her original days/hours varied and were long, but this last year has been easier at four days a week, and I'm home between 5-6pm. Sometimes earlier, but it's usually 12-13 hours after I wake up. I enjoy every single moment. She receives no support (not getting into details, but it's for the best) so she can't afford to pay for childcare. I don't need the money, so it's my pleasure. I don't have all the free time I used to have, but I don't miss it at all... and I miss him dearly on days I don't see him! For me, this is a one time thing - other current grandchild and any future grandchildren from any of our three adult children doesn't and won't receive. I'm only getting older. ;) In your case, you work and they know it. So to be asked (or expected) to provide childcare is just ridiculous. There are two of them that work, so it seems like they could certainly afford daycare. Might not be what they want, but they should have planned ahead. We cannot see the future, but some things should be worked out ahead of time. Life's curve balls require changes that cannot be foreseen, but it's up to them to figure those out and they shouldn't expect anyone else to do it for them. Volunteering to provide childcare and being expected to provide are two entirely different subjects. This post was edited by allison0704 on Tue, Jun 24, 14 at 15:55

I've never heard that "SWAN" but really that's it! They nickname it "Happy to Starve" in gastro school (per my gastroenteroligist) And many call it "Putnam's Syndome" but that's just a nick name as well given that Dr. Putnam has spent so much time analzying kids with this problem. They tell me it's a great deal like when you're told your child has died of SIDS. There is always a reason children die, but systemically they can't find the reason and so you get SIDS. With us, we got Putnam's or SWAN I guess (Dr Putnam is our doctor as well) :o( Eating disorders normally happen with children who have special needs, like autistic children, children with brain disorders, etc., but we don't have any of those problems so the fun part of this is dealing with insurance companies for treatment, when he has no official disease (his actuall diagnosis is Fail to Thrive without reason). The insurance companies seem to want him to go ahead and "Fail" and we insist that isn't the route we want to go. I learned abut the Kennedy Kreiger clinic on feeding disorders and while reading realized they were describing my child to a T! They do work with kids with much more significant issues involved in their eating problems (ie cleft pallet or inability to swallow etc) but they also have a place for the Jesse's of the world who just won't eat because it hurts. Somehow we need to figure out why it hurts before we begin treatment....that's the hard part. But fortunately we're going to do more poop testing first, instead of anything that will hurt him. Thanks for SWAN. I'm going to have to keep that on the tip of my tongue because I'm tired of having to explain this over and over and over to people who want to hear a name fancier than "Happy to Starve" (Which actually fits him to a T as well)

My father was a WW2 veteran, could have gone to college on the GI Bill, but didn't like studying, so he went to work for Sylvania Electric as a draftsman, a white collar job, working for engineers who designed electronics(radios,TVs) and machine parts. He made enough money to support a family of 6 (himself, wife and 4 kids)for 30 years, and buy a nice house in the "suburbs". The Sylvania name is still around but the factories are now in China. Surprise, surprise. Dad had a terrific work ethic, never took a sick day except for several hospitalizations (ulcer and gall bladder operations). He was "laid off" in the 60's when the local plant closed. Through a relative, he found work as a janitor, later went to a trade school and learned "stationary engineering", meaning he learned how to fix and maintain heating and cooling systems. He loved this job-he worked for many years, for a while in a big concert hall, also at a Catholic school. He always said he liked this job, he was treated well, allowed to work on his own without supervision. I've since met several stationary engineers who said the same thing. I'm retired after 31 years for the federal government, but I know govt is not hiring these days. So I don't recommend anyone do what I did. But my father found a good path.

Well, my screen name is a dead giveaway now. I'm GiGi and my husband is Lebanese, so he's Gido ("g" pronounced like a "j"). Siti is the grandmother in Arabic, but my DMIL is Siti (good) so my first GDD called me GiGi and I love it! My precious grandmother (mom's mom) was Mimi, so in my mind, that name was taken...and never to be so again. I really like what they call me!