My husband and I adopted our granddaughter when she was 2 and she is now 12. I am now 65 and am pretty sure I look it. I was fortunate to meet another grandmother raising her two granddaughters. I would encourage you to look around and see if you see any other grandparents at the school. There are a lot of us raising our grandchildren. I have also struggled to fit in with the younger moms, but finally with some perseverance on my part I have broken through the age barrier. My best to you.

Thanks. The encouragement helps. So far none at cub scouts or karate but I will keep looking. Maybe the school secretary would know who...

That can be tough. I will be most likely going through that soon enough. My grandson is a little over one yr. When I take him to the local park we take trucks to share with other kids. I worry that he will have a hard time fitting in at school age. My town is small and very snobby and cliquey. I've met grandmothers raising their grandkids in the bigger towns nearby at grocery stores, I should start asking when I meet th e m if they'd like to get together sometime. My grandsons mother lives with me but mental illness makes it difficult to say the least. I do absolutely everything and im burning out.

Bio mom lived w us also for a while but her mental health issues and drug abuse turned it into a safety issue. It sounds harsh, but sometimes being away from bio truly is in the best interest of all concerned. It certainly decreased our stress level. Are there alternatives for bio? You, your strength and child need to be priority. There might be more resources out there than you realize...maybe. I had no experience parenting(scary) but 20 years as a therapist.
You are right, this can be exhausting!

Let me add, I was relieved just to hear from you and hear someone else say they were tired. I appreciate it. Finding folks at the grocery was a smart idea.

That's too bad that you are surrounded by individuals like this. It is not a bazaar arrangement. We are doing something that is extraordinary and so unselfish. Do not ever give them details so they have something to talk about. You owe them nothing.
I remember last year when I first got my grandson . He was completely unsocialized and had a dirty mouth to boot. I am 50 and look like I am in my mid thirties so very often people think I am his mother. I was in Safeway and I was in the Produce Section and my grandson called me a bitch, clear as day. He has a Speech Impediment but his curse words are clear and loud.After the bitch word he let loose. This lady looked at me up and down like I was the worst mother in the whole planet. I looked at her and tears started rolling down my face. I said," This is my grandson, just took him from Foster Care where he was abused and molested". The lady felt so bad. She gave me a hug and said ,"You are doing a good job and an awesome thing for this child". I went home and called my other daughter ( not my grandsons mom) and my daughter said," Mama you're going to be okay, you don't owe anyone your story or my nephews story". From that day forward I would repeat those words in my head every time I went anywhere with him.
I don't know if you're a spiritual person but if you are, go to church and put him or her in the Day Care while you are at the service, join the Woman's Bible Study. Raise your grandchildren in that atmosphere. He or she will have Playdates