Grandparents Raising Children Support Group
This community is dedicated to grandparents who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. In cases where the parents are not willing or able to provide adequate care for their children, grandparents may take on the role of primary caregivers. Join the support group to find support, share your experience, and get advice from other members.
So I have all three grandchildren by myself for 11 days in a row (my husband is filling in for his boss, who gets a vacation with his wife. No kids). So I start the day jealous of boss and of ANYONE who gets to be alone for one minute.
Now it's just 10:00am and already:
1. Woke up at 6:00 to let puppy out. Or should I say "puppy woke ME up."
2. Fed cats
3. Tried to make coffee and feed puppy while removing cat dishes so puppy wouldn't eat their food.
4. Tried to watch news and weather. Had to chase puppy all over the house. Have no idea what weather will be. Assume hot and dry.
5. Turn on computer and printer.
6. Youngest grandson wakes up and wants breakfast. I tell him to wait a few minutes.
7. Middle granddaughter wakes up and wants breakfast.
8. Cat is crazy, running through house. Jumps on furniture and almost knocks picture off wall (she's only 1 year old). Put cat in another room.
9. Computer needs software update: download and wait for that.
10. Eldest granddaughter wants breakfast.
11. Clean up breakfast dishes. Dog needs to go out.
12. Middle grandchild takes dog out.
13. Have to restart computer.
14. Puppy driving everyone crazy; goes into crate.
15. I need to put some things in attic. Have to find all three cats to put in bedroom so they won't sneak into attic.
16. Puppy needs to go out again.
17. Try to read e-mails from clients. Puppy driving me crazy.
18. Cat scratches puppy in eye. I have to stop bleeding, then put her in crate.
19. Middle child asks for Oreos -- it's only 9:30am!!!!
20. Cat cycling through house. Youngest is caught taking water ice from freezer. Need to explain why he can't do that.
21. Puppy whining in crate.
22. I have to cut cats' nails. Have to catch them first.
23. Puppy needs to go out. I take her out. She escapes from trench under the fence and I have to go get her.
24. Still have to feed chickens and guinea hens.
25. Try to check e-mails.
26. Try to eat breakfast.
27. Have no idea what grandchildren are doing in the basement. Need to go check.
28. Water container plants.
29. Come here to vent.
And it's only 10:10am.
Now it's just 10:00am and already:
1. Woke up at 6:00 to let puppy out. Or should I say "puppy woke ME up."
2. Fed cats
3. Tried to make coffee and feed puppy while removing cat dishes so puppy wouldn't eat their food.
4. Tried to watch news and weather. Had to chase puppy all over the house. Have no idea what weather will be. Assume hot and dry.
5. Turn on computer and printer.
6. Youngest grandson wakes up and wants breakfast. I tell him to wait a few minutes.
7. Middle granddaughter wakes up and wants breakfast.
8. Cat is crazy, running through house. Jumps on furniture and almost knocks picture off wall (she's only 1 year old). Put cat in another room.
9. Computer needs software update: download and wait for that.
10. Eldest granddaughter wants breakfast.
11. Clean up breakfast dishes. Dog needs to go out.
12. Middle grandchild takes dog out.
13. Have to restart computer.
14. Puppy driving everyone crazy; goes into crate.
15. I need to put some things in attic. Have to find all three cats to put in bedroom so they won't sneak into attic.
16. Puppy needs to go out again.
17. Try to read e-mails from clients. Puppy driving me crazy.
18. Cat scratches puppy in eye. I have to stop bleeding, then put her in crate.
19. Middle child asks for Oreos -- it's only 9:30am!!!!
20. Cat cycling through house. Youngest is caught taking water ice from freezer. Need to explain why he can't do that.
21. Puppy whining in crate.
22. I have to cut cats' nails. Have to catch them first.
23. Puppy needs to go out. I take her out. She escapes from trench under the fence and I have to go get her.
24. Still have to feed chickens and guinea hens.
25. Try to check e-mails.
26. Try to eat breakfast.
27. Have no idea what grandchildren are doing in the basement. Need to go check.
28. Water container plants.
29. Come here to vent.
And it's only 10:10am.
It finally settled down a bit by lunch. The crazy cat is back to normal and the puppy's finally sleeping.
I still haven't done any "real" work yet, though LOL! (And it's 12:53)
I've tried to take a nap many times for the past 15 years and it never works. The phone rings, the oil guy comes by, the dog barks, you name it. I've totally given up on naps!
I'm beginning to wonder if Pinky has the right idea -- DRUGS!!!!! (Just funnin')
At least the puppy finally learned how to go down steps, and she's getting the idea that when the door opens she's supposed to go out the door and down the steps. AND she no longer wakes us up every two hours to go out at night. WHEW! Thank God for small favors!
Yep, you sure do look forward to those "little steps forward" - they mean a LOT! :)
Yes, the little "steps ahead" surely begin to mean a lot! :) Like potty training, eating with a fork, getting dressed by self...... and puppies going up and down steps. :)
It never fails if one of the little ones wakes up in the middle of the night she/he wakes the other one up even though I have them in separate bedrooms.
But I just look at the 5 year old and realize that is was only a few months ago and he was 1.......
they grow up to fast...
have a wonderful day.
That was too funny and sooooo familiar. My day goes like this....
6 am get up, dress, make sure Missy is up and doing the same thing. Start coffee, feed cat & dog, clean cat's litter, vacumn up what he scattered on the floor. Start second pot of coffee (1 decaf for hubs, 1 real stuff for me)
Fix breakfast, get her lunch ready, make sure she brushes her teeth & hair, grab cup of coffee and out the door at 7:15 to drive to school.
8: 25 back from school, YES it really takes that long to drive her to her school that is a little over 2 mi away, sit in the long line to drop her off at her gate and get back home. (no busing this year, so every parent dropping kids off, lots of traffic)
Grab another cup of coffee, try to get email and work on files, make phone calls, pay bills, clean house, do shopping etc until lunch, eat quickly....get back in car at 1:20 to head back to get in line for M's 2:45 school dismissal, take a book and bottle of water for the wait in line. Sometimes take pup so no reading that day, lol.
Grab the kid, head to truck and home to have reconnect for 15 min and start homework. With a kid that has ADHD that can take anywhere from an hour to 2 hrs before 2-3 pgs are done. Tutor comes on Mon & Friday at 4 pm so have to have homework done before that. Immediately start dinner (I cook every night) to serve at least by 6 pm, eat dinner, clean kitchen, head her upstairs for her shower, washing her hair, drying her hair, her brushing her teeth and get her to bed by 8 pm. Get email for the last time, prepare for the next day.
Collapse!!! Sometimes I read the paper, sometimes the words just blur and I can't keep my eyes open, lol
Oh, and on weekends I am the handler for M's pup in service dog training, so that is every Sat morning at 11 am for 1 1/2 hrs, every 2 wks M also has a therapy appt in the afternoon. Of course then there are the dentist, psychologist, psychiatrist and pediatrician appts too.
Girl Scouts meetings are once a week at 6 pm so have to have dinner very early that day and just hope we can get the homework and bath done before we go because it is past bedtime when they let out. She will also start band in a couple of weeks.
I also volunteer 2 days a wk in her classroom for computer lab and library so there is 1 whole morning and 1 whole afternoon out of the week. I also volunteer for book fair, pictures, science day and open house nite.
I only know one way to mother and that is to be completely involved with the kids and I'm trying to do that even at 60.
The HUSBANDS! How do they manage to weasel out of all of this wonderful stuff? LOL
Listening to all you guys I feel VERY unaccomplished. I USED to have a schedule like that, but I just can't do it any more.
I'm afraid gs will be limited to one extra-curricular activity (I"m thinking boy scouts at this point), other than probably some summer activities, like swim lessons.
You guys are marvelous!
See Sara, I told you my life is rather boring.