School run + at 58

[landsurfer]

My daughter is ill, she has viral meningitis, again... she carries the virus in her spinal fluid, she will be in hospital for about 3 weeks then home and fine for the next 4 - 5 years, if past form runs true. Which all expect it will.

However, her useless husband has recently been shown the door so Nana and Grandad are looking after the 3 children. 5, 7, and 12.
They live 12 miles away, we started off with them living with us and doing the school run twice a day, then adding hospital visiting, girls gymnastics and Con's after school IT club, Robotics club and Coding club .....
So now Nana is living at theirs and i am working mornings, then doing dinner for the children at ours, then we take them to visit mummy, then Nana and the children go to the childrens house and I come home to feed the dog and prep for the next day at work.

We have at least another 14 days of this .......... Surely others have been there ..... sensible advice, excluding Social Services, running away to Portugal or our caravan in Cornwall please .... Suppress the laughter !!!

Have your children young ...... lol .... OH we did ... that back fired ...

[Bonefishblues]

Ever so slightly younger than you with a 6 year old. Always was a late starter, but it's wonderful! No advice, just making it up as we go along...

[landsurfer]

We have always had loads of time with the kids, take them on holidays without parents, our grandson has spent almost every weekend since birth with Jules and myself.. Its not the exposure to the kids that is the problem .... its the time table !!!!!!

Despite the ages the girls are only just 2 years apart ... and they are feral ... beautiful but feral ...... I blame the parents ..really !!
They are currently deeply involved in a battle about which one will go to the Olympics first .... !!!!! Blitzkrieg ......
5 and 7 .... Gymnast wars .......

[mercalia]

sorry to hear about your daughter, not much fun.

[landsurfer]

sorry to hear about your daughter, not much fun.

Thank you, appreciated , but this has been part of our family background noise for 20 years now ..... she still smiles and jokes whenever we go to the hospital ....

[reohn2]

Sorry to read of your predicament,I can only advise what Boney posted,make it up as you go along.It's a grueller but I feel sure you'll get through.

[rjb]

Look on the bright side. She doesn't keep a horse so you don't have to poo pick the field every day, my daughters unable to put any weight on her broken ankle for the next 6 weeks. The only winner here will be the rhubarb next year! You love em all so do you best to help out.

[landsurfer]

MY horse ownership simulator....

Stand naked in a field.
In the pouring rain.
In winter.
Dropping bricks on your bare feet.
Setting fire to £20 notes .....

Fell ponies x 2 ..... never again ....

[SpannerGeek]

MY horse ownership simulator....

Stand naked in a field.
In the pouring rain.
In winter.
Dropping bricks on your bare feet.
Setting fire to £20 notes .....

Fell ponies x 2 ..... never again ....

That's a bit like my vintage Colnago owning experience, only not naked in a field (at least not yet anyway), bikes eat money, same as horses!

I'm too embarrassed to say how much I've sunk into my 1980 Super Piu...

[bigjim]

Try doing it at 68! I have three grandsons. One is severely disabled and has 24 hour care. We all pitch in with that, but have Agency carers as well when they turn up. We have the other two grandsons every weekend in order to take them to school on the Monday and pick them up and feed them later. My wife works still four days a week so at least three days I pick them up, walk them back to ours, feed them and entertain them till a parent turns up. My daughter thought it would be ok if I looked after the youngest one every morning from 8am before delivering him to nursery school at 12pm as well. I had to put my foot down at that one as I still wanted a bit of a life. I love them all dearly but it is not easy. I'd go back to work in the morning, it was easier.
Last week my D in Law presented us with a new baby girl. It's going to get crowded.

[landsurfer]

AND ... when we had our own children we always lived miles away from the grand parents .... or they where in their 80"s ......
My first 3 where born in hastings, hastings, and ipswich ... we lived in Newquay, Dundee .... and Ipswich ... not a grand parent to be seen ... except when they fancied it.
Wife would go home to mummy, have baby and then return to home .... 4th and 5th ...... Germany and Barnstaple .....
Grandparents in Rotherham and Truro .....
3 grandchildren live 12 miles away and spend as much time here as at home ...... darlings ........ !! ...
Our other 2 live in ... Hastings ......
Modern Families ..............

Which is why we have a secret caravan in Redruth ....lol