5 Reasons Grandparents Should Watch their Grandkids (More Often)

First things first, forward this to your parents and your in-laws to let them in on these 5 not-so-secrets. 

Go ahead, I’ll wait for you.

………..

Do you feel like you ask your parents/in-laws to watch your kids way too often? Do you feel like you are being a burden? 

You don’t have to. 

Grandparents aren’t just babysitters when they’re watching your kids anyways. 

They’re so much more, amiright?

They’re another person to teach your child numbers and the alphabet.

They’re another person to help get your child potty trained in a timely manner.

They’re another person who loves your child unconditionally as much as you do.

And when I say “person,” I mean they’re another superhero in our kids’ lives.

 1. It’ll help them live longer.

I don’t know about you, but I want my parents and in-laws to live forever, so if by having them babysit is going to help them live longer, then count me in! By babysitting, grandparents are keeping their minds active and they are forced to do a decent amount of physical activities (like chasing your toddler who stole the permanent marker around the living room). With this information, we no longer have to feel like a burden when we ask our parents to babysit. We’re just simply trying to make them live longer. No harm in that!

2. Your kids are only this little today.

I know, it’s heart breaking. But, by tomorrow, they’re going to be older and possibly even bigger since our kiddos like to grow overnight. By the time your kids are all grown up, they’re going to be busy and it will seem like they don’t want anything to do with all of you sometimes. When this begins to happen, grandparents will be grateful that you (mama + dada) let them spend time with them when they were cutesy and cuddly. Grandparents may not know it today, and they may seem irritated when you drop your kids off unexpectedly, but I’m telling you, no grandparent out there has every regretted a moment spent with their grandkids.

3. Grandparents secretly (or not-so-secretly) want to see their grandkids more.

Whether or not they say it, they do want to see their grandkids more often. I’m sure the grandparent who lives hundreds of miles away says it most, but even the grandma who gets to see the grandkids once a week wants more time with them. I mean, I would be super duper sad, too, if I only got to see these amazing, loving kids once a week. It only makes sense. 

4. You’ll save money.

I know, this one has no advantages for grandparents, but kids are expensive for parents. The last thing you want to spend money on is for someone to watch your kids, when you do that everyday, all day and you don’t get paid a nickel from it. So, why pay for a babysitter when you have Grandma?

5. You trust them, and you should.

Unless you had a terrible childhood that was completely your parents fault, then you most likely trust them to watch your children. Once upon a time, they raised you and your siblings, too, so we hope they remember some things from that time (they do; in fact, they remember everything). Having trouble getting your toddler off the bottle? Let grandma give it a try. They had to do it with you many moons ago. And most of the time, they have secret remedies for anything and everything.

Grandparents are under appreciated. We forget the fact that they know just as much as we do about kids, if not more. Sure, times have changed, but parenting is still about the same as it was back then.

So, plan that date night, call up your parents and tell them they’re watching their grandkids whether they like it or not. They’ll thank you in the end, and you’ll feel much better leaving them with someone you trust.

Now, I’m not saying they won’t spoil your kids rotten and give them tons of snacks as soon as you leave them alone because they definitely will.