Babysitting Grandmas

A group of six of us get together to celebrate each other's birthday. We range in age from 52-64. We call ourselves the chicks. Well, the chicks are so busy that we can no longer celebrate each individual birthday, so we combine several birthdays and meet a few times a year. Our time together is so much fun, it's a shame we can't do it more often. Anyway, we met last week at Sbicca in Del Mar to celebrate the last three birthdays.

What do women of our age talk about at lunch? You might think restaurants or travel, golf or mah jongg, or how the latest diet isn't working. No, that was not the conversation. It was about grandchildren. I know that every grandmother carries pictures of her granchildren and is ready at a moment's notice to share them. I am not a grandmother yet, but when I am I will be armed with pictures at all times. This did not surprise me. What surprised me was the talk of babysitting. It seems today that many grandparents are the primary babysitters for their grandchildren, and much of their time is spent watching the grandchildren. Many parents only want a blood relative watching their child. I thought my babysitting days were behind me, and that caring for my grandchild would be on my schedule. Apparently that is not the case.

When I was a kid, babysitting was my only source of income, so I did it alot. I think I was 12 when I first started babysitting. I really didn't know what I was doing, and if I had a problem I would call my mom. Today you need a certificate in babysitting to get a job. You must know CPR and basic baby skills. References are often required, and for more permanent child care, background checks are performed.

When my own children were young I did things pretty much the way my mom did. I would use the 12 year old down the block, or in our case, a housekeeper. Here I was leaving my most precious possessions with someone I barely knew. I guess I was lucky, because we hear horror stories today about babysitters abusing kids. The worst thing that happend to me was Adella. She lived in our home when my kids were about thirteen, eight and four. She abused my little schnauser, and my kids were too afraid to tell me. I sure wish I'd had a nanny cam.

So maybe today's young parents have it right. Just let grandma babysit. They can go out for the evening with a clear mind, knowing their child is in good hands. And think of the money they save. Baby sitters get about $10 an hour. That's more than some college grads are getting in this economy.

I started this blog to tell you about my great lunch with the chicks, and how now, thirty years after my own kids needed sitters, the conversation is back to grandchildren and babysitting. I'm not sure I'm willing to give up my retirement to baby sit, as some grandparents have done, but we'll see. Don't get me wrong. I can't wait to baby sit, but hopefully it will be on my terms. It seems we've come full circle. Our early married years were spent staying home with the kids, and now our later married years are spent staying home with the grandkids.