Why Modern Grandmothers No Longer Babysit Their Grandchildren?

Why many grandmothers today aren’t babysitting. The reality of life after 50: work, exhaustion, family care — not outdated clichés.

So, you’re 60, juggling work and life, and your grandkids are already knocking at the door, asking you to babysit? Oh, I hear you! It’s not exactly fun being expected to play the "babysitting grandma" straight out of a Božena Němcová fairy tale – especially when you’re drowning in deadlines and dreaming of a quiet evening with your feet up. Let’s take it all with a bit of humor and perspective, shall we?

Dear ladies, women, mothers – and especially grandmothers over 50! Or rather, grandmothers over 60, who still have a few years left before retirement, am I right? Do you remember how our mothers, at fifty-three, were happily baking buns and watching their grandkids from morning till night? What a lovely picture, right? Well... that ship has sailed. Just like the banana lines of the good old days.

We are sixty today, and what are we doing? We are working. And with full commitment, because retirement is nowhere in sight and money, surprisingly, doesn't earn itself. My mother has enjoyed retirement for seven years, while I? I work and will continue to work! And that's the stumbling block. I don't have the time and often don't even have the strength and mood!

Today's generation of grandmothers are often women who are successful in their profession, enjoy traveling, playing sports, creating, or taking care of other family members. Just like parents, they deal with: how to distribute your forces – and they are not bottomless.

Unlike the previous generation, today's grandmothers are more involved when their grandchildren are young. still at full capacity. Many are business owners, others have fixed working hours or demanding shifts. And when your granddaughter asks, “Grandma, when are we going to play?”, you might be dealing with deadlines, spreadsheets, or shipping items – not how long the buns will rise.

Geography is no fun. Grandchildren often live in different places – in different regions, different states, sometimes even different continents. What if they have a fever and you are reporting for an afternoon shift at the hospital or supermarket?

Sometimes just there is no lack of will, but strength. Age brings with it pain in the back, joints and soul. And although we love our grandchildren, we don't always have the energy to play with them. Especially when we're trying to "survive" eight hours at work and then quickly cook, do the laundry, maybe stretch our legs and for a while... just be.

This is a special kind of marathon: sandwich generationWe take care of our grandchild, but at the same time ninety-year-old parents, a sick partner or children who are not yet adults. Every day is a gymnastics of time - and babysitting? Sometimes it just doesn't work.

And honestly – We have something for ourselves too.. After years of raising children and serving our families, we want to enjoy our own lives a little. Culture, travel, a garden, a dog, a book… or simply silence. And that's okay.

We are not “bad grandmothers” who refuse to help. We are just women of the 21st century, who balance work, care and their own existence. It is not easy - but it is reality. And instead of judgment, there should come empathy and understanding – see The Four Agreements: A Path to Peace for Women 50+

Each of us has the right to determinehow much energy it can give. That's what satisfaction and luck!
Each of us has your truth and your limit.
And each of us deserves to know that what we do... enough is enough.

Because even though we're not babysitting the grandchildren today, We are here. And we are strong.

"At Grandma and Grandpa's" on Psychologie.cz – describes the positive and challenging aspects of care, including increased stress and long-term burden on seniors caring for them psychology.cz

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