Being a Nana.

I put my grandkids to bed the other night. There's the same age difference between them as between their mum and her brother. I used to do this routine no bother; tea, bath, story, bed. I was woken by my daughter giving me a gentle shake; I had fallen asleep between the two boys. My arms had pins and needles (I had an arm around each of them as they slept) my throat was sore ( I was lying on my back- snoring) and I was fit for nothing! I was NEVER exhausted like that when my kids were little! When did it get so hard?

It IS hard work looking after small children when you have become a "certain age". Adorable, wonderful, wouldn't-be-without-it work...but it's really hard! Research revealed that 80% of childcare is being undertaken by grandparents. We're also mostly looking after elderly parents too. We take on the care role with enthusiasm but who is there to support us? Who is in our corner?

The perceived image of a "Nana" is of a simpering, grey haired knitter, who doles out humbugs and kisses, over-rules any structure put into place by parents and who is someone of the same intrinsic value as a handbag charm. This has image has to change. It's not accurate. We have got so much more to give than kisses and sweeties. We do need somewhere though, some place where we will occasionally get told "you're doing a grand job". We need a bit of appreciation. I'm not sure yet what I want that appreciation to look like, I'll keep you posted.