Your house or the grandchildrens?

[Gemini]

If you regularly look after your grandchildren where do you do this?
At your house, at theirs, or a combination?

I have always looked after them at my house. Although GD and now baby GS live a half hour drive away, their parents work very close to where I live so it makes sense to have them here. I have all the toys and equipment need to look after the now 3 GC ages ranging from 7 years to 8 months!
When GS1, who lives slightly further away than his cousins, came along and his mum went back to work she worked a fair distance from home in the opposite direction to where I live. It would have meant an extremely early start for me to get there for her to go to work and impossible for her to come here then go. Therefore she worked from home on the day I had him. Of course he had to come to me, as mummy was in the house all day.
Now DD works in York, not far from where I live. However it can take 30 minutes to get to my house at work leaving time.I collect GS from preschool at lunchtime, bring him here and DD collects him after work. It has occurred to me that as I have to go all that way to collect him then sometimes we may as well stay at his house. It would benefit DD as she would come straight home from work rather than to mine for GS. GS would also get an earlier night. Another bonus, all the mess stays at their house
DD is highly in favour of this, so I think we shall do it once in a while. I may start next week!

[Oma]

We always had the boys at our house but we are rather close to there homes , DD lives in the next estate DS about 15 mins away but at the time DIL had to pass our house to get to work and home again so always better to be at ours

[Nanto2girls]

When the grangaughters were little,more often than not we had them at our house. They had their own bedroom, clothes and toys here.the eldest doesn't stay now,she lives with her partner.
Rosie still has her own room here though and always has a good supply of clothes here.

[Libra Gran]

Tuesday's and Wednesdays its back to theirs, Thursdays they come here and stay here for dinner.

[Daisy]

During term time I look after our two GDs at their house. They live about 8 miles away, but their parents work very close to their home, so it makes sense for me to go there, and then I'm also there for GD1 coming out of school. In school holidays I go and fetch them, plus dog, and come back to our house. Mum and dad come and collect them after work. It doesn't matter so much if they are later going to bed in the holidays.

We nearly always have our 2 GSs here, usually in the holidays for a week at a time, although sometimes we go up to their house to babysit overnight. That doesn't happen often as their other Gran lives about ½ a mile from them.

[Glammanana]

I used to have the boys at my house when they where little they had their own bedroom and supply of toys etc and their big pram when they started nursery DD dropped them off on her way to work and I picked them up at lunch time I did this two days a week until they started school full time,we even held thier birthday parties at my house with us being fortunate to have such a large safe garden and DD only had a yard at the time.We couldn't have them stay here with us now except in an emergency as that was the reasoning for us choosing a one bedroomed apartment

[Plantaholic]

When I did child minding it was always here, I didn't really do much for my DD it was mainly my DS's children. I had a travel cot here, a high chair etc.

[ZIZI]

Apart from a few occasions it is always here. I too had all the stuff including baby bath, high chair, toys etc. With Sadie and Joe it was more because the parents are always late and it was better for us to be here. With Ben when he was by little it was at his because of the oxygen and drips etc. But they like coming here although we don't see them as often now as we used to due to their incredibly busy social lives! We are refurbishing the bedrooms in the new year to make the bedroom nicer for them. Getting rid of the bunk beds and getting one of those day beds with a roller bed underneath and getting rid of the wardrobes to make it bigger. Also Joe has a lot of homework so he can share my desk in the corner.

[Daisy]

Zizi - we are think about getting one of those beds with another one that tucks underneath. We had one in DS2's room when they were children and it was incredibly useful - either for sleepovers for their friends or they could double up and free up the other boy's bedroom for a guest. At the moment we've got 2 single beds in the GCs' room/my study but they take up a lot of the space, which I could put to better use. The room has a dormer window so there's not much useable wall space.

[Grauntie Mag]

Mostly here for DD1's children as we are on her way home from work and she only lives a 10 minute drive away, and her in-laws live next door to them,(better for the late sits), but always there for DD2's children as they are younger and sleep better in their own beds. It's an hours drive away and I enjoy driving in the early hours when it's quiet and peaceful. These days if a sleep over is required by DD2 at the weekend they stay with DD1 as the children like to be together and we only have one bedroom. 😁.

[Elisi]

Usually at our house, but quite often also at theirs. Much depends on circumstances really.

[ZIZI]

Thing is with us is that husband doesn't drive and he is a shift worker at the airport so if he is working there is usually no way for him to get to work without me driving if we are not at home. He can walk from ours if no buses and it would take about half an hour but from the others it would take ages and ages. In fact he is working Christmas Day and I will be taking him at 4.30am and picking him up 8 hours later.

We we are having Sadie and Joe on the 16th December overnight which we are looking forward to as we haven't had them here for a while. I will need to finish the Christmas Eve boxes for them to take home with them.

[Gemini]

Zizi, I am having grandchildren that night too! Our first sleepover with GD and her baby brother together.

[ZIZI]

Usually we would offer to have Ben as well but to be honest I don't think I can cope with the three of them in the morning, husband will be working.

[Nannycuddles]

I have always had the grandchildren at my house, I have all the equipment that is needed. When I had the toy boys one was my DS and the other my DD so it easier at my house. I only have E at the moment I have her 3 days a week, on two she is dropped off at mine, but on a Tuesday I go and collect her and drop K off at school..