Dear Francine,
My daughter is 37 years old. She has two children that she is currently raising on her own. My husband and I try to help her out whenever we can with babysitting, gas money, and clothes for the kids, you name it. Lately, she has been asking us to watch the kids every weekend. She drops them off at our house as soon as we’re home from work, so she can go out with her friends. She comes to pick them up sometime on Saturday. Last week, she also asked us to keep them through Sunday, because she needed to sleep in and that was her only chance. I think she’s taking advantage of us, but I’m not sure how to stop being her money train and built in nanny.
~ Nana Needs Sleep Too

Dear Nana,
At 37, your daughter knows what her responsibilities are. She also knows that she can manage to pawn some of those responsibilities off on you. You have always stepped up to the plate and taken care of her. She’s your daughter and a portion of that is understandable. There are times when you should help her.

While it can be a difficult matter to raise children single handedly, there are many people managing without overloading the grandparents. You’re right. She is taking advantage of you. It’s time to tell her to stay home on weekends and spend time with her kids. Since she has the children, she needs to care for them. You already did that. The time for sleeping in has passed her by. She had a chance to sleep in when she was a teenager and she will again when her kids are out of the house. Until then, she will have to deal with bed time stories, mid-night bathroom trips and early morning breakfasts.

Your daughter is due for a dose of her own medicine. The next time she asks you to babysit; you need to tell her that you’re planning on going out with your friends and sleeping in the next morning. Good Luck.