Old People And Their Babies

 I know at least two old couples over the age of retirement, whatever that means, and they are daily taking care of their grandchildren. They love their grandchildren and evidently like doing the job of babysitting most every day. It bothers me more than them. I love my retirement after thirty years of working with kids. My grandchildren are grown up and once had their own babysitters hired by their parents. I suspect when I see one of the elderly women in my building, taking a baby under one year out every day for a stroller walk she must be tired. The baby is dropped off early in the morning and I assume goes home when the parents pick him up in the late afternoon or evening. During the day she and her husband do the bathing, feeding, changing and supervising that parents are responsible for. The couple lives in an adult condo building that has bylaws against persons residing who are under the age of nineteen. Some of the other residents are becoming concerned about this child and others now, who are being babysat by their older grandparents. The baby age of one and grandsitter's of seventy don't seem to describe the regular grandparent span. Another younger couple owns a very fine home a short distance off and their kids are , babysat every day after school and other days including many when they sleep here. The building is not made for children having no playground or playrooms, therefore the children run about the floor making thumping noises for neighbours below to hear. And while the grandparents dearly love their families, the matter poses an interesting question. When both parents work, why are they not hiring a private babysitter instead of burdening their parents and those who live in the adult building? When they are taking advantage of the affection of their parents is it fair to expect elders to be caring for children so that their grown children can meet mortgages and other payments for their expensive tastes? Grandparents their love families and say they want to do it, but what toll does it take on the elderly? It is different if there is a needy situation but neither of this particular set of individuals meets this designation. And what about the other people who bought into an "adult" building because they do not want children around all the time? It isn't that they didn't love their own families and also love all children as well, it's that they have done that job and need to find other things to do in their so-called leisure life now. When you are over sixty no matter how "spry" you are, children are tiring and no, they don't "keep you young", they tire you out. One of the couples after a day of looking after, cooking for and cleaning up after and entertaining their two grandchildren have to go to bed very early when the kids go home. They do nothing else all year. They are up very early the next morning to take the children to school, back and forth. The floor thumping runnings  of little feet are like drums on the ceilings of other residents in their building. These grandparents  must either constantly warning the children not to run or be trying to keep them occupied constantly. Babies make noises that are natural and often loud. They need space to run and play. This is not the place. My proposal is that there should be consistent government institutions such as schools are, for all day and additional evening care if needed by parents so that grandparents and parents don't have to take on small children again in their lives. Visiting with grandkids is fun and productive and valuable but babysitting is not grandparenting. It's work. If parents must work, it would allow for proper child supervision that parents can't or won't do themselves. Schools are not babysitters even though parents incorrectly consider them so. Grandparents should not have to be babysitters when they have already reared their children and now deserve leisure in their old age before they pass on. They will deny it out of love, but their children are not listening to what is really happening.