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I'm sure the grandmother is willing, but when do the parents have any family life? Assuming they work during the week, they're missing out on some of the best experiences parenthood offers, and that's forming your own routines, traditions, and memories. Sad, really.
I agree. As much as I would have loved to sleep in, I now miss those early morning wake-up calls when the toddler crawls into bed, making a big breakfast together, etc.
I wonder why they don't do one night/week or every other weekend, or something. The whole weekend, every weekend is excessive any way you slice it. Less so, I guess, if neither of them works, and they spend all day and night all together M-F, but I doubt that's the case.
the article didn't say how many nights over...did it?
Really? You don't know them. You have no idea how they interact with their children. You don't know if the kids will grow up to be successful, productive members of society who will credit their parents for their success.....but you've decided they are "crappy" parents.
For all you know they are a bonded, loving, happy family and Mom and Dad enjoy walking the dog when the nosy neighbors are asleep.
My point was (sorry it was missed by you) that if you are going to judge a family based on what you see, those parens suck. Not ones who share parenting duties with their extended families.
And ...I have an inside person who has shared how very much these parents suck, including they don't allow their oldest to sleep a whole nights rest so they can get extra school work done to always be on the top. I am comfortable that they suck. They also abuse their au pair who should have time off! She works over time weekends too.
The linked article references sleeping late on Saturday morning and other articles I saw online confirm that it's Friday through Sunday.
I think it's reasonable to take some adult/couple time and to give Grandma a chance to be with a child. But every weekend seems extreme particularly if the parents are working during the week. I did not see any info about that although admittedly I didn't look too hard
I lived in a neighborhood that had many 1st gen asian children. The parents immigrated and made life here, had children and SO MANY of the grandparents came to the US and moved in to be a full+ time caregiver to the babies.
There are other cultural examples that come to mind where the grandparents play a big role in raising of children. Reading this story it just reminds me of those cultures.
Not so much my children. My kids haven't stayed alone with (or even met) my parents and once stayed alone with my FIL (so we could have a quick dinner out) and he put a diaper on backwards and switched the baby food and toddler food. Goodness!
Exactly. What many of these American posters are not getting is that WE are the abnormal ones. It is NOT normal for two (or one) parent to do all of the childcare. In many cultures around the world, extended families not only take care of the youngsters, they actually live with the parents under the same roof. Having kids is hard; every parent knows that. Thus the extended family serves to lighten the load by taking care of kids and being a support structure in other ways. There is no cause for criticism here. The baby stays close to the grandparents, the couple is keeping the marriage strong, and the baby sees the parents throughout the week I'm sure. Parents have a tendency to get caught up in the parenting role to the detriment of their marriages and other relationships once kids come along. I think keeping things balanced will actually improve the parent/child relationship.
It's possible that these people don't work the normal 9 to 5 Monday through Friday workweek. They are celebrities after all. If they do work a regular schedule, then it's sad for them not to get precious family time. Sometimes people don't realize that we don't have as much time as we think, especially when we are very young.
Exactly. What many of these American posters are not getting is that WE are the abnormal ones. It is NOT normal for two (or one) parent to do all of the childcare. In many cultures around the world, extended families not only take care of the youngsters, they actually live with the parents under the same roof. Having kids is hard; every parent knows that. Thus the extended family serves to lighten the load by taking care of kids and being a support structure in other ways. There is no cause for criticism here. The baby stays close to the grandparents, the couple is keeping the marriage strong, and the baby sees the parents throughout the week I'm sure. Parents have a tendency to get caught up in the parenting role to the detriment of their marriages and other relationships once kids come along. I think keeping things balanced will actually improve the parent/child relationship.
This child's grandparents do not live with them, so that is moot. My mother-in-law lives with us and I agree it's helpful. She does the gardening and light housework and is there if we need a sitter or someone to drive a kid somewhere. The people in the article desire childfree weekends where they can sleep in till 10 and not be parents for two days.
What are these "many cultures around the world" where it's normal for children to live with their grandparents in separate houses all weekend? Not in the same house or in another cottage on the property, because that's not the case here.
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