@jackstack Not uncommon at all. It’s healthy for all parties and it’s great to have your son become comfortable sleeping in different environments.
My mom used to keep my oldest (now 9) over night when he was that age. My youngest is 15 months and she no longer can watch kids this little because her mobility hasn’t gotten worse. So I am very much missing the days she would keep my oldest over night.
@jackstack Pretty normal, IMO. The exact situation depends on the kid, but a lot of my friends have their young kids spend a night or two at Grandma and Grandpa's every now and then so Mom and Dad can get away/have a break/clean the house.
@jackstack Yeah of course. As long as you’re comfortable with it. We have our 2 year old stay with my in laws for a few days if we want to go on a trip without her. It’s a great way for them to bond too.
@jackstack I would say normal. I have friends who have regularly done Friday nights at gran and grandpa's for their kid at that age. They get Friday night off every week...ooooh so jealous.
@jackstack My son is 17 months, we started doing overnights at my parent’s house around the 9 month mark. First, just for one night, but recently we went on a 5 day trip. It was hard to leave him for so long, but he had a great time and my parents adore spending time with him. They want to do it more often.
@jackstack Totally normal. My son has been sleeping at my parents since he was maybe 12 months. He loves them and it makes his week when they pick him up from school
@jackstack No, I wouldn't consider that abnormal at all. If you've got a competent, local grandparent who is happy to babysit, you should definitely take advantage of it.
@jackstack We definitely did sleepovers with grandparents at that age. However we didn't have grandparents doing regular childcare. I would feel kinda bad asking for them to watch the baby 4-5 times a week and then additional overnights, honestly.
@jackstack We have a five year old that comes every other week for “taco Tuesday”. He started when he was two? I think it’s good for everyone if grandma says ok?? Keep us posted
@jackstack It's not a sleepover it's childcare. It's fine. They are already providing care and I presume have a good relationship with boy you and your child. I would see it like you as a free evening.
@jackstack With that setup, my only worry would be burning out her mom. If she’s babysitting 4 days a week adding in one day a weekend feels like a LOT. At minimum I’d try to do once every other month for a date night or just a night off. I’d also be super generous to my MIL for doing that with gifts, or helping around the house. Anything is worth it with what she’s saving you. But, it’s not my mom and I’m not gonna play with your balls, so you’ll really need to communicate with your wife. Ultimately if she’s not ok with it, it’s a no go.
@jackstack One of our great delights is having our grandchildren stay over night, once they are past 12 months, or so. We are both in our early 70s, so it isn't a big deal for us. Our 7 grandkids are now ages 4-10 and we usually have each of them for 5-7 days, one at a time, over the summer. They love the special attention, we love getting to know them better and our kids love having one fewer kids around. Win-win-win.
@jackstack Yep. Totally normal in my family. We did a week at grandparents around 1.5.
It was glorious and I’d say the 5 days was about the right amount of time for missing them to set in while also feeling totally recharged to do the less enjoyable parenting tasks with a better demeanour.
Use grandparents if they’re willing/able! Great relationship for your kid to have, learning to trust more people, and a break. Win win win.
Our parents were around 65 when our son was 1-2 and now they’re 70 and still love to have him for a weekend several times a year.
If you’re really strict on anything make sure to write out some rules, food especially, you might want to pack some stuff for them…
@jackstack Due to work schedules my son stayed with my aunt and uncle one night a week for months, starting when he was about 9 months old, (until we just moved closer to my family). He's a first grader now, during the summer he did a 4 night stretch at her house and my aunt and uncles, he was in and out of the house during the day but spend the nights there.
In my opinion, it develops a deeper level of trust and bond between kids and that generation. They get to relive a bit of the pitter patter of little feet in the morning and sleepy eyes, the kids get just another experience in life to remember, looking back those are things I really remember, especially if my cousins stayed the night as well
@jackstack It’d fine for kids that age to have sleepovers to give you a break but grandma is already doing a lot of childcare so not sure she would want to do that so regularly
