Surviving the Job of Nanny Grandmother in Your 70s

I am four months into being a grandmother at the age of 71. Mothering was my hardest job even though I enjoyed every minute of it. No one warns you how intense it can be. I always assumed someday I would be a grandma but never imagined becoming a nanny grandmother.

My daughter has an excellent and well-paying job. Even though it has been hard to tear herself away from her baby, who is adorable, she had to go back to work. Her company gave her 4 months maternity leave, which was generous.

Her husband, who works from home, makes great money too, but they need both incomes to afford their home in Los Angeles. I was recruited to be the nanny, which I was happy to do, but there’s a big difference between caring for a baby in my thirties and doing it in my seventies.

As compensation, my daughter and her husband paid off my credit card debt, which was burying me alive, so that was also a great incentive.

I had planned to drive from my home, which is thirty minutes away, to stay with them during the week in their guest house and go home on weekends.

The guest house was also available for the in-laws, who live out of state, and wanted any opportunity to relieve me.

All that changed when my neighborhood burned down in the Los Angeles fires. I lived in Altadena, which was wiped off the face of the Earth. My rented home survived with damage but will take over a year to become habitable.

I now live full-time in the guest house, which has a full kitchen and is very comfortable. As bad as the fire was, this arrangement is much more convenient for me. I wake up and walk into the main house. There is no driving involved.

I completed my first week as a nanny grandmother and felt like a truck hit me. My responsibilities include three bottle/playtime/nap sessions from 6:30 am to 3:30 pm. As much as I adore my grandchild, it’s infinitely harder now that I’m older.

Be that as it may, there are health and fitness benefits in caring for a baby over 70, besides cuddling with my grandson all day.

Who needs resistance exercises when you’re carrying a baby around?

Forget about lifting weights. My grandson was 4.5 lbs. when he was born four weeks early and is now about 12 lbs. Each month I increase the amount of weight I lift. Eventually he will sit up, crawl, and walk, so the lifting part will get easier. (I hope.)

You increase your flexibility. When I was young, I could stand on my head ten different ways, do somersaults, cartwheels, and bend overs. Now, getting up and down off the floor is a major maneuver. When my grandson is playing at his activity center on the floor, I must get up and go into a full squat, before picking him up to prevent throwing out my back.

Walking over obstacles on the floor improves balance. In addition to the home’s regular furniture, there is a 100 lb. dog, a small chihuahua, dog toys, and other objects that must be carefully stepped over without falling on my face.

Get your steps in while using the stroller as a walker. When I go for walks with my daughter, baby, and the dogs, I get to command the stroller which keeps me upright and steady.

The chihuahua (We call him “the toddler”) is obsessed with catching balls. Try holding a baby and a bottle while constantly throwing a ball around the house. My throwing arm is getting a workout.

Sometimes the big dog, already nine years old, gets frisky and chases the little dog around. When that happens, I go into full protective mode to keep the baby from getting tromped on. That means using my legs, butt and other parts of my body to fend her off while I dive into a bedroom for safety. She’s like a bull in a China shop. Luckily, she wears out fast and sleeps most of the day.

I hope I endure as the nanny grandmother until my grandson enters pre-school. It would be nice if all that work took a few pounds off. Meanwhile, I am building up strength to endure for the long term.

As you can imagine, I am having the time of my life and sleeping better because I’m so worn out. It’s worth it, and my daughter and her husband appreciate it.

Do you have experience handling grandchildren over 60? I’d love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment below.