I am retired but have been the primary caretaker for my granddaughter and now B”EH for my grandson, when my daughter was in school and now that she will be working part-time.
I wanted and offered to do this, because frankly and chauvinistically, I believe that no “fremdeh” will love my grandchildren unconditionally the way I do, and why should a stranger have the nachas of watching the baby grow and develop, when I could be the one? What babysitter, unless frum (and they are hard to find for one on one babysitting here) is going to “daven” with the baby from Day One, as I do, saying Modeh Ani and the Shema, making a point to eat something when the baby gets a feeding, so he can hear me make a bracha? Sing Torah tziva lanu Moshe every day (it really WAS the first sentence I taught my own children to say)? My time is free, I’m filled with love and excitement at the thought of spending quality AND quantity time with my grandkids, and it will save my daughter and son-in-law the money they would have had to otherwise shell out for a nanny. Win-Win situation. It’s even part-time, so I have ME time as well during the day. Can’t wait.