A friend of mine recently said, "Our daughter does not have working grandparents." I didn't know what she was talking about so she explained: the grandparents arrive and expect to be catered to. Of course, they don't cook or clean, but they also do no childcare.

I've heard this from other friends or grandparents who not only do no childcare but couldn't be trusted to do it safely or well.

That's not true in my life. I am extremely grateful for the hardworking grandparents. A couple of days ago at the park, I got to chat with another mother while my dad caught David at the fire pole and carried him across the rings. At lunch today, my mom took hyper acting out David aside and told him stories that let the rest of us finish eating. My in-laws, who have just arrived, spent the entire day admiring Rose's school journal, reading books to the kids, playing games with the kids, riding bikes with the kids, and let me read my fabulous murder mystery and John tidy his office. And they all say this is their treat, and they mean it.