Keeping a Baby

11 August 2019

I am a semi-retired septuagenarian. I have owned my own business for the last 18 years and retired at 55 after 30 years with a Fortune 500 company. I did a lot of important things for the Fortune 500 firm and was well satisfied with that career. I did a lot of traveling all over the country and was given a full retirement after the company decided to sell our division.

My wife and I set up housekeeping in 1973. She was fully employed at the time with the state of Florida as a social worker. We were blessed with a son in September 1974. Rather than going back to work she decided that she wanted to stay home and be a full time mother. I agreed to buy the diapers and she agreed to do most of the diaper changing. However it seems I did my fair share of diaper changing and delighted in doing so. That son will be 45 years of age in September. We added two daughters and Mom stayed at home all along the way.

My son and daughter in law have one little girl who is 8 and they had another little girl who is now 17 months. Before the little baby was delivered they began to look for child care. The going rate was $1,000 per month. My wife and I provided most of the child care for our other little grand daughter. I began to process that fact and announced to my son and daughter in law that I would keep the new baby full time and come to their house to do so. I expected to get paid, albeit not $1,000 per month. We thus keep the baby out of day care, I get paid a little bit and do it at their home.

We are into the 14th month of this arrangement and it has not yet killed me. Overall I would have to say that I have enjoyed it a great deal. I work 8 hour days starting at 8:00 AM. I took over when she was 3 months old. It was pretty easy with her sleeping all the time and all I had to do was feed her and change her and sit around and watch her.

I have watched her start to take first steps, begin to say words and make demands on this old man that keep me getting up and moving around the house. Our relationship has developed its own characteristics. We argue over whether we are going to watch Baby First TV or MLB. She can't quite work sentences yet so she stands in front of me and just yells and points. I have to figure out what her demands are and do my best to fulfill them.

She loves me and I love her. Our family just spent a week in the Smokeys. We were in three different locations and got together a lot with extended family. After we had been separated for 3-4 days when we finally got together all she wanted to do was sit in her Bop's lap.  To the exclusion of everyone else. All 7 of my grand children call me Pop. She calls me Bop. She came around a corner in her Mom and Dad's cabin in the Smokeys and found my 17 year old grand daughter sitting in my lap. She demonstrably made it clear that she did not approve. She made her way to us and began pulling at Caroline and made it clear that she was in her seat. 17 year old Caroline said to her, " Now, just wait a minute. He was my Pop before he ever was your Bop." So now they are fighting over me which just adds to my escalation in self esteem. No one at the Fortune 500 company ever fought over me.

I have a newer, more enhanced respect for my wife and her role in our family over the years. I always told my children when they came home with the announcement that one of their friends families had just acquired a new beach house, mountain cabin, car, boat, pool, etc. that our luxury was that Mom stayed home. Looking back I can honestly see that has made a HUGE difference in our family. I know that some folks, if not all folks, need a two pay check financial stream to make it these days. I am happy to be able to provide a way where my little grand daughter stays at home, naps in her own bed and plays in her own toy box.

I have to say that Bop is quite happy to be getting a pay check to add on to a pension. I also am able to work any real estate transactions from my son's house. I am happy mostly to have the love and allegiance with a cute little 17 month old grand daughter. Some days are longer than others. Some days Bop is not quite on his game and drags a little more. However, this is one of the best jobs I ever had. A labor of love that loves you back.