Helping Out

In today's world most families have both parents working. It can be really difficult for the parents to juggle all the things a family has to do. Most of the time a little bit of help is needed. If the help can be a family member it is even better.

I often helped when I could. I worked the midnight shift so I was home during the day. Besides most of the activities were fun for me as well as helping make life a little easier for others.

My older two grandchildren went to a church sponsored  school. They were not required to provide transportation to and from the school so the did not. Depending on work schedules there were times my son and daughter-in-law could not take them to school.

Sometimes they could take them but needed someone to pick them up at the end of the school day. Other days they could pick them up but could not get them there. Often they needed both a delivery and a pick up. I was happy to help.

The second two had the same situation. The school bus was available but their parents were not. They were at work before it arrived and not home until after the children were home. They needed to have someone take them to the bus in the morning and pick them up from the bus in the afternoon.

Each set of two consisted of an older brother and a sister. The brother would go to regular school while the sister was in pre-school. That made it even more fun.

There were other school activities that parents were unable to attend. One time my daughter-in-law asked me if I would mind taking her place at school. Parents were required to assist a certain number of times each semester.

That particular time I helped making lunches. I was in charge of making apple cobbler for all the school. Then I passed out milk when they got lunch and helped clean up after. It was interesting.

School outings also needed parents to be available to help herd the children. My oldest grandson had a tour of a local grocery store. It was a fun tour but I worked in a store that also sold groceries so I was a bit bored.

My oldest granddaughter was in high school when they went to watch a symphony performance. I was happy to attend. I will grab any chance to listen to music. Some of her friends were not happy with me because I expected them to behave properly but other than that it was enjoyable.

Going to the apple orchard is a yearly expedition. The school takes several grades at a time. The children ride on a wagon into the apple orchard and are allowed to pick an apple. They watch cider being made. Then they drink a small cup of cider and have an apple or pumpkin cookie.

My second granddaughter is a musician. She had to spend a lot of time rehearsing and practicing. Someone had to see to it that she was there and that she made it home safely. Often her friends were in the same predicament as she was so I would have extras too.

Sports also needed someone to deliver and pick up. If practices were not attended the child could not play in the game. Besides attending as many games as I could I took my turns at getting the kids to practices.

When he was very young my second grandson was as crazy about dinosaurs as most boys at that age. He went a step further though. He learned as much as anyone I have ever known about dinosaurs. He was asked by his teacher to teach the class when they were studying dinosaurs. He did so well that other teachers including the teachers at his sister's pre-school were "booking" him.

Of course he needed someone to drive him and help him with the many plastic dinosaurs he used as props. And he always concluded his lesson by giving each child a plastic dinosaur to keep. It was great fun but also quite a chore.

But it was not always fun things that needed a little help. My daughter-in-law had a bad wisdom tooth but she did not want to go to the dentist. When it acted up her mouth would not open far enough for her to eat. She was stubborn and went through several bouts of this until she finally made an appointment.

As I was driving her there she said that her mouth was working agin so we could go back home. I took her to the dentist anyway.

There was a wait in the office so she decided that she would not wait. I made her wait. She was so happy to have that tooth removed. Her mouth works very well now thank you.

My daughter-in-law is good in a crisis... unless it involves her children and blood. Then she faints. We tease her unmercifully but we make sure that there is someone else to be with the doctor and patient. She gratefully waits just outside the door to the room as the doctor repairs things. Then she is fine.

My oldest grandson had a mole growing on the back of his head. When the doctor looked at it he made an appointment to remove it. Of course my daughter-in-law could not be present. I told her to go to work and I would take him. It was minor. He was very brave. He did need a stitch or to to close the wound. I took him to lunch.

Family is a valuable resource. We help each other when needed and enjoy each other when possible.