Diary Of A Modern Gran: Granny Has A Sleepover

By Sarah Proctor

Sarah Proctor ©

‘Thanks so much, Mum,’ says my daughter when she drops off my two grandchildren and enough luggage for a fortnight in Ibiza.

‘How long are you going for?’ I ask nervously.

She knows I’m joking.

In fact they’re not going anywhere. My daughter and son in law have been invited to a local party and would like to come back late. There isn’t really room for me to spend the night there at their place, so I’ve offered to have Rose and George here with us.

I have to confess that I haven’t done many sleepovers. This is partly because of post-virus concerns as my husband has low immunity; partly because I’m concerned about our steep staircase; and also because, well… I don’t know.

I’ve always meant to have more but the time seems to have flown by. After all, as I keep reminding myself, I am a working Gran.

But it’s easier now they’re getting a bit older. So I’m hoping to make it more of a regular routine.

It starts off pretty well.

I’ve put the children in the big double bed where my daughter used to sleep. (We don’t have any single beds and in the past, we’ve tried one of those mattresses on the floor, but they didn’t like it.) There’s a big bolster down the middle – George is a bit of a wriggler – and several pillows on at either side in case they fall out.

I purposely give them a fairly late tea and delayed bedtime in the hope that they will be tired. The last time I had them for a sleepover, neither of them fell asleep until midnight. Let’s not go there. It wasn’t because I over-excited them in my enthusiasm to have them with them. At least I don’t think I did. But let’s face it – – it IS exciting for little ones when they stay over with grandparents. Or at least it should be – otherwise I wouldn’t be doing my job!

To begin with, all goes quite well. I read them about six stories – not joking – and then I suggest they say their prayers. They do gratitude instead so we compromised by saying ‘Dear God thank you for…’

This can be anything.

‘What are you grateful for?’ I asked George.

‘Being here with you,’ he says. My goodness. That boy is going to be a charmer when he grows up!

Miraculously, George falls asleep within about half an hour. Rose is not at all tired so I suggest we read some more books together by torchlight. I kiss her good night and tiptoe downstairs to watch one of those family reunion programs with my husband to be got addicted to.

Ten minutes later, there is a little knock on the door. ‘I’m lonely,’ she says.

I should be strict and take Rose back to bed. But how can I? So instead, I sit her next to me on the sofa snuggled up under a blanket with our very old dog on the other side. They both love it.

Then we get to a part of the programme where someone is reunited with their mother.

‘Why is that lady crying?’ asks Rose.

Oh dear. Perhaps it isn’t suitable viewing.

‘She’s crying with happiness because she’s found her mummy again,’ I say.

‘Did she lose her in the supermarket? ‘

Not exactly, I say.

I look at my husband. He looks at me. We are both thinking the same.

‘I think it’s time for you to go back to bed,’ I say.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll sit next to you until you fall asleep.’

And I do. I put a stool by her side and read my novel by torchlight until she drops off within about a quarter of an hour.

I’m feeling a little smug by this stage. I’m not a sluggish person – honestly – but I’m quite relieved that they’re both in bed and fast asleep before 10 o’clock. So I have a bath, which is a bit tricky as my bathroom is close to their bedroom and I don’t want to make a noise.

Then we go to bed. At about 2am there’s the sound of a pad of little feet. It’s Rose. ‘I can’t sleep,’ she says. So I take her back and I lie on the floor next to them, but it’s pretty uncomfortable. Every time I move she opens her eyes.

Eventually, I must have dropped off because we all woke at the same time. The sun is streaming through the curtains.

I feel exhausted. The children are as bright as buttons.

‘Morning,’ chirps George. Rose leaps out of bed to get breakfast for her teddies.

My eye bags look even worse than usual. (Luckily I’ve got some magic cream to fix them!)

But the good thing is that with any luck, my daughter and her husband have had a good night sleep after partying. They deserve it.

‘What are you doing next Saturday?’ I ask my daughter when she picks them up.

‘Nothing,’ she says.

‘Shall I have them back for another sleepover,’ I ask?

After all, practice makes perfect. Perhaps next weekend I can get them both to sleep before 9pm. I’ll keep you posted!

Ask Agony Gran

Thanks to the reader who emailed to say:

‘This might sound a bit silly, but I’m really worried about something. A friend of mine wants me to go on holiday for a week in August and has suggested that to save money, we share a room with twin beds. Since my divorce 20 years ago, I’ve got used to being on my own and really don’t like the idea of sharing a room with someone. I also need to get up to go to the loo several times in the night and I’m embarrassed about this. I did say to my friend that I would rather have a separate room, but she said she couldn’t afford the single supplement. I haven’t told her about going to the loo in the night.’

Name withheld

Jane Says:

Thank you so much for getting in touch with us. You’re not being silly at all. In fact, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard about worries over sharing a room with a friend.

‘If it was me, I would come clean to my friend and explain that I don’t want to wake her up when I go to the loo. She might well say that’s fine by her, but I suspect that with you, there’s more to it than that. You want your own space. And why not? If you can’t have it now, when can you?

‘If your friend can’t afford a room of her own, then I don’t see why you should have to feel awkward about giving in to her cheaper option. A good friend would surely understand.

‘At the same time, you don’t want to fall out with her about it. Perhaps you could do some research yourself and find somewhere to stay where you can each afford a single room. As the summer progresses, there are more and more deals coming up.

‘You might also want to book an appointment with your doctor and check that all is well with your bladder. Although lots of us need to go to the loo in the night, It might be good to rule out any medical reasons such as early signs of a prolapse.’

If you would like to share a problem, confidentially, email us at moderngran@dctmedia.co.uk.

Your Feedback

My column on disco dancing got some of you quite exercised! Here are some emails we received.

‘I met my first boyfriend at a youth club disco when we were both 16. Both of us were quite awkward dancers and very nervous. We got married when we were 21 and we still are!’ Pam

‘My second husband loves dancing. When his grandchildren come round, we all love to boogie round the kitchen!’ Angie

‘When my grandchildren argue, I put on the music and we all have a bit of a dance. It’s very good at restoring peace!’ Tricia

Mature couple dancing in kitchen, happy relationship

Pic: Shutterstock

Grandparent Tip Of The Week

Thanks to Lin for this:

‘Our grandson is at the age where he is in danger of bumping into protruding door handles. So I stuffed an old sock with foam and put it over the handle to soften any collisions.’

That’s very inventive, Lin. You can also buy these door handle protectors from Amazon.

The Funny Things They Do And Say

Thanks to Dylan for emailing this in:

‘My eight-year-old granddaughter is learning a new word every week at school. I thought it was a great idea. Then I decided to have contact lenses instead of glasses.

‘Does that mean you can touch your eyes?’ asked my granddaughter.

You’ve got it! The word of the week was ‘contact’.’

If your grandchildren have done or said something funny, do email us at moderngran@dctmedia.co.uk.

Where To Take The Grandchildren

Pennywell Farm, near Buckfastleigh, South Devon

www.pennywellfarm.co.uk

Tel: 01364 642023

Some friends of ours recently took their grandchildren here and loved it. Attractions include go-carts, a steam train, ‘red rocket,’ cuddles with miniature pigs, feeding the animals, goat-milking, egg-collecting and more!

Family News

The Labour Party has promised to put more emphasis on speaking skills in the national curriculum to improve clarity. What do you think? Are children speaking clearly enough nowadays? Are you aware of this as a grandparent? We would love to know. Please email us at moderngran@dctmedia.co.uk.

Children’s Book Of The Week

WHY MONEY MATTERS by Deborah Meaden £9.99. Published by Red Shed.

Money is one of those matters that we tend to shy away from – often because we’re scared we don’t have enough to get by. But it’s good to teach children face it at an early age so they learn to save and spend money wisely.

Money can also be a confusing concept for little ones – but Dragons’ Den investor and entrepreneur Deborah Meaden does a great job at explaining it in this colourful, informative book. It’s designed for six to nine-year-olds but I learned a lot!

Number 7 In The Sunday Times Chart!

Hope you don’t mind me sharing some exciting news with you! My new novel COMING TO FIND YOU is number 7 in the Sunday Times paperback chart. My novel is about two women who live in the same seaside house at different times. Elizabeth is a mother during the Second World War and will do anything to protect her son. Nancy is my present-day heroine. Both are under threat. Both are strong women. Both are determined to survive.

You can find my novel in bookshops, supermarkets (including Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda) and also online. If you’re a Kindle reader, it’s on special offer for 99p (limited time only). Here’s the link just in case you fancy reading it! https://amzn.to/3NRv8kB.

Also available in audio.