Good morning Garrison,
I am raising my 16 year old granddaughter. My daughter is not capable of raising her because of severe emotional issues. My granddaughter went through a pretty terrible adjustment period when she first came to live with me, about 2 years of punishing me for her mother's deeds. It was a tough transition. She had therapy and at one point I had to tell her to leave and live with her other grandmother for awhile because she was so difficult. While she was there she had what she terms an epiphany, where she realized how much I meant to her and had done for her, and in fact, I had been her 'rock' and always there for her since her birth. She came back then and she's been a delight since. I think I'm fortunate that she is such an insightful and perceptive kid, but, at my age, sometimes I get very tired. Fortunately I have a fiancee who just adores her and he picks up a lot of slack. It's tough sometimes really just because of our age. You have a longer haul with a young boy, with our granddaughter, she will be going to college in 2 1/2 years and much of the heavy lifting is over now. My granddaughter's therapist told us that the percentage of grandparents raising their grandkids is literally epidemic now because of substance abuse, mental illness and parents who just don't take responsibility for their own kids. I hear you when you say you're tired!!! There is a lot of joy too, my granddaughter brings a lot of laughter and youthfulness to us, we both love to hear her cracking up in her room with her girlfriends. It's a mixed bag, no doubt about it. What is your experience?