If your parents live in the same town as you...

[Anonymous]

Both families in town. As far as social visits - there is a standing invite from my parents for Sunday dinner that we are able to do less and less as they kids get older, our weekends busier. My inlaws are more event based so we do dinners for birthdays and when out of town relatives visit. For childcare-when my kids were little, my MIL watched them 2 mornings a week and then, as they aged into a fuller school schedule, watched them for us once x week in evenings. (I work at home and have a flexible schedule so between her and nursery - I only have full time sitter 2x week.- now just school and aftercare.) She likes a set schedule. My parents - who have lots of other grandkids with my other siblings in town - are available in a pinch day to day but take our kids for a week up to twice a year. I trust them more with extended time as they are more used to it - my IL's have done OK with long weekends but I think that more than 4 days would be hard for them.

[Anonymous]

For half the year and during major holidays my parents live right around the corner from me. I love it! When my Dad is available he will take my 4YO to school or camp and/or pick him up. If I'm out and about with my kids I will often just swing by their house for a brief break and visit. They have a great toy collection in their FR. They will baby sit in the evening once every week or two but I don't impose on them too much. Whenever I need an extra set of hands they will always pitch in if they are available.

[Anonymous]

My parents moved here when my oldest was 9 (16 now). Sometimes we see each other 3-4 times in one week, other times we go 2 months without seeing each other. Depends on what's gping on. We definitely see each other for holidays, birthdays, and celebrations. They also sometimes call and say, "we want to see your kids - can we have them over for dinner?" And I sometimes call and ask them to drive one of them somewhere while I drive the other (if DH has a work/board meeting - although older will be driving soon!). In the 7 years, never have I felt it was too much or too little. We talked about it before they moved here, and we all agreed we'd respect the others wishes, and would keep talking. And, no problems!

[Anonymous]

We are about 8 minutes from DH's parents and 8 minutes from his sister and her family. We all have keys to each others places and help with pets when needed. We would never barge in/would always text, but we are all welcome to drop in. For 20 years we were across the country no where near family so this is a welcome change.

Before we moved we had a conversation where his mother was like "I am here for you. This is a dream come true. Whatever you need. Just ask" and she's good for it without guilting us.

We get kids off to school ourselves and DH's mother picks the kids up 4 days a week and takes them either to her place where I meet them, or our place, or to their after school activities.

We have three kids and she heavily schedules them in sports/arts but they like it. When she starts new classes she pays for them. She often buys them dinner or snacks and if they need clothes/anything she will often buy them things.

I tell her to make a tab/let us know asap if we need to pay for something, but she often declines. On our own we wouldn't be scheduling them so much so in some ways she costs us a lot of money (tennis, swimming, martial arts, gymnastics tap/ballet) but we are excited to finally live near her and her overscheduling created my great DH so it's more than fine. We no longer pay for childcare, so that money goes to their classes.

In a pinch we can drop them off for a sleepover if we need to get in to work early the next day or have an event to go to.

DH's dad isn't so into all the events/chauffeuring but he has developed a special relationship with our dog where he hangs out with him during the day and works on projects around our house.

The inlaws owe us nothing but we are so happy to have them and we owe them so much. I really love them.