Although these are all fun and great ideas of things to do with your grandchildren, being responsible and caring for grandchildren too often can be draining. Many can find themselves overwhelmed and can experience burnout. While it is not bad to assume an active role in your grandchild’s life, it is important to avoid burnout. Believe it or not, there are lots of ways for you to easily and efficiently avoid Grandparent Burnout.One of the most powerful tools for avoiding burnout is having a preplanned schedule. Working with parents to come up with a routine babysitting schedule allows you to maintain control of your own time. Don’t overburden yourself by overscheduling, and allow yourself to only care for the kids at a rate that isn’t exhausting.Parents also need to stay on schedule and respect pick-up times so they can maintain their own life as well. As a way of respecting your time, parents should also have a Plan B in case you are not available. Establishing and maintaining a routine with support and clear rules will help keep everybody happy.It’s important to take care of yourself on your time off so you can be healthy and ready for when you do have to care for your grandchildren. Eating right, taking medication, along regular sleep and exercise are all things that will help your health in the long run. Taking time to yourself to indulge in your hobbies and activities to relax and unwind is necessary, not a luxury.These activities will help you relax, unwind, and recover, which is important to avoid burnout. Also remember you don’t have to do everything yourself. Know your limits and stick within them. Avoid overextending yourself, but learn to take care of yourself on your time to help with recovery.Having clear communication between yourself, the parents, and the grandchildren is important. Clear communication about your boundaries and rules will help protect everyone and avoid situations of miscommunication. Communicating your limitations will also help everyone understand what can be comfortably done and what cannot.Speaking clearly about what is expected from you and what you expect from others will help create an understanding environment. Allowing all parties, grandchildren included, to clearly verbalize any doubts, concerns, and even positive things like praise will help create this healthy environment.Included in this step, communication should remain open while you have the kids to make sure parents are available if needed. They should be available through text or call if any questions or concerns occur.As a part of having clear communication, acknowledging feelings is also essential. Processing your feelings is an important step towards recognizing whether you’re on the way to burnout or not. It’s also essential for mental and emotional health.Checking in with yourself on how you’ve been feeling and accepting all of your feelings, whether good or bad, helps maintain a healthy inner dialogue. Having these check-ins with yourself helps later when you have check-ins with your children and their children.Everyone should be allowed to state how they’ve been feeling in a clear, non-judgemental environment. If something is not working, work together through the issues to find a solution for everyone. When you are starting to feel overwhelmed, tired, or fatigued, make sure to bring it up early on because if you wait too long you might face burnout.Finally, one of the biggest helpers to avoiding Grandparent Burnout is having a support system. Although you are a part of your grandchildren’s support system and their parents consider you a part of their support system, you can rely on them too! Grandchildren can help however they can, be it cleaning up after themselves or following established rules to help you avoid too much of a burden.Their parents can help you by respecting your time and your boundaries, and by answering any questions you have. Expand your support system by seeking out possible other grandparents for advice, or maybe even playdates to help keep everyone entertained and protected. You are a part of a support system, and it’s okay to seek a support system for yourself as well.