A part-time job as a surrogate grandmother: You get so much in return!

I want to do this as long as I can," says retiree Gabriele Krschka from Stuttgart, who looks after 3-year-old Emily as a surrogate grandmother. The 69-year-old says she has always liked children. And because she unfortunately didn't have any children of her own, she got involved in taking care of her friends’ and neighbors’ children. She can look back on a total of 30 years of experience in childcare, the retiree reports proudly.

In the spring of 2013, Gabriele Krschka considered how she could supplement her very modest pension. As a retiree due to disability, who had also been ill for a long time, she could figure that her chances in the regular job market would be quite slim. "I actually did it out of necessity. The pension is not enough, and no one will hire me in an office anymore. But I've always liked children – and then I read this ad in the weekly paper that a nanny was needed.

Mrs. Krschka picked up the phone and contacted famPlus, where she answered questions about the application: "The employee was very nice. I then got the family's phone number and contacted them directly," recalls the retiree.

The first meeting was unusual: "Emily was tired, she came straight from swimming." But an experienced childcare provider can handle such a situation, and so Gabriele Krschka got the job that she has been doing since early summer. On weekdays her shift starts at 3:15 PM, and at 5:15 PM a parent takes over Emily's care.

When I pick up Emily from kindergarten, it's always nice, even if she sometimes has a not-so-good day. That's normal for children," the 69-year-old describes her work. "In the summer, we spent a lot of time outside after kindergarten, but now in winter we go to Emily's home, where we play or read," she describes their afternoons together.

Since Emily's parents will be moving away for 3 years in the summer of 2014, the employment relationship is unfortunately limited in time. But Mrs. Krschka knows that surrogate grandmothers are increasingly in demand. And as much as she loves Emily, she is also looking forward to the next family, who might live a little closer to her own residence.

She won't lose contact with Emily and her family, it seems: "I still keep in touch with many of the children I used to look after as a neighbor or a friend of their mom. They've grown up themselves now and have their own kids." And so, surrogate grandma Krschka always sees the change of the children she cares for with both a tearful and a joyful eye.

According to Gabriele Krschka, all you need to bring to the job as a surrogate grandma is a love for children. Not everyone can draw on 30 years of experience in childcare – but you shouldn't do it just for the money, which Emily's surrogate grandma finds very important. "I spend 2 hours on public transport for 2 hours of work. I wouldn't do that if I didn't enjoy this work.

However, she finds working as a surrogate grandma very fulfilling: "You get so much back," is the core message of the enthusiastic surrogate grandma. "When a child beams at you and trusts you, that is really wonderful.