I’m a mom of two kids under the age of 4.I rely on my kids’ boomer grandparents when I need childcare.They don’t always understand the way I parent, but they try hard.

I’m a mom of a 4-year-old and a 7-month-old who attend day care while my husband and I work full-time. Boomer grandparents get a lot of grief for being unempathetic and aloof, but that’s not the case for my family. My children’s boomer grandparents are my childcare secret weapon and I couldn’t be a working parent without their help.

I’m not the only one, either; I see our school’s office administrators helping grandparents navigate the attendance system at least once a week. I’ve even become friendly with some of the grandparents I see regularly at pick-up. For some millennials, grandparents are an important part of our family ecosystem.

We heavily considered their proximity to us when choosing a homeWhen choosing our first home, it was important to us to have easy access to my mom and my in-laws, who are less than 30 minutes away, to ensure that our children could see their grandparents frequently. Both sets of parents are in their mid to late 70s; I had my first child at 36 and my second at 40, so their time together is precious.When my youngest first attended day care, she only went three days a week.

My mom and in-laws surprised me by offering to watch her the other two days so I could work full-time without paying for full-time care. I’m sure they would have offered even if they lived fu.