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"Ridiculous": Debate erupts over whether grandparents should be paid to babysit

Any parent knows how difficult it is to get your child into daycare or preschool. With limited spaces across the country and rising costs, many are turning to their families for help. Many rely on grandma and grandpa to help out with the kids, and while some say they'd happily do it for free, others think it's time to put a price on it. According to a Nine.com.au poll 42 per cent of Aussies believe that grandparents should be paid for babysitting, while 58 per cent of them believe there's no need to pay grandparents for their services. However, the question is more complicated than a simple yes or no, with many explaining that it depends on the circumstance. "If grandparents are babysitting for special occasions or at their request then I don't think they should be paid. Most would do it for love and time with grandkids. If grandparents are providing child minding then that's different. If it's a regular occurrence then yes they should be paid," explained one person. "Grandparents should be paid to babysit if they are required for more than two full days a week," echoed another. "Grandparents should be paid, it is cheaper than creche and the kids won't be as sick mixing with a batch of others," a third wrote. For many there's a big difference between babysitting on a weekend or a one-off day versus during the week. "Being paid as a grandparent to babysit in my opinion is ridiculous, however if a grandparent is enlisted to provide child care more than two days a week so that parents can work, I think a payment in some form isn't unreasonable, even if it's a surprise gift intermittently," one wrote. "I babysit my grandchildren while my daughter works she pays me $20 for petrol, but if they want to go out and I babysit then she doesn't pay me which I'm OK with," added another person. The parents and grandparents' financial position was also a big factor. "I think the grandparent babysitting for payment is a personal thing. Some parents can really afford it, some are struggling and the grandparents do it to help out," one explained. Image: Shutterstock

Retirement Income

Dental staff fired for mocking cancer patient’s private diary

Shocking video has emerged of two dental staff reading a cancer patient's private diary aloud while laughing and mocking her concerns. The video which captured the American employees at Premier Dental Group (PDG) of Knoxville laughing as they read the private diary entries was captioned: "Found a patients journal and now it's story time lmao." The footage was reportedly filmed by another staff member who could be heard giggling throughout the video, according to the New York Post. A woman in black scrubs was filmed reading passages from the diary to others in the room and describing the radiation treatments the worried patient faces. Another woman was sitting cross-legged on the office floor and listening intently, a male employee was also in the room but he did not intervene or join in with the women. It’s not clear how staff obtained access to the patient’s private journal, or why they decided to read it. The video sparked outrage across social media, with Premier Dental Group of Knoxville having to share an apology on Facebook acknowledging the incident. "Premier Dental Group of Knoxville is aware of a recent incident involving an inappropriate video created and shared by some of our employees that addressed an individual’s medical condition in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner.” “We deeply regret this incident and the hurt [it] has caused,” they wrote in the statement which has now been deleted. A spokesperson for PDG confirmed to the New York Post the female employees involved in the incident were fired “effective immediately”. After an investigation it was determined that the male employee in the video did not participate and kept his job. “We are committed to maintaining a respectful and professional environment for everyone, and we will continue to take necessary actions to uphold these standards,” the practice said. Images: news.com.au

Caring

"A step too far": Grandparents barred from school event for bizarre reason

A Melbourne school has come under fire for refusing to let a group of grandparents into the classroom for a special event because they did not have a Working With Children Check (WWCC). Furious grandparents have slammed St Joseph’s Primary School in Yarra Junction for taking it "a step too far" when they asked them to provide the WWCC after being invited to attend the “Inquiry Afternoon”. The event was held for year one and two students to speak about “technology and the world has changed over time”, according to The Herald Sun. Grandparents were asked to provide a WWCC on the back of the invitation, which some of them missed. “The Working With Children Check isn’t set up for the one-off visit — it is a step too far,” founder of the National Grandparent Movement Ian Barnett told Sunrise. “I understand we’re living in a time when we want more checks and balances, but it is unrealistic to think that grandparents attending such a day would actually need to go and provide a Working With Children Check." The grandparents without a WWCC were forced to sit in the principal's office and do their show-and-tell via a video call. “I’m sure they had very good intentions — no one set out for this to happen,” Herald Sun education editor Susie O’Brien said. “But imagine turning up, arranging your entire week, your day to come to your grandchild’s event … and the child’s school refuses entry.” She added that although schools did have some discretion over such requirements, when a group of people are invited for a specific event, it is usually not required. Barnett also said that "for such visits you don’t need a Working With Children Check,” in most states. “I haven’t heard of this in NSW. I have to admit, I’m from NSW. So it is really going a bit extreme. Schools do have the right to decide who comes onsite. But it just seems it’s not required. “To actually drag the child out from the classroom to sit with nana or grandad, it’s a step too far and embarrassing, I think, for the school as well.” A spokesperson for the primary school acknowledged that although there was some confusion, the school had to comply with the child safe standards. “There was advance notice to all St Joseph’s families on this requirement, with 29 grandparents signing in on Friday with a working with children clearance," they told the Herald Sun. “We acknowledge the disappointing experience of the four grandparents who couldn’t attend the grandparents’ day and are attempting to call these families this morning.” Images: Sunrise/ The Herald Sun

Legal

Mother bans in-laws from seeing her baby after they go against her wishes

A woman has banned her in-laws from seeing her newborn daughter after they “betrayed her trust” and directly went against her wishes. The new mum shared the story to Reddit, as she explained why she was cutting contact with her husband’s parents after they pierced her child’s ears without their knowledge or consent. “My husband is from a culture where it's not uncommon to pierce baby girls' ears and his mother started pestering me about getting my daughter's ears pierced a few days after she was born,” the 32-year-old mum began. “I made it clear that I would not be doing that, and that I'd be waiting until she's old enough to ask for it herself. We live in my country where piercing a baby's ears isn't common at all.” The new mum's world soon came crashing down after the baby spent a weekend with her grandparents, before she went back to her parents red in the face and screaming. “My mother-in-law was looking after her over the weekend and decided to pierce her ears without my knowledge or consent.” “When I saw this I threw a fit. My baby was crying in pain, and I actually took her to the doctor to get their advice on whether or not to take them out.” The doctor advised the parent to take the earrings out as they were irritating the baby, but the issue didn’t end there. “I decided at that moment that my mother-in-law and everyone else on that side of the family (except for my sister-in-law, who's on my side about this) is going to have no alone contact with my daughter ever again - or at least until she's a teenager.” “My worry is that she'll do the same thing again, and to be frank, she's lost my trust entirely. I told her that if she had a problem with that, I'd report what she did to the police.” The husband of the baby girl reluctantly sided with his wife over the issue, despite saying it wasn’t a big deal and suggesting everyone move on from the incident. The story prompted a mixed response online, with some people saying the woman was overreacting and should work towards rebuilding trust with her in-laws. Others, however, had the opposite opinion, with one person saying, “Forget rebuilding trust, I'd be having them charged with assault.” Another person said, “They mutilated a child and they knew it was against the parents wishes. These people have serious problems. Not that I'd press charges, but getting holes poked in someone else's kid is a huge thing.” Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Newly revealed diary entry shows Queen Elizabeth's final moments

A previously unseen diary entry from Queen Elizabeth's private secretary has revealed the final moments of the late monarch's life. Sir Edward Young dutifully recorded every moment of the Queen's life, including Her Majesty's last moments at Balmoral surrounded by her family. “Very peaceful,” he wrote. “In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.” The private diary entry was lodged in the Royal Archives and has not been made public until now. Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of 96 on September 8th 2022 at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland, as she was surrounded by the royal family. Others who were by the Queen’s bedside included the Queen’s senior dresser and trusted confidante, Angela Kelly, along with the Rev Kenneth MacKenzie, a minister, who read to her from the Bible. The diary entry comes from a new book Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, written by royal expert Robert Hardman, who shared other details from the Queen's final moments. The book notes that after King Charles sat by his mother's bedside for hours before her death, he went out to forage mushrooms to clear his head. It was when he was returning to Balmoral Castle that he was informed his mother has died. After her death, a footman brought a locked red box of paperwork found by her deathbed. In it, were two sealed letters: one to her son and heir, Charles, and the other, addressed to Young. The box also contained her final royal order: her choice of candidates for the prestigious Order of Merit for ‘exceptionally meritorious service’ across the Commonwealth. Hardman writes in the new book, “Even on her deathbed, there had been work to do. And she had done it.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Diary worth over $50,000 found in mother's attic

The world of diaries often holds a realm of personal musings and daily chronicles, but for one fortunate woman, a hidden treasure in her mother's attic turned out to be far more valuable than she ever imagined. In a captivating episode of Antiques Roadshow, an unsuspecting woman sought the expertise of the renowned Richard Price, presenting him with a diary that held not just sentimental value but an astonishing historical significance. With a sense of anticipation in her voice, she began, "We believe that it is the transcript of the diary written by one of the Shackleton expedition crew members aboard the Endurance." This remarkable artefact had been handed down to her father 45 years earlier and had subsequently resided in her mother's attic, concealed beneath layers of dust beside an old television set. The Shackleton expedition, set against the stark backdrop of Antarctica, unfolded in the year 1915. The woman eloquently narrated the captivating tale, "That was the famous expedition that got stuck in the ice, and the crew members survived on the ice for a number of months. Then they made a journey in the lifeboats to Elephant Island, and Shackleton, along with five others, embarked on a perilous voyage to South Georgia as a rescue party. "They managed to secure a ship to retrieve the remaining men stranded on the ice. Astonishingly, every member of the expedition survived, a testament to their incredible resilience." This remarkable diary bore witness to the harrowing journey and contained invaluable insights into the crew's survival tactics, including details of their sustenance during their ordeal. Price, the seasoned expert, meticulously examined the diary's condition. While a few pages had become detached from the spine, the document was, for the most part, remarkably well-preserved. However, one crucial mystery lingered – the identity of the diary's author remained elusive. Recognising the importance of this missing puzzle piece, Price urged the woman to seek out an expert capable of uncovering the writer's identity, emphasising that this revelation could significantly enhance the diary's value. As the moment arrived for the much-anticipated valuation, Richard declared, "I'm just going to say off the top of my head, £30,000 (over $50,000)." The room fell into a collective state of shock, with audible gasps emanating from the captivated audience. The guest herself was visibly taken aback by the astronomical figure. Despite the woman's earnest efforts to safeguard this extraordinary document over the years, Price issued a stern warning, "I don't want it back under your bed or wherever it was before. You must go to Cambridge to let the real experts work on it." In the end, this unassuming diary, tucked away for decades in an attic, not only unveiled an epic Antarctic adventure but also carried an unexpected fortune, proving that sometimes, the most extraordinary treasures are hidden in the most unlikely places. Images: Antiques Roadshow / 9Now

Money & Banking

The most beloved grandparents in film

Grandparents – they’re wise, loving and occasionally grumpy. They also make some of the best characters in films. So grab the popcorn, gather the grandkids and show them how amazing grandparents are! Queen Clarisse Renaldi in The Princess Diaries Played by the graceful Julie Andrew, the ruler of the fictional country Genovia needs to teach her granddaughter and heir Mia (Anne Hathaway) how to be Queen. It’s the growing relationship – from heated arguments to acceptance and understanding – between the two that makes this movie. Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment In possibly the best movie made about the mother-daughter relationship, Oscar-winning Shirley MacLaine plays the mother who puts years of hostility behind her to care for terminally ill daughter Emma (Debra Winger). However, it’s her role as a grandparent that brings her ultimate redemption becoming the guardian to her three grandchildren. Warning: tissues are a must in this film. Grandma Annie in The Proposal Although she has no grandchildren, Betty White always plays the most hilarious nanas. Grandma Annie’s 90th birthday party is the big event where the romance between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds finally comes to fruition. Even 60 years into her career, Betty White’s comical facial expressions will still make you laugh. Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory The bedridden grandfather decides to take his first steps into the outside world for his beloved grandson Charlie. The grandfather and grandson together experience a fantastical adventure of a life time, a trip to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The Grandfather in The Princess Bride The anonymous grandfather played by Peter Falk entertains his sick grandson (Fred Savage) with a good-old fashioned adventure story. Although reluctant at first, the grandson is soon just as caught up as we are about the tale of the masked man saving the beautiful princess. Carl Fredricksen in Up Although not technically a grandfather, the animated story of a grumpy 78-year old man who forms an unlikely friendship with 8-year-old wilderness explorer Russell is a beautiful story of the generations’ comings together. Because of Russell, Carl learns to live again, something he never thought possible after the death of his wife many years ago. Images: Wolper Pictures

Movies

Grandparents to the rescue in the face of soaring rents

As the cost of living in Australia continues to rise, taking rental and property prices up with it, younger generations are facing a whole new host of challenges when it comes to putting a roof over their heads. But for one woman from New South Wales’ Blue Mountains region, the answer lay closer than she ever could have anticipated. As 24-year-old Isis Pattison told ABC’s Hack, she had been looking for an affordable rental in her local area for months when she lost track of how many applications she’d submitted, and the entire ordeal had become “ridiculous” - until she’d taken her grandmother, Debbie, along with her. Debbie explained that her granddaughter had been looking at a yurt that “was round and connected by a little pathway. And they wanted $370 a week for it”, and that she had been shocked by the cost. Her solution? Offering Isis a place in her own home, so that she could “save that $370”. And Isis’ financial boost wasn’t the only benefit to come of the whole arrangement, with Debbie noting that she’d “been on my own now for nearly eight years. It’s been very lonely and expensive on my own.” She’d been hit hard by the cost of living crisis too, she revealed, admitting that she had been struggling to make ends meet between bills and essential home items, including everything from food to electricity and heating. At the worst of it all, the grandmother had even feared she may have to sell the home she’d been making for herself since 1981. But things had picked up for Debbie with the arrival of her new roommate, as while Isis wasn’t paying rent at her grandmother’s, she was helping out with the bills, paying half. “It's a big help,” Debbie said. “I'm grateful and happy that she's here. I think my standard of living is a little bit better. I've got the heating on now.” For Isis, who intended to return to university and undertake a nursing degree, her grandmother’s generosity meant more than just extra dollars in her savings account, too. “I think it really works for us as well, because we’ve always just had a good connection,” she shared. “We understand each other, which makes it a lot easier.” And they aren’t the only ones who’ve turned to multigenerational living to combat the crisis, with the University of New South Wales’ Edgar Liu revealing that “one in every five people” have returned home since the COVID pandemic swept the country. Unsurprisingly, the most common reasons behind the moves were the cost of living and related finance woes. As Liu explained, “that encompasses a whole range of things from sharing bills, or finding better value and sharing costs." Images: Getty

Real Estate

"She treats it like a sport": Richard Wilkins reveals toughest interview

<div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="post-actions-component" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"> <div class="upper-row" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 8px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: flex-end;"> <div class="right-box-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> Richard Wilkins has opened up about the toughest interview of his career. The Nine Entertainment reporter revealed that a 2015 interview he did with Material Girl singer Madonna, kept him on his toes. "I guess Madonna would have to be up there. I've done a few interviews with her. She treats it like a sport," Wilkins revealed. In the interview, Wilkins played a drinking game with the singer, where she told him that their chat would not be "your average interview". "One of the last interviews I did with her she had a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses. She said if you ask a really good question, I'll have a shot and if you ask a really stupid question you have to have a shot." As the interview went on the two shot glasses remained empty. At one point, the singer let out an expletive in response to one of Wilkins’ questions and immediately apologised, to which Wilkins jokingly asked whether she should have a shot for swearing. "No, that's not part of the... I make up the rules to this game, OK," she quipped, with a smile creeping across her lips. The two were super competitive as the bottle of tequila remained untouched throughout the interview. When they discussed Madonna’s thirteenth album Rebel Heart, Wilkins finally broke the streak after asking her a question about changing her image. Without uttering a word Madonna pours him a shot, to which Wilkins groans, “Oh come on”. “I always answer the same way,” the singer justified and then told Wilkins to “drink up”. Wilkins recalled this moment as if it happened yesterday. "I said, this new record, you know you're going in a different direction... 'Oh, the reinvention question, alright here you go'," he recalled, miming pouring a drink. "It was all fun and games, but you've got to be on your toes when you interview Madonna, because she does not take any prisoners,” he added. Image: 9Honey </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Richard Wilkins' heartbreaking interview regret

Richard Wilkins has revealed the one heartbreaking question he wished he had asked Charlotte Dawson the day before her passing. In a recent interview for his series Dickie's Diaries the usually upbeat Nine Entertainment reporter sat in a moment of silence before he answered the interviewer’s question: What’s the one question you wished you’d asked? "The one question I wish I'd asked was to my friend," Wilkins began, repeating the question, pausing briefly before saying her name "Charlotte Dawson". "Charlotte used to come on the Today show a lot. "She always used to come into my dressing room at the old Channel Nine studios in Sydney. We'd always have a good old chat about stuff,” he said. He shared the conversation they had in February 2014 and the moment that has weighed on his mind since. "She said 'what are you doing on the weekend' and I said 'I'm going up to see Bruce Springsteen play in the Hunter Valley. It's going to be fantastic', I said. 'I can't wait to get up there'," "Charlotte took her life the next day which still makes my... shivers go up my spine... I had a spare ticket and I wish I'd said to her 'do you want to come?' "You just wonder whether, had she got out of the space she was in, taken a leap of faith, maybe things would have turned out differently." The New Zealand-Australian model and TV personality was found dead in her home in Woolloomooloo on February 22, 2014. Dawson had depression for over a decade and was only 47 when she passed. She had opened up about her struggle in an interview in 2012. "When you work in a public environment like the media, you do have to have a thick skin," she said. "And no matter what you do, people are still going to hate you just because they think you're ugly or because they don't like the sound of your voice." Images: Getty/ Nine Entertainment Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help. Lifeline: 13 11 14 or <a href="http://lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au</a> Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or <a href="beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au</a> Headspace: 1800 650 890 or <a href="http://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a>

WWI diary returns home after 100 years

A diary containing photos that are more than 100 years old gifted to nurse will be returning to its rightful owners. On Remembrance Day, Jon Ray will board a plane with the diary of a Belgian soldier who fought in WWI which chronicles life in the trenches from 1914 to 1917, helping it make the journey back to the soldier’s family. The diary came to be in Ray’s collection and in his family’s possession for the last 100 years after it was gifted to one of his ancestors. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/ww1-diary1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> "The diary basically was gifted to my grandmother Clara - Clara Carter - right towards the end of the First World War by a French-speaking Belgian soldier by the name of Jules Geldoff," he told 9News. While he doesn’t know how Geldoff met his grandmother, Ray’s best guess is that it was during her time as a nurse in northern England. "We're thinking probably late '17 is probably the time he might've been injured or something's happened to him and he's obviously given it to her," he said. At the end of the war, Geldoff and his diary would end up on opposite sides of the world. While Geldoff became an architect, Carter married an Australian soldier, bringing the diary with her to Broken Hill in New South Wales. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/ww1-diary2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Now, the diary will be heading back to its owner’s family with the help of a researcher and the Belgian embassy. "Through assistance from a researcher in Brussels, and the Belgian embassy in Canberra, we've managed to locate his closest living relatives in a place called Muskron in Belgium," Ray said. The diary contains priceless photographs depicting life during the war, including downtime, the war-torn towns Geldoff and his fellow soldiers encountered, and being on the front line. Images: 9News

Travel Trouble

The 10 “types” of grandparents

In his book, The Grandparent Guide: The Definitive Guide to Coping with the Challenges of Modern Grandparenting, Dr. Arthur Kornhaber, a psychiatrist and founder of a non-profit organisation that promotes the importance of grandparenting identified 10 special roles grandparents play in the lives of grandchildren, all showing the profound impact grandparents can have on children’s lives. Which role, or roles, do you most identify with? Ancestor – “You function as an ambassador to the past, a powerful figure in the present, and a role model for the future.” Buddy – “You’re a pal, secret confidante, and at times, even a light-hearted conspirator.” Hero – “The fact that you have lived in times and places so far removed from your grandchild’s everyday experiences imbues you with heroic qualities.” Historian – “Sharing your own life experiences as well as those of your ancestors will give your grandchild a sense of continuity and belonging.” Mentor – “You are a cheerleader firing her imagination, inspiring her dreams, nurturing her spirit, and encouraging her intellectual growth while giving her a sense of self-worth.” Role model – “Your actions show your children and grandchildren how they should behave as grandparents of the future.” Spiritual guide – “Acting as a spiritual guide involves teaching your grandchild to harvest such fruits of the spirit as love, tolerance, compassion, reverence, joy, peace, gentleness, faith, and kindness.” Teacher – “As a grandparent, you have the right and the responsibility to run your own classroom about life, to develop your own curriculum, and to pass on your wisdom, knowledge, and life experience.” Student – “Just as you teach and inspire your grandchild with your knowledge, she can teach and inspire you with her knowledge of contemporary times across generations and motivate you to jumpstart your capacity to grow and change.” Wizard – “Activate your own wizardry and be your grandchild’s companion in the preternatural world of make-believe and illusion, of dreams and surprises. Fly together on the wings of fancy and enjoy the flight!” Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Buy the diary that saves lives

Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. One in seven women in Australia will be diagnosed by the age of 85, and this year it’s estimated to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. You can help by purchasing a copy of the 2023 Australian Women’s Health Diary. When you buy the diary, not only will you be helping the 56 Australians diagnosed with breast cancer every day, you’ll have the perfect organiser for the year ahead with all latest expert health and wellbeing advice at your fingertips. Over the past 24 years, this unique diary has saved the lives of thousands of people thanks to the breast cancer research it has made possible. All funds raised go to breast cancer clinical trials research to save and improve the lives of every person diagnosed with breast cancer. Priced at just $19.99 this affordable diary is a fantastic resource of reliable health and well-being information for women of all ages. Topics include diet, exercise, finance, skin care, heart, breast, and mental health to name a few. In a convenient A5 size, it has a beautiful hard cover, ribbon bookmark and all the essential diary features including a bonus health checklist, budget planner, and weekly motivational health tips to inspire you. The 2023 Australian Women’s Health Diary is available from Newsagents, Woolworths, participating Post Offices and online at <a href="https://www.breastcancertrials.org.au/australian-womens-health-diary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.womenshealthdiary.com.au.</a> Buy it for yourself, or as a gift for that special someone, and help save lives from breast cancer. About Breast Cancer Trials Bringing together over 800 researchers nationally, Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) is Australia’s only national research organisation dedicated to clinical trials in breast cancer and is committed to the treatment, prevention and cure of breast cancer for every person. Image: Supplied

Caring

"I ended her life": Brian Laundrie's diary finally released

Sinister details of Gabby Petito’s murder have been revealed in the form of handwritten notes made by her fiance Brian Laundrie. He offered an apology, along with his confession for killing Petito out of ‘mercy’. The notebook – which was recovered from the Florida nature preserve where Laundrie's body was found after the 23-year-old took his own life in October 2021 – has been shared by the Laundrie family’s attorney, Steven Bertolino. “I ended her life,” Laundrie wrote in the notebook, which was recovered near his body, before going on to detail his version of events of the day that Petito died. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Pages of Brian Laundrie’s diary released. On this page Laundrie appears to say he killed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GabbyPetito?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GabbyPetito</a> out of mercy…because she had injured herself. The diary doesn’t explain why he didn’t call for help <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nbc4ny?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nbc4ny</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dhps2JdEwr">pic.twitter.com/Dhps2JdEwr</a> — Pei-Sze Cheng (@PeiSzeCheng4NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeiSzeCheng4NY/status/1540418661344808961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote> “Rushing back to our car trying to cross the streams… before it got too dark to see… I hear a splash and a scream," the notebook pages read. “When I pulled Gabby out of the water she couldn’t tell me what hurt, she had a small bump on her forehead that eventually got larger. “Her feet hurt, her wrist hurt, but she was freezing, shaking violently. “Gasping in pain, begging for an end to her pain.” Laundrie then describes trying to keep her warm and awake while Petito was in “extreme” pain, but his entries do not explain any effort made to find medical attention. “I don’t know the state of Gabby’s injuries, only that she was in extreme pain. “I ended her life, I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made.” Police encountered the pair during their trip in Moab on August the 12th 2021, after reports of domestic violence. The couple were on a cross-country road trip and sharing their adventures on social media. Bertolino said Laundrie flew home to Florida alone on August the 17th, and that Laundrie then returned to Utah six days later to “rejoin Gabby”. On September the 1st, Laundrie drove back to his parents' Florida home, again without Petito. He had been sending text messages from her phone to fool people into believing that she was still alive. Petito’s body was later found on September 19 in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, with an autopsy later revealing she had been strangled by someone’s bare hands, and likely died three to four weeks before she was found. The notebook was found in October 2021, along with human remains, a backpack and a revolver, and a month later the remains were identified as Brian Laundrie’s. Bertolino said he met with the FBI in Tampa, along with the Petito family attorney, where personal items belonging to Laundrie and Petito were handed back to their families. Image: Getty

Caring

Readers Respond: What is your favourite thing about being a grandparent?

They say a mother’s love is different, as is a father’s love. But what about grandparents and their relationship with their grandchildren? Surely nothing compares. So we decided to ask you about the favourite thing about being grandparents and it sure made us miss ours. From a simple hug to just being in their presence - here are some of your most moving responses. JanWayne Richo - The same as being a parent, I love every single second of being with them! Lorraine Fox - Having the pleasure of their company. Pam Moss - I love every single moment I spend with my grandchildren. I love them to bits and love watching them grow into beautiful adults - love hugs and kisses and love the individuality of each one!!! Lorene Owers - Everything but especially when they give me a hug. Christine Scott - Their little arms around my neck for cuddles. Elizabeth Granter - Being a parent and grandparent is very special. Seeing them grow up into beautiful adults - love them to bits. Raymond Wagner - Filing their bellies with junk food and taking her home. Rick Dayes - Spending lots of time with them. They make me feel 20 years younger. Judy Garstone - Spending time and listening to their stories with them and getting big hugs. Elaine Costello - Being able to hand them back when they have entertained me to exhaustion and then looking forward to the next time. Heather Lawson Hillman - Everything but if I had to choose...it's seeing their face light up yelling grandma's here...as they run to see you. Sandra Bull - When you pull up outside their house and they are waiting screaming "nanny" "poppy". Judy Borwick - Love just being around them, listening, watching and being part of their lives. It's very special to me. Julie Auld - When we all get together. Share your cherished memories <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oversixtys/posts/pfbid0aq8wCPRwPKdkQ89SRBa2aLnsEFRrCjcmUKBbpDvKUetxM7FxSPwfbtDeoGtP3Xp1l" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Relationships

Readers respond: What advice did your grandparents give to you that you remember best?

We asked our readers to think back to a time their grandparents gave them some of the best advice they still remember today. From looking for the good in everyone, tucking in your singlet, and never trusting your fart. Here are some of your answers. Peter Laing - My Gran had a saying: The wise old owl sat in the oak. The more he listened the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard. We should all be like that wise old bird. Gail Keeb - My dad's mum always said "Spend less than you make!". Elsie Miller - If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Kerri Anderson - My grandmother gave me two important pieces of advice on aging - never walk past a toilet and never trust a fart! Laraine Fields - My Nana told me that there was some good in everyone and to look for that. Janice Grove - If you cannot say anything nice, say nothing. Susan Buckett - Always wear clean underwear when you go out, in case you have an accident. Tracey Burns Kitchingham - Some things are better left unsaid…My grandmother was a very wise woman. Pam Leonard - Always leave a place better than the way you found it. No good being so heavenly good that you’re no earthly use. Kylie Jane McCauley - Always keep a little cash aside for a rainy day. You never know when a storm might blow in. Peter Hulthen - Respect your elders. Help the less fortunate. Sue Casey - Life is too long to be unhappy. To leave a memory of your own, or to check out more of the inspiring responses head <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oversixtys/posts/3348051982091731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Retirement Life

The real reason you’re not a grandparent yet

How many times have you asked your child when they’re going to make you a grandparent? Too many times to count. But you may soon have an answer as to why you’re not a grandparent yet thanks to relationship expert Louanne Ward. The dating expert has shared the top six mistakes men and women are making that are keeping them single. The mistakes include: <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You expect a partner to be everything you ever wanted </li> </ol> When you expect something from your partner and it’s something you’ve always wanted it can almost always lead to disappointment. <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You see personality differences as negatives </li> </ol> “It is important to have differences and similarities,” Louanna explained. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdVXIueJqza/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdVXIueJqza/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Matchmaker | dating expert (@louanneward)</a> </div> </blockquote> <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You compare the person to past experiences or future dreams </li> </ol> “You are comparing the person to past experience you have had and the future experience you want to have, so you aren't actually present in the relationship,” she said. <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You are afraid of “settling” if they don't tick every box </li> </ol> Louanna explained that people would feel they are settling for a person if they don’t meet each of their criteria. <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You leave at the first time of trouble, not willing to work through it. </li> </ol> “You leave at the first sign of trouble rather than working through conflict or challenges,” Louanna explained. <ol start="6"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You don't give people a chance, and make snap judgements. </li> </ol> “You make a snap decision and judgement without scratching the surface,” she said. So what do you think? Image: Shutterstock

Relationships

Readers respond: What do you remember about your grandparents?

We asked our readers what they remember most about their grandparents, and the responses were heartwarming. From holiday visits and distinctive smells, to gifts and special activities, here are some of your favourite memories with your grandparents. Dawn Dominick - My grandma on shopping day at the Vic market.. she would always buy me a toffee apple as a treat. Isabel Edwards - I was lucky to live in a home with my great grandmother & my grandparents at the same time that was when families would look after each other.Vicki Wooden - My Nana was warm, soft, smelt of lily of the valley powder, liked to sing old songs, could knit or crochet anything, she gave the best hugs and she made a dessert called apple snow and I loved it and her more than anything else.Allan Riches - That beautiful smell of my lovely Nana, her laughing, and smiles and cuddles, oh and her apple pies.Shirley Williams Knevitt - Only knew one grandparent and remember she would bring balfours fruit buns each visit.Margaret Inglis - Only knew my mother's mother. She lived quite a distance from us, so didn't see her often. Saying that she would stay for a few days and would always be crocheting doilies and place mats. Still have some.Also, we would do an errand for mum after school and Nana would always slip in a couple of pennies for an ice cream.Jackie Jakeways - My Nan and grandad helped bring up my brother and me as we lived in there house loved them both dearly. I will always remember my pretty dresses and my nans beautiful long auburn hair and brushing it.Joy Meyer - My Nan was a wonderful caring woman. On her 100th birthday she said we shouldn't be making a fuss over her... we should be sending the queen get well cards cos she just came out of hospital. That's the lovely type of person Nan was.Lynette Smede - My maternal grandmother lived with us and made the best mushroom and niche tarts.Lynne Clarke Carter - My pop was still riding his bicycle at age 90, and other granddad showing us how to pan for gold at the creek in Ballarat.Pam Thomas - How brave my granddad was to go and return from World War 1. He was a gentle beautiful man who never got over the hell of war. And my wonderful nana who supported him at every step.Karen Algie - I had lots of school holidays with my grandparents and loved every minute, they are the best memories I have from my childhood.Linda Barclay - My paternal grandmother, was tough as nuts. She used to stitch up her own injuries! She was good for a laugh some times though.Diane Wilson - Only met my grandma on mums side and she passes when l was 12 but she showed me how to crochet. Donna Knight - I always use to get behind my nana when lights and thunder hit thinking that she would protect me.Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Readers respond: What is your favourite thing about being a grandparent?

We asked our readers what their favourite thing is about being a grandparent, and the responses were overwhelming. To seeing their families grow up, to having someone fun to learn from, here is what you said. Patricia Eaton - Seeing that look of wonder meant on her gorgeous little face when I sing old nursery rhymes or songs to her and she joins in.Raymond Wagner - Filing their bellies with junk food and taking her home.Joan Greenwood - Everything but especially the hugs and cuddles.Rick Dayes - Spending lots of time with them they make me feel 20 years younger.Jude Lowe - Remembering their parents at the same age!Janette Scott - The excitement to see them again, watching them grow and their funny ways!Maureen Norton - Love having the grandkids,the cuddles,the innocent remarks making me laugh.Lorraine Fox - Having the pleasure of their company.Karen Spencer - Working at my grandsons School, seeing him and my great nephew there.Christa Caldecott - Listening to their stories of what they’ve been learning and doing. Some are hilarious from our 4 year old great grandson.Elaine Costello - Being able to hand them back when they have entertained me to exhaustion and then looking forward to the next time.Margaret Stroud - The overwhelming love that you feel the little faces light up and call your name and watching them grow.Sandra Bull - When you pull up out side their house and they are waiting screaming "nanny" and "poppy".Margaret Dorries - When the families all get together.Sandra McGregor - Being able to enjoy these little people without having to raise them. We’ve done the raising of their parents and now we just get to do all the fun stuff with them! Love my 10 Grandies to bits!Lois Tysver Fox - Having my Grands here for some one-on-one time. And seeing how much they've grown and changed in such a short time. I get my three grands every other Saturday, and I'm loving this.Kate Forno - Having the privilege of watching them grow and mature and spending as much time as possible with them because it always leaves me feeling like I’m floating on air.Jenny Whales - Their innocence and awe.. to see the world through their eyes, accepting and unconditional love, and their beautiful smiling faces.Michael Woodhouse - Handing them back at the end of the day.Nola Schmidt - Everything, but especially when they tell me they love me.Joy Derham - Hugs and then being able to hand them back when they have entertained me to exhaustion and then looking forward to the next time.Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Canberra grandparents graduate from Rock School

Maria and Chris Adams have proved that you’re never too old to learn something new and pursue a new passion. The 76 and 78-year-old retired accountants from Canberra saw an opportunity for a unique experience with the Australian National University's Community Rock School, and asked themselves, “why not?” "We were giggling as we filled out the application," Maria said to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-28/canberra-music-school-teaching-instruments/100650008" target="_blank">ABC</a>. "But then we got accepted and thought, 'oh my god, Grandad and Grandma are going to rock school!'" Chris said he always wanted to be in a band when he was a kid, but neither he nor his wife’s parents could afford to send them to music lessons. Now, the pair can play the ukelele, guitar and sing. "We like playing the songs that we remember, because it gives us the memories," Chris said. "It's something we can share with each other, and share with our eight grandkids," Maria added. The free program is run by Micha Forman through the ANU School of Music, and is open to anyone over the age of 18. "We'll have really young participants who are just out of high school, right up to people in their 70s and 80s," Micha said. Throughout the program, students learn how to play as a group, as well as develop their own individual skills. Micha says the program draws in all kinds of people who have different relationships with music, and is a uniting force to get people involved in something creative. "It can be a part of their life in a way that they want it to be, not in a way that someone else has told them it should be." Check out Chris and Maria’s story below. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T8JF6Zwv7MM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image credits: Youtube - ABC News Australia

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Readers Respond: What is your favourite thing about being a grandparent?

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The real reason you’re not a grandparent yet

Readers respond: What do you remember about your grandparents?

Readers respond: What is your favourite thing about being a grandparent?

Canberra grandparents graduate from Rock School

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