Time with your grandchildren: the days before they grow up
Grandchildren grow up quickly. This counts the days together before they turn 18, so you can choose more of them.
Your numbers
Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.
Typical: 6 years. Put in yours.
It only changes the order on your statement.
What waiting costs you
120 days left
About 120 days together before they turn 18
That's 10 days a year for 12 years. Your plan of 30 days a year would add about 240 days.
Your small stepCall them this week and plan one thing to do together.
How we worked this out
- Years until 18: 18 minus 6 = 12.
- Days together: 10 a year × 12 = 120.
- Missed while it waited: (30 minus 10) × 12 months ÷ 12 = 20 days.
- How much it matters to you: 7 out of 10. It only changes the order on your statement.
Sources
- Tim Urban, The Tail End (2015): Counting the days you have left with someone, instead of the years, shows how much of that time may already be behind you.
How it works
We multiply the days a year you spend together by the years until they turn 18.
Then we show how many more days your plan would add.
The idea comes from Tim Urban's essay The Tail End.
Sources
- Tim Urban, The Tail End (2015): An idea, not data. The numbers come from your answers and the averages below.
Questions people ask
What if they live far away?
Video calls and letters count too. A short, regular call can mean a lot to a child.
What about after 18?
Grown grandchildren still love time with you. The time just looks different.
Putting off more than one thing?
Pick up to five and get your Delay Statement: what to do first, what can wait, and one small step for today.
Want a nudge to act on it?
The app turns what you're putting off into a short list for each day: your Top 3 and one small step at a time. It's free.
We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.