My daughter in law and son

How sad CaroleAnne, and how rude of your SIL!
I guess you have little choice other than stoically bearing it , thank goodness you have a good relationship with your son
to you both x

Having just returned from Australia to be with our D and SIL and 3 GC with a heavy heart, it is reassuring to read all of these messages, because my husband and I also suffered. Prior to going there my D had asked on many occasions for us to visit and told us how much she was looking forward to our being there. It was completely different when we were actually there. My D was morose and disinterested for most of the 8 weeks we were there, my SIL said virtually every day what a nuisance we were and didn't want us to be there. What was worse was that we were never trusted with our GC, who by the way were delightful on the whole. Then in the last week both D and SIL totally changed and were a pleasure to be with. This Jekyll and Hyde behaviour is not acceptable in any way. However to keep in contact with the GC we are just grinning and bearing it. Just keeping our distance. Thank you again for your insights and help, and reassuring us. Thankfully we have a son who we don't have a problem with. All the best to one and all on your journey.

Claire on another thread I wrote about a friend who was estranged from her DIL for about a year after receiving a four-page handwritten letter detailing all her faults. I didn't ask what the details of the letter were, but can imagine.

My friend is kind, helpful, and generous with time and money almost to a fault - she paid for holidays, bought clothes, etc. But all this could have been seen as controlling and domineering and trying to run their lives.

You saw your GC once in half-term and that's enough - the fact that they see other gran more frequently is just how it is. I can understand your annoyance about pyjamas, being indoors all day etc, I would be the same and at least you're brave enough to admit that it's a culture clash!

'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.'

Many people attribute this quote to Anthony Robbins and before him Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, and even Mark Twain. Regardless of the origin, what matters is the point it makes. If you want to change the end result, you need to change the way you do things.

Claire

Actually you're right Jane. I don't want to demean myself and what I do I do for the little boys. Thank you. I won't play games.

Claire Just one more word of advice, if I may.
Personally I wouldn't get involved in any tit-for-tat games, such as they-see-the-other-grandma-more-than-me-so-I'm-going -to be too-busy-to take-them over-there-in-my-car.
I doubt whether your DiL and her mother are deliberately trying to exclude you.
My guess is that they haven't a clue how you feel. Perhaps they are a bit intimidated by you, because you're a teacher and they haven't had a profession? Some people are.
Be the best, and most generous, woman that you can be(I don't mean financially generous) and then you will have nothing to reproach yourself for, and neither will anyone else.
Your time will come.

Thanks for your advice.
Ironically one of the things they often ask me to do is to give them a lift to take the kids either to or from the other grandma's house at the weekends as they don't have a car themselves and the other gran doesn't drive. Maybe that's something I could be too busy to do. They could get public transport after all.
It's been good to talk it over with you. Others who live alone will appreciate how sometimes you get more and more wound up over things if there's no one around to sound off to. Also you get more dependent on your kids and grandkids when there is no partner to do things with.
But anyway, I'll see how it goes now I've had all your good advice.
Thanks again.

Perhaps they need to appreciate what you do for them a bit more, and stop taking your support for granted. Without wishing to sound Machiavellian could you perhaps give less in food handouts this month, and hint that you are finding money not stretching as far as it once did and you only working part-time.

Without wishing to sound cynical, there are some people who will just take, take and take without giving anything in return. And they can see people who are in a position to help out financially as a soft touch or, worse, as Lady Bountiful. I know your concern is only for your grandsons but it won't hurt them to eat junk for a couple of weeks. And it might shake DiL and her mother to think you're not a bottomless source of funding.

If indeed I've misjudged this pair I apologise. It may be that your DiL is too proud to accept any more handouts and that is why she is refusing other offers of assistance such as the swimming lessons. Perhaps football with one of those junior weekend clubs might be more acceptable, and then your son could take the boys when he's not working?

Now that you have explained the situation more claireseptember I fully understand your reason for doing the shopping, at least you know the DGs are well fed. As to exercise, it is tricky to impose what you feel is right, after all their Mother may have spend her childhood sitting watching TV and so thinks this is ok. Just keep in providing good food, pop in and maybe offer to walk the children to the park for half an hour?

What lovely people you all are.
Alas, DIL won't be going 'back to work' as she has never worked and nor has her mother, the other gran. DIL has trained as a beautician and occasionally takes in 'clients' , her friends, and does their nails or hair for a small fee but there is no way they could pay bills and shop on what my son earns (he works very hard but is dyslexic, failed at school and has a badly paid job). If I didn't shop for them they would live on junk food, which I couldn't bear for the little boys. At least this way I make sure the grandchildren have fresh fruit and veg.
I would love the kids to have activities after school and have offered to pay for and take them to swimming lessons but this is rejected. My daughter, who lives far away and rarely sees the boys, bought them lovely scooters for Xmas but so far these have not been taken out of their boxes (this was one thing I had offered to do this week, help them learn to scoot). They are pale indoor kids and I do worry about them but I guess all I can do is keep offering but not get too pushy.
Sorry, new friends, a bit of a can of worms here. It's as much about culture clash as time spent with the grandchildren.
Thanks for your support. I will certainly take your advice and try to build bridges when things settle down again. I think I've gone about things in rather the wrong way this week.

I would certainly cut out the shopping basket every week claire surely they can manage their finances to feed their family with out such a bit input from you, you could certainly do what Anya suggests and drop in with treats for everyone that would make for extra visits to see DGSs.Does your DIL intend on returning to work if she did would she rely on you for help with child care ?
I know how you feel about arrangements being made then broken this happened alot to me when my DGCs where little if one of them was poorly DD would change arrangements to suit the children and as for PJs all day (not my style) but it saves her a lot of work with regard to her washing doesn't it.Can you not confide in your son with your thoughts and tell him how much you miss the children he may be able to sort things a wee bit for you,or invite DIL for coffee etc on an afternoon you both have free.

Claire don't be jealous of other GPs it will destroy you, just find your own thing that works with GC. I take mine to the cinema when they stay with me, their mum works so doesn't really have the time. My GC don't see their maternal GPs very often because they live at the other end of the country and when they do visit I stay away.
Early on I made the decision to leave the ball in their court and told DIL if she needed me to help to just let me know " where possible I would help". It worked she asked for help during school holidays, overnight care so they could have a night's break. Can't guarantee that it would work for everyone but if you appear needy it doesn't work in your favour.

Claire your late husband sounds like a very wise man. You must miss him so much.

You are so very honest about yourself too, admitting to jealousy, not an easy thing to do. I can see exactly where you are coming from, as the bond they are building with their other grandparents is so strong. So you mustn't try to compete but perhaps take on a different role. Perhaps that of the Special Granny, who they don't see as often but does Really Fun Things.

I know you don't like the culture of sitting round in PJs watching TV, and who can blame you, but best say nothing. Are the children of an age where they can perhaps take up a sport or a hobby? Mine attend a Playbox Theatre group once a week. I pick them up from school, feed them, take them to the session and drop them home afterwards. It also means I pay (!) but now that 3 out of four of them are at school it means I do get to see them where otherwise I wouldn't.

Do you drop the groceries off at your DiLs house? If so why not choose a time when the children are there. Include a couple of cakes for you, DiL and her Mum and stay for a little bonding session over a cup of tea.

Whatever happens keep on the part-time teaching as long as you can.

Wow, thanks for responding so quickly. Yes, I'll take your advice and have already offered to have them to mine for tea when they go back to school next week.
I think some of my problem stems from the fact that they are SO close to the maternal granny and her two grown up sons who live with her and play 'cool' computer games with my grandsons when they go to stay there - which is every weekend. To be honest I'm a bit jealous! Also there's the fact that DIL and I had actually made arrangements this week which she changed her mind about at the last minute so I was left in limbo.
The other difficulty is mine. My late husband , whose advice I miss so much, used to say that my problem was I built up fantasy scenarios and then was disappointed when the reality didn't match up. Other people hadn't read my script!
Anyway, thanks for the welcome and the advice. I need to back off a bit. Looking forward to returning to work next week!!

crossed posts harri

Sorry I missed out the welcome Claire

Claire Could it be that your DiL feels too indebted to you - it is certainly very generous to give them the deposit for a house, and to buy a trolley full of groceries each week, but perhaps that is making her feel bad that they apparently can't manage without your assistance? Does she feel guilty in some way about being a SAHM?
Not sure what the answer is, just trying to see things from her point of view. Could you offer to pick them up from school/nursery, and take them to your house for tea, perhaps?

Claire, you have seen your GC once this week, more than most people get. Setting a time and expecting to have GC is setting yourself up for disappointment, being pushy on the phone will make DIL back off further.
Could it be that you are holding DC's hand a little too much ? if you are paying for the house and groceries perhaps they feel as if they are not trusted to manage. DIL may be telling you in her way that she can look after sick child and older one just fine.

Haven't posted on here before as I'm a new member but other people's wise words made me feel I could add to this thread.
I'm widowed, semi retired (from teaching) and also having probs with daughter in law and access to grandkids.
I set aside this week just for doing things with my little grandsons (they go to their maternal grandmother every weekend and stay the night and as both are now at school/ nursery it's harder for me to see them although I used to do a lot of childcare in the early days.) Talked to daughter in law about this and told her I'd researched kids' things to do over half term in our region and/or offered to take them to the park. She seemed interested, but..
I've seen them precisely once this week.
On all other days she's 'busy' or one of them has a party that will apparently take all day to prepare for or one of them is under the weather . My offer to take the one who is well was met with 'No I want to keep them together and x is always cheered up by having his brother around.'
What they actually do is sit on the sofa in their pyjamas ( their mum included) and watch DVDs or play computer games. I'm not against a bit of chill-out time but every day...??
Son says he doesn't want to play piggy in the middle. He's at work all week. DIL doesn't work.
Do I give up? Take her to task and risk a row?
I should add that they have very little money. I've given them the deposit for their house and also buy them a shopping trolley full of groceries each week. I don't expect them to grovel in gratitude as I do these things happily but it would just be nice to see my grandsons. I feel I'm losing them and to a culture that I'm not overkeen on.

Hi Smileless2012
I still have not been to the Dr. I am so disorganised. I dont get through what I should. I will put it to the forefront and try to get an appointment. Thanks for asking after me - grateful that you care enough to ask about me. Doing Ok really - just the usual.
Sugarpufffairy

Hello Sugarpufffairy having found your post on here I was wondering how the visit with your GP went, hope you don't mind my asking and that all is well.

I have walked away too. Just had enough after 15 years in being a grandmother. It is my daughter who is doing this to me. I am not sure how much comes from Son in law but she also did the same with the previous partner. She might be getting bullied, certainly the previous partner was a violent bully. If she does not tell me she is being bullied I cant do anything about it. She also treats my other daughter the same way as she treats me, but my other daughter is not the soft mark I was. Been through all the authorites. I am too tired to put up with any more. She has not even collected the warm clothes and boots I bought her children for the winter. She knows they are here. It might be her loss but what worries me more is the children losing out.
One day these nasty young women will be grandmothers and heaven only knows what kind of treatment they will get. Chin up and if you cant smile dont cry.
Sugarpufffairy

Reading all the posts on this subjet has helped me come to th e desion to walk away from them. I will not go see them or contact them The daughter in law will never change. I won't hurt my son by causing issues between them so the closer I get to my Grandson the worse it will be for me. Far better not to get close.

I will give her one last chance. Offer to look after him for a couple of hours so they can go out together. I expect the answer will be no and if it is then I will not contact them again.

Marmark1,In my case it's my daughter who is acting in this totally unreasonable,controlling way,and in answer to your question I most certainly don't condone it.