self-pity. I can't seem to stop!

My DH says some of these women have what he calls 'queen bee syndrome'. We know one or two of them. It's hard to keep quiet sometimes but I do now, for my own sanity but am still appalled at what goes on.

First of all, you are not being childish - you are suddenly beset with a whole raft of new challenges that you need to try and adapt to. No wonder you feel a bit overwhelmed!

I hope that it has helped to put it all down on "paper" like this - sometimes that can be a help in itself.

Self-pity visits us all, and, if we choose, it can be the impetus to grab life by the balls and look at ways forward.

Firstly, maybe you and your DH should take yourself off to the CAB and check out what financial help you might be entitled to when both your jobs come to an end. This will be a factor in deciding the next step.

Maybe being forced out of a rut might be a chance to look at some new ideas in life - new ways of using this period of good health before you become decrepit to do some of the things you enjoy before it is too late. And moving on to do these things might also help you not to dwell on the DIL and her Mum scenario. And it might make them look at you both in a new light.

Get some medical help with your menopausal symptoms, as you do not want these to hold you back - but sometimes these can seem worse when you have other challenges besetting you.

We spend our lives working and bringing up children and never stop to think what else life might have to offer - this may be your opportunity to do that.

We have taken several apparently unwise decisions that left us financially worse off, but our view was that life was to be lived and we had to grab chances whilst we could - which turned out to have been the right approach as OH has had Parkinsons for the last 7 years.

My strongest advice to you on the DIL and her Mum front is not to get sucked into the jealousy trap (which is what it is) because that way lies madness! My DGC have more contact with the "other" families in the main, because we are less fit, and I have resigned myself to that with a good grace. Different grandparents have different things to give, and the range and variety of experiences that come the way of my DGC are partly due to all this wider family contact. Six months is no time at all, and, especially if your life circumstances change, you will find your niche in your DGC's life as time goes by. Jealousy is an evil weed and will strangle you - you can choose not to let it!

Hold on to the good things; and make some good things of your own happen, now that you will be gradually relieved of the work, work work treadmill.

This is a whole new phase of life and change can be hard - but it can also bring new opportunities.

amarmai--yes, she will love it!! She was in her teens when she had dil, but then so was my mum when she had me and she didn't turn out like this!

As I have been posting this I have come to realise how much I don't like her. I really REALLY don't like her. Thats quite a liberating thought. I think, like my dil I have seen her as being unwell but the truth is she is just not a person I want to spend any time with. She has taken several overdoses in the past and has self harmed (cutting) for many years. However, I don't think she has done that for a couple of years. I just don't want to alienate my dil or make her life any harder than it is.

I guess that I can hope that she will eventually be bored with gs, in the same way that she did with her own children.

Mishap--your post made me cry. You are so right about jealousy. I know that I have been focusing on that feeling rather than trying to do something about it and all the other things that are happening. I know its not healthy--but I seem to be stuck.

thankyou all. Have to be off now, but will be coming back.

Please do not cry!

But shedding jealousy can be very liberating - go for it!

You are allowed to hate this woman! - just don't be jealous of her, because you will be the loser in the end - it is very corrosive.

Not making excuses for her behaviour but I'm wondering if there's something in this womans history that makes her so needy; self harm is often a reaction to pent up feelings from things that happen in childhood [I think].

Not childish at all. I feel for you so much - you have had a lot to contend with in a short space of time and it's enough to make the strongest amongst us buckle at the knees and feel wobbly. Time will move on, things will improve, you will get stronger. And the b***dy menopause will give up in the end and leave you alone!
In the meantime, you are recognising the good things in life - such wonderful news about your daughter, and your other son is at last happy, so hold onto this. Visit your daughter if you can for a bit of TLC, and do some girly things together.
And keep saying Jane10's little phrase, like a mantra - 'this too shall pass'. You will wake up one day and realise that it has.

I can sympathise ohdear because when DH became ill 5 years ago we were faced with the likelihood of him never working again, I was already retired and couldn't work because I was looking after him and we still had 3 years left on the mortgage. At the time things seemed hopeless, but with financial and benefits advice from Macmillan and help from our building society ( mustn't forget help pension wise from his employers) we have ended up with the house paid for and we are paying our way. Still have ongoing worries about SiL's health and DS's slightly wobbly relationship but it has all been copeable with. Target one thing at a time and things will gradually fall into place.

Hey- life's rotten sometimes, but you have a healthy grandson who will come more and more into your life the older he gets if you just hold on to your self-belief. Your dil is a "carer" for her mother and wants a family for her son the same as her husband had- wow! what a compliment. Trust her to make this happen. Make sure you assist her in this plan - be supportive of her support of her mother (who obviously has had problems forever poor soul) you are a dealer of problems. The menopause can be horrid (I know) but it does eventually pass - Make lists (as suggested) prioritise, make a concerted effort to be rational. If you see your gs once or twice a month make a very real effort to see him at least once a week (with or without the dil's mother) her presence doesn't need to matter to you. Be nice, friendly, bake a cake!, laugh at your problems, agree with dil's mother that you have an easy life. In other words don't let them get to you. My belief is that your dil sees you and your DH as the kind of family she wishes she had - keep proving her right by taking a good spoonful of bicarb of soda each day (helping you to rise above it) - "joke" and act upon all the really good advice previously posted. Jbells is right about standing up for ourselves more - but there are different ways of "standing up" I'm suggesting one way (possibly a slightly devious one) but it worked for me. Good luck

Why not have a quiet word with your DIL about just how much your current problems are affecting you?

You probably feel she has enough on her plate with her own mother but I'm thinking it might be time you trusted her enough to confide in her. You may always come across as the strong one who has it all sussed out but it would do your DIL no harm to learn that this is not always necessarily the case.

We all fall into these roles so easily without even really noticing. i.e. DIL's mother is the weak one. You are the strong one. Being the strong one doesn't mean you always have to suffer in silence though. I think your DIL might surprise you. Hopefully even her mother might too.

It's not a sign of weakness to ask for a wee bit of help & understanding. It maybe seems a bit of gamble but what have you really got to lose?

Sorry, I forgot to say, I'm a new member. Hello everyone!

ohdear nothing really to add to the good advice you've already had, but I wonder if your thyroid function was tested when you saw your GP?
Gaining weight and feeling low and lethargic are symptoms.
I was only diagnosed with under active thyroid quite by chance, but realised those symptoms had been building up for years.

Hello Lizzie

"ohdear" There is nothing worse than financial uncertainty and I think with that hanging over you, other problems with DS and family are bound to feel heavy and counter all the lightness of the good things happening with your daughter.

I cannot give advice in this situation, all I can say is we faced a similar problem when DH was made redundant at 60. We were fortunate his redundancy happened when his industry was starting to expand rapidly so he found a new job quite quickly, even I managed to get temporary job so another job is not beyond possibility for both of you.

Thinking about it again you are having to be strong about your financial situation therefore your emotional outlet is through your unhappiness about the problem with your grandchild [compounded by your hormones being all of the place due to the menopause]. Therefore you're somehow subconsciously giving yourself permission to be more upset about that. Am I thinking too deep about this ?
good advice yet again from Jane and Lizzie et al [hello Lizzie by the way ]...

Thankyou all.
Have slept on this overnight and as some of you have said, just putting it all down has helped.
I am going to really try and not be jealous. My dil mum has not got so much to hang on to and looking at it I suppose I can see that she must feel that she has got a lot to lose. I will try and be nicer to her (difficult!). But I can feel myself clenching up whenever I see her--and I don't like that in me.
And thinking about it properly---he is not going to remember who changed his nappy the most when he was 10 weeks old and I know that we will get to know him better when he is older . I KNOW that (but there is still that little worm in the back of my head saying he will not know me). But it will get better.

And yes--I think I have been using my jealousy as a way of not having to cope with everything else. Not having much luck finding a new job. Am going to look at everything--not just the things I want to do. My dhhas a meeting next week about his job, so at least we will know where we stand.

I always thought that when we got to this part of our lives the money would not be so pressing and we would have some put by. That has not happened--mainly because of my dds ill-health. She was first ill aged 9, then on and off for years. She was told that she was not physically ill but had mental health problems and we had no help at all. She missed loads of school and only managed part of her university course. When she was ill she could not get herself out of bed, and I had to wash her and even feed her sometimes. When she was 21 she went to the gp with yet another uti and was seen by a locum . He sent her to a consultant immunologist who diagnosed her with a rare auto-immune disorder. She has been on a drug trial for 3 years and the difference is amazing. No mental health problems but a shed load of experimental drugs! Anyway--whenever she was ill I just stopped working. I have had about 10 jobs in the last few years and this last one has lasted 2 years. My oh has been very good but it has not been easy. It is so much better now.

I love jomarie idea of a spoonfull of bi-carb!! How I wish that would really work.

I have also read some of the other threads about grans who feel sidelined by the other gran and see that its quite a common feeling. That has also helped--to know that I'm not the only one who has felt this way.

Am going to sit down with oh and work out what to do next. I am the one who wants to sell up while we have the choice but he wants to saty put and "see how it goes". I know its early days but I don't want to be forced into moving in a hurry and he doesn't want to move only for him to get another job the following week! How I wish for a crystal ball.

Janeainsworth---no, have not been tested. I shall ask about it next time I go, thankyou.

Thankyou all and hello lizzymae!