Absolutely done in!

Later this summer I shall have all 5 GS's here for a week. the eldest will be 9, two will be 7 and two will be 3. Granny's house and Granny's rules will be in force regardless of what their parents think (ie DS and DiL). I sound like an ogre but my sanity is sacrosanct !

I feel for you Lucky - young children are exhausting, and I don't think their parents fully appreciate that it's so much more exhausting at our age. I don't suppose I realised this when I was in my 30s and my mother, in her 60s, looked after my two under threes sometimes.

My DD has long been appalled at the poor behaviour of some of her friends' children and has always said, 'if I'm ever lucky enough to become a mother, I will never, ever let my child get away with that'. Well, she was lucky enough and now has a 9 month old. I do hope she is able to stick to her guns!

Same here. I am sometimes appalled at the behaviour of DGC when DD and Sil visit with them. I wait for them to discipline them, until on occasions I can no longer ignore it and have to step in. They give them way too many chances IMHO. If it were down to me they would have 2 strikes and they're out!

The Thunderous Threes Luckygirl
DGD2 seemed to miss the Terrible Twos and was worse at three, and now at four has learned NO with a stamp of the foot. In between NOs she is absolutely delightful, a really easy lovely child.
DS is very firm.

We have our 10 month and 9 week old grandchildren here currently. Both sets of parents at different events. It's delicious and exhausting at the same time.
We haven't hit the difference in discipline issue yet, though it's interesting that his mum says the 9 week old has been screaming loudly between 6 - 9, I followed her routine, bath, feed, bed but bed here is his pram so when he grizzled he was pushed about till he went back to sleep. I did have a different approach to discipline than my oldest daughter but that's a whole other ball game! Have a rest Lucky.

I feel for you Luckygirl our 5 year old GS has had major meltdowns since his brother was born 3 years ago. Stressful for us all.

However since starting school last September and having a very strong mature teacher, who he loves, his behaviour has improved immensely.

Hang on in there.

They push the boundaries and it makes everything very tiring!

However, Granny and Grandad's house, Granny and Grandad's rules here and we never take prisoners! It is funny how they know too.

As Jane says they like to have the boundaries set - and we all know they will keep 'checking' to make sure we care enough to keep them there.

Luckygirl have a and a crash out!

DH takes no crap nonsense from our youngest DGS. He's the only one who DGS listens to and will stop in mid strop at a look from him. He doesn't hold it against him either and even seems to be glad of someone setting boundaries.

And four year olds learn the word 'NO!'

Have had eight children here today (all under 8), but not all day. They had their mothers (and one father) with them. All very good, but only all together for about an hour then another hour later.

annsixty DH says they go into a tunnel when they are about 10 or 11 and don't come out until they are 20.

Time for a

LullyDully - you can't always do it with a daughter, either, as I know from experience!

13 onwards and they should be put in a bedroom (or boarding school) and left until 17 +.
That is my experience of C and GC. Young ones were never a problem, their room or sent home.

I know people talk about the terrible twos but I suspect that is simply because of the alliteration. Absentdaughter reckons that three-year-olds are by far the most difficult – and she has six children, one of whom is just approaching four and one who hasn't quite got to one year yet. I am inclined to agree with her, both from recollection of her childhood and that of her friends and from my experience with my grandchildren. Mind you, she's only got one in his teens so far…

I think you can do this with daughter not daughter in law.imo

I know how that feels.

With our DG2 we waited and waited for his Mum to discipline him when he played up at ours but eventually I had to say something.

Not to his Mum but to him.

I stopped him mid meltdown ( his mum just carried on drinking her tea and just speaking louder lol). I told him quite quietly that we didn't have that at our house and he had a choice he could carry on and I would put him on our naughty step or he could stop, tell me what was wrong so I could fix it. Took a few trips to the naughty step but we did stop it.

My daughter was just so used to it she just ignored it lol

Good to see them come and good to see them go!