If I was wrong in saying I think I’ve taken the time to reply to a wind up post then I apologise for that Granincharge
But otherwise I stand by what I said.
Please help! (grandchild being locked in bedroom)
Hi everyone, I was directed here by my friend who I regularly vent my frustrations on. It’s such a difficult situation and I was hoping for some advice...
My son and DIL have been married 7 years.. together double that. We’ve never got on amazingly but have always been ok, civil and happy to see each other.
Since they’ve had my 3 grandchildren, I feel increasingly pushed out. We used to live 6 hours away (but have moved closer to my daughter and so are now 1.5 hours away from them. ) We have strict rules they set out for us:
-We are no longer allowed to stay the night. Apparently there’s not enough room .. The room we used to sleep in they’ve move the eldest son into as soon as baby 3 came . When my husband told DIL that the kids wouldn’t need their own rooms immediately, she was rude to him and they got rid of the double bed anyway.
-They won’t stay the night at ours - they say it’s too much hassle bringing everything - they usually just come a few hours for lunch .. that’s it!!
Thanks
- We’re not allowed to babysit - this comes after we babysat my grandson and DIL and my son claim we got drunk (they went through their recycling and counted the empty bottles And exaggerated how much we’d drunk, making us out to be irresponsible for having a few glasses of wine when he was asleep!)
- DIL refuses to come on holidays with us. We want a big holiday with family friends but DIL says she doesn’t want to take her kids away with people she barely knows which I think is really rude. She knows them and doesn’t make a great deal of effort. As a large family we’re really sociable and she’s not - This can be quite embarrassing at family events to be honest.
-Dil is just awfully possessive over the kids. I feel like I can’t do anything. They’re not allowed to do or eat certain things
-Christmas and other occasions are regimental - we are allowed to visit at this time for this long. When my kids were young we spent a week away at relatives Over Christmas and I would love for my grandchildren to wake up in my house on Christmas morning to relive some of this but we’re being denied this with the offer of going to theirs for lunch ( then having to drive home is no drinking), them coming to our house but only for lunch so they can then go see her parents , or seeing them Christmas Eve or Boxing Day instead.
I just feel Me and my husband are being treated like second class citizens and I haven’t been able to recreate any things I did with my family when my kids were growing up (big long family get togethers etc )
- not allowed to put photos on social media!! We have a couple of times where you can’t see the children much and have been told off by son (obviously controlled by DIL)
- My son got really annoyed when he found out 2 years ago that we paid for my daughter’s wedding (as is tradition) But not his. He Claimed we always treat them unfairly which is not the case and this has definitely come from DIL
The latest now is the social distancing with covid 19. My DIL is loving denying me my cuddles with my grandchildren!!
Any advice? Apart from counting down the days til my daughter gives me more grandchildren?
Thank you!
If I was wrong in saying I think I’ve taken the time to reply to a wind up post then I apologise for that Granincharge
But otherwise I stand by what I said.
I can’t see anything unreasonable about any of the things you mention. Seems to me your DS and DiL have got their parenting act together nicely, and if you can’t live with the way they do things, you need to review your expectations.
She does not sound at all like a nightmare DiL just one who maybe likes to keep herself to herself rather than recreate things you did with your family. Times have changed.How dare you put photos of the children on social media without consent and why say "obviously controlled by DiL" when reprimanded by your son? As for paying for your daughter's wedding, and not your son's DiL is right to be angry unless of course her parents paid for hers.
There is a difference between asking for "support" and expecting people to agree with you, Granincharge
And yes, Meryl streep you could be right, also note the thread title!
Since they’ve had my 3 grandchildren - says it all really. She did not have YOUR 3 grandchildren - she simply had her own babies.
There really is nothing in your list of complaints to take exception to.
I suspect GRANINCHARGE (!!!!) that your friend directed you to gransnet so that we could say what she fears to do.
Or it is simply a wind-up.
I don’t see why people are taking exception to me calling them my Grandchildren? You imply I am being selfish, but if she gets all her way, doesn’t that make her selfish?
"Gets all her way"?
She is their mother!
You sound like my late mother-in-law. Like your DIL, whom you don't seem to like much, my MIL used to want us t stay overnight there after birthdays, parties, any bloody occasion - we never did, as I preferred my own house, bed and routine.
Don't make this all about what YOU want, what YOU feel, or your son and his wife will see less and less of you.
I've been a very different MIL to the one you are (and the one I had). It pays off to let your adult children live their lives the way they choose. Back off and be a bigger person.
Well said PinkCakes !
I also want to add, she sees much more of her parents who live five minutes away from them. Her parents also have the children a couple of times a week when she works
Only staying at our house or inviting us to theirs for a few hours Each time just seems A bit anti social and as if they’re doing the bare minimum. All my friends get weekends with their grandchildren.
Ask yourself why, perhaps?
Because she’s possessive and won’t stray from anything she wants to do!
All my friends get weekends with their grandchildren.
I can almost hear you saying "It's not fair"!! And the word get is a bit off kilter, as if the GC are a commodity to be doled out.
I think it would be wise to stop making comparisons and concentrate on what you can do to be a good grandparent - and a lot of that role consists of standing back, giving praise and encouragement, and zipping the lip.
Why should she "stray from what she wants to do"? - they are her children and she has the right to bring them up as she wishes; just as you did with yours.
Granincharge if you can’t see that just about everything you said in your post is the reverse all I can say is poor daughter in law if I was them I d move as far away as possible you sound a complete nightmare who wants to take over their lives even down to organising their Christmas and holidays
They are not your children your daughter in law and son are doing the right thing in putting in rules and regulations and NO drink when looking after babies Is a complete Nono
Of course you cant recreate their lives you ve had your turn back off
I m really not sure you’re real as it’s almost too bad to be real It’s like a caricature of everything a grandmother shouldn’t do
It is quite normal for DiLs to see more of their mothers than their inlaws.It is natural so accept it. Are you not taking on board anything that is said here? It doesn't look like it.
Perhaps your friends respect their daughter in laws wishes and don’t try to impose their will in the way you appear to have done Granincharge.
This is all so over the top that it must be a wind up, at least I hope it is.
Well it is hot out, so maybe this is a windup!
But if not......... I think Tangerine had the best balanced no drama answer!
I'm going with that 
It’s hilarious that you think that I am not being serious. What part makes you think that? This is just about making life happy for my Grandchildren and creating happy memories for them... with me and my husband in them sometimes!
My friends with grandchildren have daughters, not daughter in laws so they don’t have to deal with what I do
Granincharge You sound absolutely intolerable. As I said before, you sound very much like my late MIL. She was not liked by anyone (neighbours, extended family, colleagues). With your refusal to see that YOU are the one at fault, not your DIL, you run the risk of ending up alienating yourself from those around you.
Without coming across as arrogant, I am
very sociable, have a very big family and lots of friends. We are busy most weekends, visiting and spending time with lots of different people, amongst who, I am well liked.
granincharge I am deeply sorry for your poor daughter in law; poor lass has 3 children to raise and parents in law who think that they have "rights". You don't. Really, you don't. Any time that you get with your grandchildren is a gift, not a right. Oh, and if your lucky enough to be asked to baby sit again doubtful, stay off the Vino Collapso; a tiddly granny in charge of 3 children isn't a good idea.
Granincharge You're telling us, a group of strangers online, all about you "nightmare DIL", so I imagine you tell anyone you're in contact with all the same things. Believe you me, people will find you unlikeable even though they won't say it to you.
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