Update**
If saying things came to a head doesn't sound good, then you're right. However, it didn't happen for the reasons I would have thought.
A bit more background. Our oldest son lives at home. He is on the autism spectrum, but is employed full time in a trade. He also has depression which we have strongly encouraged him to seek treatment for, but he hasn't. Most of the time he is doing well, but was in a a very dark spot last week, considering suicide.
On top of that husband had surgery 10 days ago and I have had to be available to him. There was a potentially serious medical issue last week and being a retired nurse he turned to me for assistance. Oldest son was home and heard a commotion but thought I had it handled so didn't offer to help or call out. Afterwards he asked what happened, I explained and he feels guilty for not helping. The guilt made the depression much worse, but he was feeling much better after he and his father talked for a long time.
Fast forward to Thursday evening this week. Son #3 lives out of town and knows about Son #1's suicide consideration. Asks Son #2 just to check in with him, to see how he's doing. Son #1 tells him the whole thing about the medical incident, the suicide thoughts, the long talk with their dad, and some stuff that he thinks he heard me say about watching the grandson. All of which painted husband and I in a bad light.
All of that triggered Son#2 (father of grandson). He calls up to talk with us about these things and husband and I have no idea what he's talking about. As we try to add context he calls them all excuses and tells us he doesn't feel safe leaving grandson with us.
It comes down to 3 things.
1) I don't respect his boundaries and never have.
2) Too much of his childhood was husband yelling at the kids as a means of parenting and discipline, and I did little to nothing to protect them. Most of what he is talking about, in truth, was while I was working full time while husband was laid off.
3) He came to me as a child saying he was having a lot of trouble learning to read and said I dismissed his concerns. I thought I was being reassuring that children learn to read at different rates, but he was also later diagnosed with dyslexia. He's concerned that I'll ignore grandson when he really needs me also.
At this point, grandson is enrolled in an educational daycare and I think they should plan to have him continue there as it has advantages and a regular routine.
Son doesn't trust us not to repeat the yelling and lack of protection.
I wrote all the kids a 3 page letter explaining generational trauma just so they understand for their own lives how we may have gotten to this point. There are no excuses for what they see as bad parenting, but we all could use some compassion and empathy. Just because we are all adults doesn't mean there isn't still a young child inside of us with unmet needs and long time scars.