to wonder if my Dad ever had children?

[sweetkitty]

sorry got to get this off my chest somewhere

My Dad came up for a visit yesterday (he sees the DDs about 6 times a year maybe a bit mroe) anywayhe brought them chocolate which he gave them which is fine he's their Papa they don't see him that often then proceeds to wind them up for instance throwing things about etc now they are 3 and 2 so they go a bit mad then he is like

"oh they are wild you were never like that"
I said I bet I was as a toddler they are all like that given half the chance "oh no you played away quietly in a corner!" mmm maybe at about 8 but not at 2.

some other ones told him I pick DP up most nights from work at 6.30pm "oh do you take the DDs with you?" he also said he didn't phone in the morning in case I was having a lay in? Oh and when I said I have to drive our new car home as it's easier that taking the DDs he said "why can't DP drive it home" cos he's looking after the DDs. And when the DDs didn't eat any dinner (wonder why maybe chocolate) he was like "oh you weren't allowed down from teh table until you ate everything you never left a thing, is that all they are going to eat?

I think his memory has got lost in the fogs of time.

Parents eh? He's really sweet with them but honestly doesn't have a clue.

[littlemissbitch]

whenever we stay the weekend at my parents my dad always takes my two to the papershop for the sunday papers and buys them a 50p mixture to eat on the way home, this is before they have had breakfast!!!!

[meemar]

Parents have selective memory when they become grandparents

MIL told me that DH got asthma and ezcema as a baby because he had vaccinations, even though his brother also had the same vaccinations and has no allergies .

[PippiCalzelunghe]

my dad admits not to remember a thing tbh. and the little he does it is a revised version like yours: 'ooh you only cried once, we left you to cry a bit and that was it' etc

[Cappuccino]

yes but I can't remember things from when dd1 was little so how are you supposed to remember decades later?

dh was saying the other day what a nightmare dd1 was to get to sleep and I was all, 'Oh? Really?' I had completely forgotten

[sweetkitty]

He was throwing DD1 about who was hyper as he was here anyway and when she was jumping about he said "you better stop that or you will be sent to bed with a smack" DD1 just looked at him.

[perpetualworrier]

My Dad loves his GC's to bits, but he can be a bit critical of them. I think you do genuinely forget the difficult bits of being a parent. It's human nature to remember the good times, you know how its always sunny in the summmer in your memories and labour pains fade.

However, it also has a lot to do with the fact that fathers of his generation didn't have that much to do with the children, esp when we were very small, so he really doesn't understand what Mum went through when we were small, or how we behaved 6/7 days of the week.

[MightySquonk]

my dad doesn't "do" babies.

He's fine when they get to about 8 and he can converse with them about football. Up to that age, he kind of pretends that they don't extist.

He did this with us too.

My mum tells a story about the only time she allowed herself to be ill. She made my dad come home from work to look after us. He took us to the chinese restaurant. We were about 4 and 6 (and this was back in the early 70s when children and restaurants really really did not mix.) The very nice chinese waitress felt sorry for him and volunteered to look after us.

When dad came home at about 10pm without us, mum decided NEVER to be ill again

[TreadmillMom]

My MIL swears that DH and his brother were both totally potty trained before their 1st birthdays!

[Shitemum]

sweetkitty he doesnt get it because your mum did all the looking-after when you were kids and he just sat back and looked on

[sweetkitty]

Yes you are right my Mum will often say well he was never around blah blah blah and she gets shocked if DP changes a nappy.

I don't think I would have liked to be a Mum in the 70s, or 60s or 50s.

That and no dishwashers or washing machines, good old days no thanks!

[notalone]

Lol treadmillmom - according to my MIL DP was potty trained at 9 months and wasn't DS a little slow at being dry???