to expect mil to help out sometimes with the kids??

Why is a 16 year old vaping?

Of course 5 kids is a lot. But they are your children.
I don't blame MiL for not helping you out - your house sounds like chaos - I wouldn't fancy it either tbh.

Get yourself organised - you must have your oldest 3 at school and 4 yo at nursery so use some time when you've just got your youngest to sort things out and better organise the day to day stuff so you are less likely to run out of essentials.

You are focusing on your MIL but if you can’t trust your older kids to help that’s not her fault. If I was her I might think that they should be doing more if you need help.

Are you for real, listen to yourself. It doesn't matter who OP is, these are MILs grandchildren, her sons kids. She's not being asked to help random people but her own family. I'd hate to have a MIL like you.

Why didn’t you leave the older ones at home and just take the little two?

You say your DH works 'long hours' in quotes - why do you say it like that? I'm guessing the hours aren't actually long, or he's messing about in them and not actually working as much as he likes to make out he is, something like that? Although tbh I'd imagine he'd be working a fair bit to support 5 kids!

Yeah no way would I be helping you with 5 sorry.

as for the 16 year old vaping. I’ve no words.

Get your DH to get nappies on the way home.

Or get reusables. Then you won’t run out.

Of course 5 kids overwhelm your MIL.

I’m sorry OP, but you’ve made your choices, now you’ve got to live with those choices. I do think your husband needs to step up though.

Hmmm my MIL has her 3 grandkids separate a lot, my son then her other 2 grandkids because she gets very stressed having the 3 together.
It's understandable to run for the hills if you're asked to look after 5 boys of all different ages.
It's hard on you but I can understand why she would avoid it.

I think you have a bloody cheek to expect. I am a Grandmother, I look after one of my Grandchildren, others live too far away. The moment it us expected I would be saying bye.

I hate this expectation that grandparents will help out. Parenting and working your whole adult life is fucking hard. Then your kids grow up and now we’re expected to take on grandkids? And if you don’t, there will be “consequences” such as not seeing them? Or no help in old age?

When is it ok to just not have any responsibilities? Why does it always have to be a slog?

Gotta be honest, if I was a granny and could help with 2 kids or 5, I'd spend more with the 2! You're more then entitled to five, well done you, but blimey that must be hard work...

Your MIL is helping her own daughter. Why should MIL help look after her son’s kids when her own son can’t be arsed to look after them?!

How are you on your fifth child but not able to keep enough nappies stocked so that you don't run out? I've never run out once and certainly haven't been through the nappy stage five times.

Yikes, five kids? Sorry no way - I’d be at the other house that’s only got the two. I would however go and get you nappies and drop them round. Shame she couldn’t do that.

If I was 10 minutes away I would have probably gone and got you the nappies and brought them round. So it’s a shame your MIL wasn’t interested in helping you. But perhaps it reflects something about your and your DH’s relationship with his mother.

I would just assume she isn’t going to help and make sure you sort out these things yourself. A quick delivery service from one of the supermarkets, or send the 16 year old, or leave the older ones at home, etc etc.

You do also seem to have a DH issue as well as a MIL one.

Yikes, this reads like the life of someone who continuously hopes that "the next one will be a girl".

She doesn't owe you childcare but it is sad that she doesn't support you

Are you the same poster who said people only judge mums of boys? Sounds very similar even the writing style..

Looking at things practically, why didn’t you ask the 16 or 13 year old to go out and get nappies? Why is your MIL out of order for not helping but your 16 year old can refuse to leave their room to help for the shortest period?

I don’t think help is forthcoming from your MIL so you should look to your immediate family, your kids, to help out.

Get your FIL to help.

Perhaps if you hadn’t had 5 children, you wouldn’t be in this position.
I’m guessing your MIL has strong opinions about your large family. Surely you knew 5 kids was going to be pretty full on?

You should have left the 16 year old in charge. Thats how it works, the older kids look after the younger ones.

Another confused by the OP.

Why would you "drag them all out" ?
Surely you'd either send one of the teens, or they would mind the little ones whilst you pop out.

Though running out of nappies AGAIN sounds like a significant lack of organisation.

There is also the point that you have chosen to have 5 dc.
It's not like you were having a third and it turned out to be triplets.

There is always a woman to blame for any situation isn’t there? The male in this situation gets off Scott free. 🙄 Your older two children could’ve been given a fiver and sent to the local shop in an emergency.

Yes it would be nice for MIL to help out but maybe your DH is a lazy shit in his relationship with her too and the dd actually bothers?