Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think DM is unfair to ban the twins from visiting?

487 replies

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:27

My sister has four children: an 6-year-old, a 5-year-old and 2-year-old twins.
The older two are easy visitors. They tend to sit quietly, chat a bit and spend a lot of time on their screens. The twins, however, are typical two-year-olds. They run around, make noise, have the occasional tantrum and create a bit of mess.
DM is very house-proud and likes everything neat, tidy and pristine.

She has become increasingly irritated by the twins whenever they visit. She complains that they don't sit nicely, don't behave properly and are too noisy. Personally, I think her expectations of two-year-olds are unrealistic.

The latest development is that she has told DSis that the twins are no longer welcome at her house. She says DSis can bring the older two, but not the younger ones.

The problem is that DSis's husband works long hours and isn't always available to stay home with the twins. So in practice, this means DSis often can't visit at all, or has to choose between seeing DM and staying with her younger children.

DM says it's her house and she's entitled to decide who comes into it. DSis feels hurt that two of her children have effectively been singled out and excluded.

OP posts:
HoppityBun · 29/05/2026 14:46

I’d be a bit worried about 2 x 2 year olds who “sat nicely”. And I’m not keen on the idea that the oldest 2 are welcome because they’re on their screens all the time. An expression that would have meant absolutely nothing in her own childhood.

CardOrCash · 29/05/2026 14:46

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

The main issue here is the OP’s mother.

Anycrispsleft · 29/05/2026 14:45

I think the thing with twins, they're not individually worse than singletons but with one kid at that age it's easy for one or two adults to sort of manage their behaviour, chat to them, distract them or whatever so they never really get that wild. Whereas with twins there's twice as much work and it's much more noticeable and also it's mich easier for things to get out of hand if you don't pay attention. I can see that if you've been out of the game a long while that might seem like "these kid are uniquely badly behaved" - but what does she expect your sister to do about it? Even supposing your sister is generous enough to overlook the implied judgement, how does your mum expect her to get over for visits regularly without the smallest and hardest-work members of the family? This seems like a short route to her losing a lot of contact with the kids. It was a bit like that for us with the inlaws, and I guess they thought they could just lick it uo when the kids were a bit less work, but by that time the window for bonding had kind of closed.

Costatesco · 29/05/2026 14:44

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:43

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Yes. Is that relevant?

OP posts:
fruitfly3 · 29/05/2026 14:42

Totally unhinged. She’s perfectly entitled to invite who she wants, your sister is perfectly entitled to not visit again. Appalling treatment of her daughter and grandchildren - tell your sister to invite her over - if she chooses not to visit then that speaks volumes about the type of grandparent, parent and person she is.

Costatesco · 29/05/2026 14:41

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:41

Netcurtainnelly · 29/05/2026 14:39

She is telling you she can't cope with 5 young children in the house. Help her rather than take advice about cutting her off.

It is 4 young children.

Help who?

OP posts:
Costatesco · 29/05/2026 14:41

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SwirlingAroundSleep · 29/05/2026 14:40

I am loving the comments on this thread already because when my parents did something similar and banned my step-children from their home some people thought they were completely reasonable and others thought it was bang out of order. With your biological grandkids I think it’s even worse. Honestly if I were your sister I would tell her to bog off. If she wants to see any of the kids she’ll have to go to your sister’s house or take them all out so they don’t mess up her home.

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:40

LittleBearPad · 29/05/2026 14:38

How bad is their behaviour? How much does your sister do to make them behave?

How old is your mother and how much of a mess is her house when they go home?

I wouldn't say it is bad - just normal toddler behaviour. My sister feels like she has to tell them off all the time to appease DM. They make a mess with toys but so do most very young children. My sister tidies everything up after every visit.

OP posts:
Rachelshair · 29/05/2026 14:40

Your mum will have to visit your sister then, rather than vice versa. And your mum doesn't get to complain about not seeing her, or the two "acceptable" kids. Two year olds are never going to sit quietly.

Netcurtainnelly · 29/05/2026 14:39

She is telling you she can't cope with 5 young children in the house. Help her rather than take advice about cutting her off.

sprigatito · 29/05/2026 14:39

Katypp · 29/05/2026 14:35

I always think it's hilarious when someone other than the OP (usually parent) puts 'boundaries' in place.
MNetters love boundaries, are very firm on their house their rules and know that 'no is a complete sentence'.
Well, this grandmother has done all of the above - what's the problem?

Are you really this simple-minded? I “love boundaries” I think they are very important and holding them is a valuable skill. That doesn’t mean I would support someone announcing a “no breathing in my presence” boundary. Because that would be nuts.

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:38

middleagedandinarage · 29/05/2026 14:35

That's awful, your poor sister having such a rubbish, unsupportive mother.
Does your mum ever visit her house?

No. She likes people to visit her but rarely visits others herself.

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 29/05/2026 14:38

How bad is their behaviour? How much does your sister do to make them behave?

How old is your mother and how much of a mess is her house when they go home?

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:38

bumptybum · 29/05/2026 14:33

Who is it that wants the visits to continue?

DM. She doesn't like going to my sisters house as then all four children are there and she hates the noise.

OP posts:
timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:37

Shoxfordian · 29/05/2026 14:31

Didn't the older two misbehave when they were younger? It depends a bit on the level of mess and noise involved really, and how much your sister is doing to stop them as to how unreasonable your mum is being

The older two were similar and were hard at work at times. Most toddlers are. I think it unrealistic to keep everything pristine with young children.

OP posts:
sprigatito · 29/05/2026 14:37

I’d tell your mum that if her scatter cushions mean more to her than her grandchildren, she can do without the rest of you as well.

timetoban · 29/05/2026 14:35

GinWizard · 29/05/2026 14:29

That's batshit. Of course she can make whatever decisions she wants about her own house and who comes into it but that's categorically insane behaviour unless the twins are drawing on walls or really damaging the house and your sister does nothing to stop them?

The twins are not damaging the house. They are making a mess at times and my sister is keep an eye on the twins as much as she can but it is not easy with four children.

OP posts:
middleagedandinarage · 29/05/2026 14:35

That's awful, your poor sister having such a rubbish, unsupportive mother.
Does your mum ever visit her house?

Katypp · 29/05/2026 14:35

I always think it's hilarious when someone other than the OP (usually parent) puts 'boundaries' in place.
MNetters love boundaries, are very firm on their house their rules and know that 'no is a complete sentence'.
Well, this grandmother has done all of the above - what's the problem?

Credittocress · 29/05/2026 14:35

I’d stop visiting full stop. You either see all of us or none of us

WildLeader · 29/05/2026 14:34

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

That would be the last visit she’d EVER get from me or ANY of my kids if that was me.

seriously.

CardOrCash · 29/05/2026 14:34

What kind of mother is this. I am sorry OP for you and your sister.