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AIBU?

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AIBU to feel put out by my daughter's changed school run request?

382 replies

Helcarlol · 03/09/2026 19:31

Hi all, so my DD has 2 DDs who are 2 and 4. Her eldest started primary 1 this year and last year my DD went back to work super part time as a peripatetic music instructor in schools. She works exclusively within school hours.
Last year she did 2 full days a week and I provided childcare on one and her MIL the other. This year she has opted to put her youngest in nursery for most of her hours and eldest is obviously in school.
She asked if on the two days where she starts earlier could I come over and walk the girls to school/nursery, I only live 10 minutes walk away and she is less than 10 to the school so I agreed, I don’t work those days anyway.

So far I’ve been going round for about 8, leaving with the girls around 8:30, DD leaves at the same time.

I also collect them one day a week but she is home for around 3:20 so I don’t have them for long.

This evening she has messaged me asking if tomorrow I can aim to arrive closer to 8:25/30, so she can just leave for work as soon as I arrive and I can leave to take the children to school. This has annoyed me, so far all I’ve been doing is helping with the girls getting ready, making myself a cup of tea etc, and I’ve enjoyed that little bit of extra time with them as otherwise I only see them once a week for 2 hours.

AIBU to think this is rude and unnecessary?

OP posts:
Itsseweasy · 05/09/2026 12:41

Helcarlol · 04/09/2026 13:14

So I have messaged DD some more.

She feels that I undermine her with the children as when she is wanting to plait their hair etc, I say things like “is mummy taking too long, should she just have done a pony tail” I don’t recall saying that.
She feels I don’t have a respect for education as I see no problem with DS taking his children out of school for holidays and then make comments to her DD about school being boring. I may have said that as a joke.

She said I do this on Wednesdays too but hasn’t elaborated on it.
Then I apparently constantly mention DS and his boys, their football etc.

She has said her MIL is now taking the children to school/nursery, but I’m still welcome on Wednesdays and they will message if they have free time and see if I’m around.

Good on your daughter having firm boundaries. It’s easy to read through the lines and see there’s way more to this than you’re claiming (but then I also grew up with a mother who was competitive with the in-laws, preferred my sibling to me, and criticised my parenting. We are no contact now).

Middleclassblues · 05/09/2026 12:42

OP, your daughter does not like her brother.
This is clear.
They don't like each other.
Yet you feel it appropriate to be filling her in.
She doesn't want to hear it.

Also your passive aggressive remarks speaking through the children that "mummy is taking too long".....would piss anyone off.

Instead of helping her out, you are stressing her out.
She has now made other arrangements.

You can be ourtraged and righteous or you can seriously reflect.

If I were you I would stop with the texts, stop talking about her brother, and stop with the PA remarks.

You are getting on her tits and she is backing away from you.

Freshrain · 05/09/2026 22:53

Timeforachange26 · 05/09/2026 00:54

It was a question not a criticism. If she doesn't like her mother she shouldn't accept holidays school runs or anything else from her Simple

Strikes me that the dd is doing her best to try and maintain a relationship with her mother, and facilitate her seeing the dgc very often throughout the week despite the OP being really annoying.

Keep in mind, that is the impression the OP has given about herself, on a thread which she started obviously hoping we would all agree with her.

This is even without any of us having heard the situation described from the point of view of the OP's dd.

StripyHorse · 05/09/2026 23:01

Helcarlol · 03/09/2026 20:07

No DD doesn’t let me, I don’t think you understand. DD and her DH are very reluctant to leave the children with anyone, unless it’s necessary. They let her in-laws have them one night a month for sleepovers, but not me as my bedroom is on a different floor to the room the children would sleep in. If DD is around to pick her children up or drop them off she wants to do it, if they have a hobby she wants to be the one to take them etc. She has been like this since they were tiny, and the only brief relief from it was when she was working last yea, but now with nursery and school in place it’s back to how it was.

It sounds like your issue is that DD enjoys looking after her own children, but you want to do it instead.

You have had your time being a parent, let DD parent her own children.

Wingingit73 · 06/09/2026 07:38

She is asking very little of you. Of course you should do what she's asked. Why would you think its a good idea to insert yourself in the family morning routine.

Timeforachange26 · 06/09/2026 21:17

StripyHorse · 05/09/2026 23:01

It sounds like your issue is that DD enjoys looking after her own children, but you want to do it instead.

You have had your time being a parent, let DD parent her own children.

And she's welcome to take her own kids to school as well

Millytante · 06/09/2026 22:04

gamerchick · 03/09/2026 20:01

It is rude and clearly she's only thinking of her convenience and not that you actually want to spend time with the bairns. That's pretty normal though when you're wanting to get to work.

Nothing much you can do though part from telling her you feel taken for granted and suggest a childminder.

But her convenience is the entire point of the arrangement, isnt it! It’s to help a busy mum at a particular time in her day when she cannot bilocate.
A family social element, as in grandma + kiddies time, is not the point at all.
(Unless that virtual quid pro quo were actually discussed when this help was being arranged. She’s helping her daughter, but ‘recompense’ shouldn’t be assumed, unilaterally.)

The mum may want every available moment with her children before they go to school, as they are very young, and she surely misses them all day.
I don't think it odd at all that she has made this request to her own mother, but it’s a shame she needed to.

It'd be a much bigger shame if OP’s umbrage were to become a concern between them.
At best, both women have the higher ground here, and in order that their easy relationship isn’t damaged, I think it has to be OP who exhibits graciousness, and gives way despite her own wishes, and without demur.
Ultimately, the children’s mum’s need for that last half hour with them before school/work trumps her own mother’s wish to spend that bit of time there too.

(I realise my generation may not have seen so much of our grandparents as modern kids do though. Even though we lived in the same little town when we were primary school kids, we saw the old folk less than weekly, never mind thrice weekly!)

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