to feel irritated when my FIL talks to my children when he is drunk?

[parakeet]

He's not falling-over-drunk. Just making-a-fool-of-himself-drunk. He tends to come back from the pub in the afternoon, slump on the sofa, and make inane comments to them, when they're trying to watch telly, like "Are those the Wattingers? Eh? Are you a Wattinger? Eh? I said ARE YOU A WATTINGER?"

They are three and five years old at the moment, so just think he's being a bit silly and tend to ignore him. But I can't help wondering at what age they're going to get confused about his behaviour and speech and ask me questions.

I should add in his defence, when sober he is a very nice grand-dad to them.

sorry yanbu but pmsl at "Eh? I said ARE YOU A WATTINGER?"

YABU if this is as bad as his behaviour gets. Drunk people are not devils.

Hey, I like a drink myself, but I have the sense not to try to carry on a conversation with a three-year-old when I am "in my cups".

Does he live at your house?

i talk to my children drunk all the time (well not all the time, just when im drunk) what wrong with it!?

So when you are drunk you are to be quiet around children. He sounds quite funny tbh. unless he is not nasty, violent or endangering them than yes I am afraid YABVU

If it is house YABU, but I understand your frustration. Drunk people arent "devils" but they aren't great examples for children!

If it is your house btw, I'd set him straight.

Have you got a history with your father's drinking? Do you think he has a drinking problem? If you think that his drinking is unhealthy, I can understand that you are nervous about your DCs picking up on that. If you do have some unresolved stuff about your Dad's drinking, check out Al-Anon.

I wouldn't want any drunks around my children, I wouldn't give a shit who they were. I wouldn't have him in the house if they were home. I think it's a bit horrible.

Yabu. When they are older they will likely just laugh at him.

Why is it OK to be drunk?

Alcohol is a drug. The question is "Is it OK the way FIL talks to my kids when he is high on drugs?"

Not if it happens all the time, if its every now and again that its fine. TiggyD alcohol though a drug is legal, drugs are illegal so therefore I think that its more acceptable to be mildly drunk than to be high. I am saying this as a person who only drinks once every 2 months.

My Mum does that when she's sober!

at "Are you a Wattinger? Eh?"

Just the kind of thing my Mum would say!

I don't think they will ask about his ramblings...little kids think all adults are weird anyway.

When I was a kid, I loved being around slightly drunk people. They were more interesting than the sober boring adults I was used to. I wouldn't have wanted them looking after me all the time though?

YABU your dc probably find it hilarious.