To think that BIL & SIL shouldn't be telling us how to bring up pfb.

[CheshireDing]

Even more so when they don't have children of their own. So today DH had the "my children would/would not do this/that", "I would do that with my children" etc - these are non-existent children as they decided not to have any anyway!

SIL - My friends children don't make a mess and spoon fed is better
DH - PFB is BIL and exploring her food and eats everything and clearly spoon feeding is going to be tidier

SIL - My children would not watch tv (not sure what this comment was actually based on)
DH - PFB doesn't watch TV, she reads lots of books and (according to nursery) her speak to really good for her age.

I did try to get her to watch a bit of Crufts as she loves dogs but she wasn't even interested in that

SIL - My Mother stayed at home with me for the first 3 years, Mums should be at home with their children
DH - Well it works for us and pfb is very happy

Thankfully DH also realises it is acceptable for us both to work and thankfully, as I was at work today he had to put up with all of the above on his own and made his feelings clear.

Oh and them wanting to use pfb as a Guinea Pig and have their dog in the same room (even though it was growling when DH turned up at the door)

Good job they live in another country most of the time

Yanbu - they sound very rude. In your shoes I'd wind them up to amuse myself, for example tell them pfb is being weaned on fruit shoots and pombears.

'What children are these, your imaginary ones? It is easy to be perfect parents to perfect imaginary children. It is only when reality gets in the way that it gets a bit less than perfect'

That really is the only answer.

Dont justify yourself to them. When they make a silly remark either ignore, or give them a stare and carry on in your way.

But keep their comment in mind to use as ammunition in the future

I was an amazing parent, until I had children :o

You might like this BBC Link.

yeah my imaginary dcs are awesome too... the real ones... not so much

i remember reading dd some dodgy baby hand book when she was tiny;
'it says here you're supposed to sleep for 14 hours a day! why won't you sleep? why????'

tell them you're saving that information for later.

to remind them of it when they do have children

Yes I do think people are very quick to comment until the children actually turn up. One comment may have been acceptable but to keep whittering on !

Plus being all offended about the dog having to stay in the other room - this is a large dog who has not been castrated and has already been in 2 fights AND was growling when DH turned up.

We have a large dog but understand that he has had chance to get used to screechy pfb (and ours has had the snip) but that's a whole other thread.

I wouldn't keep a growing dog with issues in my house at all with a baby.

(I know I just gave you advice, but I have actually got two soon to be three of my own )

Oh I had lots of "advice" and quite obviously knew best before I had kids. Oh I how I look back and laugh now.

YANBU, my (childless) younger sister is the same, always quick with what she would do etc. I just smile and nod...

Please, please ignore them.

I am a GM and I would not dream of telling my DD and DSiL how to bring up their PFB.

TheDeadlyDonkey I was too, but the imaginary children were miserable as sin.

YANBU to find this stupidly pathetic and annoying. As someone who knows it's going to happen, YABU to let it get to you, you KNOW you're not being unreasonable to think they're being knobbers, so do not get wound up. Just play games with them, you can have LOTS of fun.

I expected a call from SS when I said very loudly to DH "Did you make sure to put the crack pipe out of reach, y'know, high enough for DS1 to get it and bring it to me, but not DS2, he's greedy".

SIL's jaw was in the soil. She said nothing. We let BIL in on the fact that actually we were joking (because he looked worried, and though stupid, he's not a bad man) but it's quite telling that he's either never mentioned it to her, or told her we were taking the piss.

Haven't seen her for a while, not sure what we did to offend.

We do have a childless couple as friends, they have been friends before the pre-fix of married/parent/childless... we struggled with their eyebrow movements until they adopted two border collie pups... we secretly mock our friends no, as they are extremely funny and we never reciprocate their 'good advice' they used to give us.. we accept their dogs are their children, and it's fucking hilarious.

Enjoy it, don't get cross. When your child is older, you will find strength (out of necessity) to pooh-pooh their bullshit anyway.

You should keep a diary of their little sayings and then send it to BIL and SIL on their pfb's 1st birthday or an even later birthday if you want to be especially cruel.