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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Re FIL sharing a bed with my DC?

180 replies

LoppLopp · 18/08/2013 20:23

I'm a regular NC for confidentiality.

Here is a bit of background so as not to drip feed:
My PIL are lovely people. I have known them for many years and am as sure as a person can be that they love my DC and would not intentionally harm them. They have just had my DC to stay for the weekend, to share some happy times and give me and DH some time alone which we rarely get and really appreciate. They have fed them, played with them, even washed their clothes. The boys have returned happy and safe.

During their stay, it turns out that DS2 (5) slept the whole time in FIL's bed - i.e. they put him to bed there and when FIL went to bed he stayed all night. DS3 (3) slept on the floor in the same room. DS1 (8) slept in another room in a double bed alone, with a spare bed in the same room - so there would have been plenty of space for his brothers to share with him.

I feel slightly uncomfortable about this. It just doesn't feel right. I wouldn't have wanted to share a bed with my grandfather, and I wouldn't want my own father (or mother) to share a bed with my DC either. AIBU to feel this way? WWYD about saying something?

I also have another concern. They all went out today to a farm park type place. Whilst they were there, MIL let all three of them go into the Men's toilets alone, without an adult. When they were in there on their own DS3 needed a poo, so DS1 left his brothers in there to go and tell MIL that he needed a bottom wipe.

I don't feel that a 3 and 5 y.o. are old enough to go alone yet. Apart from the obvious that DS3 can't wipe his own bottom yet, I'm not convinced public urinals are clean or that they'll wash their hands, and in the unlikely event that they met a 'nasty man' or even an older boy who was mean to them, they wouldn't know what to do. It just seems a bit short sighted of MIL to let them do this.

I really need to know if others would feel the same way I do, in which case I need to think very carefully about how to talk to my PIL about this without offending them.

OP posts:
pumpingprincess · 18/08/2013 20:29

Don't see a problem with it.
It's like musical beds at my parents house when DD and my nephews go stay there. It'll be DD and gran in one bed with one nephew and one DN with granddad. The next time it's all change.

I know that when they go to their other grandparents it's the same!

I wouldn't have a problem with them going to the toilet together either as long as it wasn't too far away, which I'm assuming it wasn't.

waltzingmathilda · 18/08/2013 20:33

Don't see a problem with it either.

motherhen83 · 18/08/2013 20:38

I dont see a prob with it all mine have shared a bed with the in-laws at some point. I agree with the toilet situation although she may not have realised he couldnt wipe his own bottom... dont think it was deliberate.

BrokenBananaTantrum · 18/08/2013 20:40

OP what exactly are you concerned about re the sleeping arrangements?
I can't see a problem there.
The toilet thing would be more of an issue for me but not a huge one.

redcaryellowcar · 18/08/2013 20:41

I would not be happy with my ds sharing with any of his grandparents, my only caveat on that would be in a separate bed or him in bed and my mum (his grandmother) sleeping on a mattress on the floor, my mum suggested this, not me trying to be mean! Bed sharing just seems a bit odd and unecessary.
As for toilet trips, I find that most places we visit have family toilets and I will be taking ds to these until he is fully capable of understanding my reservation about men's toilets!

domesticslattern · 18/08/2013 20:42

I would be extremely unhappy about it. At best, he has very poor judgement.

And I am not one of those people who sees paedophiles behind every bush. My children run around naked in parks, go in toilets alone etc but there is no way that they would be sharing a bed with their grandad for no real reason.

What does your DH think?

Flossiechops · 18/08/2013 20:43

Yabu what on earth is the problem?! My parents often have my dc to stay at theirs and my mum has one dc in with her and my Dad has the other. I trust them with my kids lives so there's no problem.

Flossiechops · 18/08/2013 20:44

In what way is it odd?!!

Snazzyenjoyingsummer · 18/08/2013 20:45

Where did your MIL sleep?

What did they say about why they put the 5yo to bed in that room in the first place, instead of in the other room?

Libertine73 · 18/08/2013 20:46

what?? I slept in a bed with my Grandma when ever we went up there as a child. Tell me, do you think your FIL is going to abuse your child? Honestly?If not, what is the problem? And with the toilet thing, that can happen at any age, are you not going to let your boys go to public toilets alone ever? Sorry none of this would worry me.

kali110 · 18/08/2013 20:46

Cant see a problem with dc sharing bed wirh your un laws. I always stayed at aunts when i was little and shared with her for years. As for the toilets maybe your in laws didnt realise that your little one couldnt wipe yet.

leobear · 18/08/2013 20:48

Eh?? Unless you actually suspect our FIL is a paedophile (!!) WHAT is the problem?

leobear · 18/08/2013 20:48

YOUR FIL. Obviously

5madthings · 18/08/2013 20:49

Yabu what exactly is the problem with it?

Its a treat and a nice thing to do, wouldn't bother me at all if my kids slept in bed with my parents, they sleep in with us often enough.

The toilet thing sounds fine, your eldest went to get help and I am assuming grandparents where near by?

DragonsAreReal · 18/08/2013 20:50

What is the problem? My dc sleep in their great grandparents bed sometimes, they always slept with my mum until she got remarried and I wouldn't see the difference between my mum or dad (if I had a relationship with him).

As for the toilet thing I see it as there were 3 of them not one 3yr old on his own and she probably didn't think that he would want a poo.

CreatureRetorts · 18/08/2013 20:50

YANBU

WHY should the FIL share? Why don't the brothers share?

And why the jeff are the DCs being left to go to the public loo alone?

Doinmummy · 18/08/2013 20:51

I can't see a problem either it was seen as a treat to sleep with the grandparents . My DD and my parents loved it

FrogsGoWhat · 18/08/2013 20:51

The only thing that makes me curious is why it was the 5 yo who needed an adult in the same bed! I would have thought that maybe the youngest would be the one who needs the most reassurance.

I would be fine with my 2yo DD sharing because she is used to bedsharing

KristinaM · 18/08/2013 20:51

If there was a room with a double and a single bed in it, I would have expected all my children to sleep in there together. I can't see why they would be sharing a room, let alone a bed, with their grandparents .

And I would expect FIL to have accompanied the 8yo in the men's toilets and someone ( either of them ) to take the younger ones .

sweetestcup · 18/08/2013 20:52

Oh for goodness sake, now there is something wrong with grandparent sharing a bed with their grandchild, what next eh? Just exactly what are you worried about OP?

ILoveFrogs · 18/08/2013 20:54

YABU My DS (3) shares a bed with my mum and dad whenever he stays with them, he even has a bath with my dad!

IneedAsockamnesty · 18/08/2013 20:54

I would be very unhappy about the bed thing.

Imho Children's beds should be there own private areas.

I wouldn't have an issue with a child bed sharing with a sibling if they wanted to or with a parent if they wanted to but I wouldn't be comfortable with other family members it may seam strange but I just think it blurs boundaries and those are boundaries I think are important for my children.

You obviously get to decide what boundaries are important for your own children and that is nothing to do with anybody else

frogwatcher42 · 18/08/2013 20:55

My dd stills shares a bed with FIL when they go to stay, and is quite happy about it - she sees it as part of her trip as she has always done so (other dc go in other beds - one with MIL).

She is much older than your dc !!!!

DragonsAreReal · 18/08/2013 20:55

My grandad had to show my son how to wee standing up as I obviously don't have a willy.... just saying

hardboiledpossum · 18/08/2013 20:57

I would have no problem with either of those scenarios

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