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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I'm sick of my dd getting the blame..

243 replies

Usernameinvalid16 · 17/10/2016 22:13

My dd is 2 years old. Dniece (5) Dnephew (also 2) are at my house everyday (both parents work) and normally everything is fine but occasionally they all fight, its usually over toys.
Now i understand my daughter can be rough, we are working our hardest (with her preschool teachers) to get her to stop and her behaviour has improved! She has stopped the hair pulling, biting, pushing and pulling. I am really happy with her progress.

Dsis and BIL can't see the improvement (we physically see them once a week) Dsis does drop offs and pick ups but i only see her for 5 mins in the morning and afternoon.
When they do visit they constantly shout at dd when in my opinion she has done nothing wrong (jumping around, shouting and running in circles) i do remind her to use her inside voice but she gets excited. I don't agree with telling her to 'shut up' because i have a headache..

Dnepew does cry a lot. Whenever my dd gets close he slaps her. I try to tell Dsis this but she thinks the fault lies with dd. I see the 3 dc everyday and i know what they are like! Dniece blames dd for everything even if i seen Dniece do it.
For example Dniece throws all the shoes off the rack and i ask why did you do that? Can you pick them back up please she then turns around and tells me that dd done it and she won't pick them up. Another one is she emptied the 2 toy boxes and when asked to pick them back up she tells me that dd should do it because it was her fault, i could go on.
Dniece obviously tells her version of events and i'm sure you know how children exaggerate things/make them up. I always get a phonecall accusing dd of pulling dniece's hair or scratching her and i think to myself that never happened Confused and fill them in on what we have done that day and they will go on and on with 'but dniece told me this happened' she could tell them that a 3 legged elephant jumped out the bushes and they would believe her because 'she doesn't tell lies'.
Anyway tonight i had a few missed calls and they told me that dniece has a massive scratch on her back (obviously i do not have a clue where that came from) i don't take her clothes off, she uses the bathroom by herself all i do is remind her to wash her hands. She has told them that dd done it but dniece never said anything to me about it (she normally cries and tells me instantly) but nothing like that happened today. Infact i had a word with them all about getting on because they are friends and dniece was huffy about it.

I am getting fed up of it now and its really upsetting me.
Maybe it is dd faults and i'm just fooling myself about her improvement.
I don't know why i'm posting this, i think i just wanted to get a few things off my chest.

OP posts:
tofutti · 18/10/2016 09:23

Sounds like she has someone on mind to be the next free childcarer.

Let's hope they change their ways or the next person gives them short shrift.

Well done OP. Don't let them guilt trip you into changing your mind.

NoFucksImAQueen · 18/10/2016 09:23

Well done op! You've done the right thing

dowhatnow · 18/10/2016 09:23

You handled it well op. Stay strong to see it through now. Don't give in to the inevitable emotional blackmail and manipulation.

MrsJayy · 18/10/2016 09:23

You sound weary of it all you need to stand up for your child though all kids fight and get into scrapes that is usual but you have to say to them this is not working out for the children you need to find alternative childcare it just is not working.

neolara · 18/10/2016 09:24

Well done.

Peanutandphoenix · 18/10/2016 09:25

Well done op you did the right thing for you and your daughter things can only get better for you both now. Ignore your sister she is just being a bitch your not being selfish your putting your daughter first before her precious little brats and there is nothing wrong with your parenting skills keep doing what your doing and your daughters behaviour should massively improve now that dniece and dnephew are not around anymore. FlowersChocolate for you and DD.

MrsJayy · 18/10/2016 09:26

Oh update well done you did the right thing. Hopefully she will calm down and the kids can get back to being cousins.

Bogeyface · 18/10/2016 09:28

It never ceases to amaze me how shit some parents are considered to be by others, until those other people want these so called "shit" parents to be free childcare!

Well done OP, stick by your guns as this is likely to kick off before it gets better. As for running to your parents, FFS how old is your sister?!

lightsandresistance · 18/10/2016 09:28

Well done op. I am qualified in early years practice. Your parenting techniques sound fine and your two year old sounds... well two!

You have done the right thing in stopping any further emotional abuse of your dd who has the right to grow up without this continual crap.

They will pull out everything to blame you when THEY are at fault. Ignore them.

I have met children like this whos parents believe they can do no wrong and everyone else is the cause of their behaviour and it is awful.

Rachel0Greep · 18/10/2016 09:30

Stay strong OP. The thought of anyone shouting at a 2 year old, just no. And unfortunately her cousins are already picking up on the negativity, and the 5 year old seems to be imitating what her parents do. Enjoy your days with DD. She needs you now to stay strong for her, and for yourself.

Usernameinvalid16 · 18/10/2016 09:32

I suspect she would go running to our parents and it seems she already has. Df called from work and asked what was going on, he agrees with me and told me that its too much shit for me to deal with and i need to look after myself. He told me to book a hotel and take dd away for a few days, clear my head.
Dsis and df haven't been getting on well lately.

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 18/10/2016 09:33

Well done OP - you've done the right thing. I know it's not nice to feel like family dynamics have been altered but to be fair it doesn't sound like you had a good relationship with your sister anyway.

You sound like a great mom and my two year old sounds pretty similar to yours and he's brilliant so yours must be too Grin

FetchezLaVache · 18/10/2016 09:35

Well done, OP, and I am delighted to hear you have your DPs' backing! Not that you actually need it, of course, but it must help to know that other people close to the situation can see it for what it is.

I bet your DSis never for one minute thought you'd realise that you were the one who held the cards. Good for you. Stay strong.

RattieOfCatan · 18/10/2016 09:35

I find it amusing that they think you are a 'shit' parent, but they're perfectly happy to leave their children with you! They are the shit parents. Your methods sound fine, your daughter sounds like a normal toddler and for her sake you need to make sure that the arrangement stops entirely rather than starts up again (well done for cancelling today! But be aware that they are going to struggle to find cheap childcare and you'll get it with both barrels soon when they realise this, stand firm, do not give in to them!)

If child development interests you there are some wonderful, free online courses you can do through places like Coursera and Futurelearn, Futurelearn had a brilliant one not long ago that looked into the impact of a mother's relationship on early development, it was really interesting!

Beeziekn33ze · 18/10/2016 09:36

Your DF sounds great!

ohgoodlordthatsmoist · 18/10/2016 09:36

How selfish of you to save them so much money in childcare!

These are the type of entitled sods that annoy me - have kids and expect everyone else to look after them for them
You've done the right thing stay strong and from what you have written your parenting seems miles ahead of theirs!

Bogeyface · 18/10/2016 09:36

Sounds like DSis is one of lifes takers who has just found out what happens when people get sick of it!

TathitiPete · 18/10/2016 09:40

Be proud of yourself OP, it can be awfully difficult to stand up to family. Flowers

ample · 18/10/2016 09:40

Good for you, OP and you worded the text very well.
Don't let the selfish remark get to you, your sister is expecting you to put her and her children first, ahead of your DD. Bonkers, right? Hmm
Child-minding wasn't helping anyone but your sister and BIL. You would have been dropped like a hot potato had they found a better option. So good riddance. Both you and your DD will be much better without them.

Oh and I would watch out for your sister reprimanding your DD in front of you. That's not on. She should use that energy to parent her own.

diddl · 18/10/2016 09:40

You are being selfish??

Bet if you worked & she didn't she wouldn't look after your kids for nothing.

She probably will ask your parents.

Try not to be guilted into helping if they take it on & then moan.

Mummyoflittledragon · 18/10/2016 09:40

Fab. You should be so proud of yourself. Cheeky cow calling you selfish. Good on your df. And sister and bil should be paying for said weekend - I'm sure hell will freeze over first.

No good deed goes unpunished....

Usernameinvalid16 · 18/10/2016 09:42

I looked into courses and our local college helps with childcare if you attend a full time course. I'll apply for that once it opens up again, sadly i'm too late and the course is full now.

OP posts:
Vixxfacee · 18/10/2016 09:42

You have posted about that a few times now. You said you were no longer going to have the children?! You get given good advice and don't take it and then your family continue treating you like shit for what £50 a week?!

PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon · 18/10/2016 09:43

Well done OP. You have done right by your dd. If you don't speak up for her then no one will. Being shouted at and told to shut up is not on. If it doesn't stop dd will grow up believing she is bad. I'm glad you believe dd but are not blinkered by her (and know she is sometimes wrong). It will help her in the future knowing she can speak to you.
Dsis will have to just get over it. You're not being selfish. If my dd was at a place where I was being told that she was being harmed by the other children/child then I would realise that the setting was not for her.
May have missed the point but at 5 why is niece not at school during the day?

Usernameinvalid16 · 18/10/2016 09:46

PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon her birthday falls at the wrong time of year. Her friend who is the same age as her goes to school but he was born earlier. I know dd will be a late starter aswell.

OP posts: