To twitch with rage at this? I think I might BU.

[ScreechingWeasel]

It's a MIL one. Generally she grates on me but we plod along. I try to be nice but I've always slighted her in some magical way and she's in tears on the phone about it.

The thing is everytime I see her with DD she does something that infuriates me but I'm not sure why. At mealtimes DD is happily eating in her high chair and no matter what it is she'll keep wandering past and say "Nanny have some!" and help herself to whatever is on the tray.

I twitch. I don't know why it bothers me so much. She does it over and over. Argh.

So would I BU to start saying something? I don't want to start an argument over it but seriously, stop eating my daughter's meals!

Can you laminate a picture of your DD with the Friends quote "Joey don't share food" ?

Do you maybe eat smaller portions than her? Maybe she's hungry when she eats at yours. I have friends who are much smaller eaters than me, they'll be "stuffed" and I'll be stopping at the petrol station for snacks on the way home

Does she do it to adults?

as a solution"

"MIL, DD is going to be going to nursery/school where there are kids with serious allergies, she needs to learn that people can't share things from each other's plates so that she doesn't make her friends sick"

That would piss me off too! Its teaching dd bad manners, plus its gross!

Just do it to her a few times when she's eating. See how she likes it.

life's too short

DonutParade, oracle.

Don't smack her hand!! Omg that can only end badly!

It's a generation thing. She is doing it to encourage her to eat. However misguided it seems to you, I would bet it isn't intended to annoy or insult anyone.

How much does MIL eat? Is your daughter going without food? Does she go: 'Nom, nom, nom?' Does it upset your daughter?

People sometimes do things like this to encourage babies to eat or to play. If your daughter is eating, it's not necessary, but maybe it's your mother in law's habit or maybe the baby thinks it's fun.

Unless she's depriving your child of food or distressing her, I'd let her get on with it.

You are right fuxfur I think that its about still annoying though

She is just trying to have some fun and interact with her grandchild. Stop being so precious and just get over it for goodness sake!

It's the equivalent of your dad gently pinching your nose and sticking his thumb between his forefinger and middle finger and pretending that he's snatched it.

Unless it is a very literal child who really thing they have lost their nose, in which case the game would be wrong, there has never been any harm done.

I really do wonder about MN

It's not a generation thing-it's a no manners thing!

Doesn't seem like a massive deal to me.

Do her a toddler sized plate of what your DD has.

is the problem with the mother in law more than the action?would you be like this if your best friend did it.

How does she take the food?

With her own cutlery, or her fingers or using DD's spoon?

Agree weird & slightly revolting. Is she generally greedy?

That's grim.

People eating food from other people's plates makes me gag.

Your DD will think it's okay to just randomly grab food when it's halfway to someone's mouth.

Does your MiL do this in restaurants when she's walking past other diners? She sounds kind of weird.

Yes, I can see it's annoying, but one of those things I would have perhaps wrongly have put up with. She could pretend to eat the food, rather than actually eat it though. I think a lot of the older generation do this in the misguided belief it would make the child eat more. My Mil used to constantly say "nasty dummy" and pull it out of my baby's mouth, and say "I'm going to keep it" to my baby..Used to wind me up. Not only belittling my choice of giving a dummy, but also holding it in her dirty hand before giving it straight back again. Wish I'd said something at the time, but I didn't. Hope I don't do that when I'm a Grandma.

Yabu &petty
It's not a big deal!

My MIL used to do this!

Dd threw a fit as a baby and literally screamed when she took her food.

Mil thought it was hilarious...until Dh told her to stop being so pathetic and grow up.

Your DD will think it's okay to just randomly grab food when it's halfway to someone's mouth.

I don't think she will

It really isn't a generation thing. Neither my parents nor my in-laws ever do this. I'd suggest you say to her that DD has reached an age where you want her to learn that we don't take other people's food, so please could she stop.

FIL used to do this - until DS stabbed him in the hand with his fork Caused an almighty row it did, but the fucker never did it again.

It's very poor manners. I would say to MIL you are trying to teach DD good manners so can she please stop taking food off her plate.