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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want a bit of understanding

11 replies

scandibambi · 23/01/2018 08:35

NC for this as believe me they would know it was me!

Pre baby we always made the effort,my husband's family all live nearby and he has 3 siblings with partners that are all quite demanding as well as in laws who are lovely. They all have to be seen regularly otherwise there's suddenly an issue and we don't want to see them because we don't like them or something odd. They've all had kids before us and they're kids are all aged 6 upwards now. We always made a huge effort always going to them because it was easier with their kids, even recently we go to them even though we have a newborn and they have teenagers and self sufficient 6, 8, 10 year olds. So we stopped doing it as much especially as our baby is massively into routine, she will be very grouchy around 5pm onwards so visits after work etc or going round for dinner don't work, she has to go to bed in her own cot at a set time.

Apparently they've all forgotten this as they've all got older kids and it's our fault we don't see them all enough and basically we're terrible family members. We definitely made a rod for our own backs by always doing the visiting pre baby and now it's come back to bite us. They actually all bitch about us to each other and we hear little bits from lovely in laws who aren't spreading stuff but just say to us "make sure you see XX soon becauseI don't think they're too happy"
We also get passive aggressive group text messages like oh the routine thing doesn't get any easier you know,we still struggle (their kids are 8 and 12) and when we offer them to come round they're too busy for ages or they can't do the days and times we offer, they want to do evenings whilst we offer mornings/lunch as otherwise baby is grouchy and they don't like this. I just don't know what to do, WIBU to send a group message along the lines of "sorry we don't get to see you all as much but our door is always open apart from evenings as baby is a grouchy madam we'd love to see you all" to make the point they need to start coming to us?? WWYD??

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scandibambi · 23/01/2018 08:35

God that's long sorry

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RedHelenB · 23/01/2018 08:38

Your solution sounds great.YANBU.

MrsExpo · 23/01/2018 08:47

Do what you suggested. They sound very self centred to me. They know where you live and if their DCs are “busy” then they can come alone. (What can a 6 or 8 year old be busy doing which can’t be re-scheduled?). Thank goodness for having nice PiLs. Can’t they point out to selfish siblings that roads can’t be travelled along in both directions?

scandibambi · 23/01/2018 08:56

In laws are lovely but they never get involved, I guess they've cleared over the years with 4 kids that it's best to keep out of these things. What i meant was they're busy as families not just the DC so like sorry can't do that day got stuff on,can't do mornings or lunch because I work nights a lot at the moment (yet then go out for breakfast together as a family and stick it all over facebook) they all say how much they love their neice and want to see her more then act like this,it really upsets me.

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scandibambi · 23/01/2018 08:57

Worked out not cleared out!

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HoppingPavlova · 23/01/2018 09:06

It may just be that you need to send a blunt message regarding how hard it is and that it may be you guys don’t get to connect much until your baby is older and please be assured

Don’t underestimate how hard routine can be for older kids as well. I have teens and second it doesn’t get any better, actually have found it a lot worse. We always took babies/toddlers places as they were fairly portable and they had no commitments, we determined where we went and when not the baby/toddler/younger child. Older kids and teens ...... add 2 or more kids and 1001 extracurricular activities in and flexibility completely goes out the window. After school there is homework and sports training a few afternoons/evenings. Weekends we start at 9am Sat, around 8ish on Sun, take a kid each and ferry them around to activities (dancing/martial arts/ team sports/ umpiring/ music lessons etc) and the last person generally doesn’t get home with their assigned kid until 5ish each day. Given this, days are completely out for us and we have to catch up with others of an evening or not at all. If someone suggested mornings/lunch we would think they were mad or had no idea about life with kids who have their own comittments. Sure, when we visit those with babies/toddlers/young kids they are grouchy, hard to put to bed, need someone to lay with them while they go to sleep or whatnot but that doesn’t take 2 parents and we all happily roll with it.

HoppingPavlova · 23/01/2018 09:08

Missing text ..... please be assured it doesn’t mean that there are any problems with anyone.

scandibambi · 23/01/2018 09:40

I agree however these particular kids have no extra curricular activities,spend most of their time watching tv or on the computer/iPad etc, they don't do all the things you've said and spend most Sundays lazing around yet still expect us to go to them! It's so odd.

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steppemum · 23/01/2018 10:11

I think you need to be more up front about YOUR expectations, in a light hearted way if you can.

'Would love to see you guys, as there are 4 of us (eg 4 siblings?) how about we take it in turns to visit each other? None of you have been to us for ages, so it is our turn. Right, next weekend, open house on Sunday from 10- 4, I'll do food, you bring the wine.'

Every time they moan/ask, restate that - OK so who's turn is it to host? Oh you haven't been here for a while....

and while I do think they should be prepared to come to you, babies are just as flexible /transportable as older kids

sixteenapples · 23/01/2018 10:20

It is much harder with older kids, believe me. As Hopping said they have their own schedules.
Just because you don't know of any activities doesn't mean there aren't any. There will also be homework. And older kids cannot always be persuaded that the best use of a Saturday is to spend the day with Aunty X when they have a lot to do and friends to see and have had a heavy week at school.

All the stuff about your baby having a routine and their kids not doing anything is irrelevant. Either you visit or they do or no-one does. As long as you communicate it'll be fine.

Making snide comments about their lazy teens, (when you obviously think you are a bit of a perfect parent), does not reflect well on you and you don't sound as if you like them or their kids much so I'd let it slide a bit.

scandibambi · 23/01/2018 12:45

Oh wow I never said I was the perfect parent, I wish I was so my baby would be all perfect and never get and I could take her anywhere at any time! Believe me they do nothing,2 only go to school for 3 hours per day and they have no homework or any extra curricular activities so IMO no excuses really. Every weekend they don't do much and yet still don't think to come and see us yet go mad that we don't see them? But we feel like why should it always be us that does the visiting!

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