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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Grandad won't stop play fighting with son, ended in injury

225 replies

MrMakersFartyParty · 02/01/2019 10:41

My son is 2 and my father always plays rough with him, flinging him about onto the sofa, tickling (past the point where my son clearly can't handle it and can barely breathe), holding him upside down and he holds him by his wrists and allows him to climb up his body. I have repeatedly said no to the play fighting because I have noticed my son being out of control, hyped up, and recently sometimes hitting (never ever does this any other time). I have also said under no circumstances is he to hold him by the arms or wrists because he actually dislocated my arms when i was a child doing the same thing.
Every other visit it is like he "forgets" and I have to intervene and then he says "oh we have to stop mummy doesn't like it", no you have to stop because you're going to break his frigging arms!
I don't want to micro manage their relationship but it's really getting me down, my son is naughty after he visits and i am terrified he's going to damage his hands and arms. My son has also started to try and play rough with his younger siblings and has ended up hurting them quite a bit now (accidentally).
In my house I am able to intervene, however he also goes to his nannas for play dates (not childcare) and my dad is there and his nan has promised that she won't allow it but I have seen photos on facebook of my son being held and swung by his wrists again.

I feel so powerless and i don't know how to handle this. my dad goes funny if i question anything he does and i have to really tread on eggshells with him. I don't know what to do because i have said "i don't want you to do that, stop, no" etc but when he "forgets" it's too late and i am worried about the consequences.

My son is starting to think i'm horrible because i'm always ruining their "fun".

OP posts:
DeepanKrispanEven · 02/01/2019 14:36

Juells a child who is nearly 3 is 2. Plenty of children who are 2 can talk. There's no different slant at all.

Missingstreetlife · 02/01/2019 14:39

Well done op, good start. Now you have to confront your dad. Actually this is a safeguarding issue, you shouldn't lie, you should actually tell gp and health visitor, they will probably advise you to prevent your dad rough playing with your son.
I think you should be zero tolerance, don't let him start with his aggressive behaviour dressed up as fun. I would probably go no contact at least for a little while to reestablish boundaries. Not healthy for love and pain, fun and injury to be linked like this.

Mishappening · 02/01/2019 14:40

Rough play can be good and fun - it is when the boundaries are over-steeped that the problems arise. Often a child can get over-stimulated and feel uncomfortable about it - some men who do this do not know when to stop. I have seen a situation with a granddad who did not know when to stop and it escalated and caused enormous problems in the family.

diddl · 02/01/2019 14:40

"Bloody hell @diddl I'm taking responsibility for it clearly."

Yes I know & as I put-that's all that matters-not your mum pissing about speaking to your dad!

subspace · 02/01/2019 14:42

You are ruining their fun, and they will only be little once

Being ticked beyond being able to breathe and being rough played so strongly your wrists hurt or joints are dislocated is NOT "ruining their fun" it's safeguarding your child

Rough play is good fun. When it's with adults who know when to stop it before injury happens and who respect the child's own parent's wishes. I'm sure the kid will have other adults in his life who will rough play with him without going too far. His grandfather is not that person.

Consolidateyourloins · 02/01/2019 14:43

Wordthe the women generally sit passively as they lack the upper body strength (and possibly coordination in many cases).

Women sit passively? Do fuck off @JustABetterPlayer

Gth1234 · 02/01/2019 14:46

rough play is not too clever.

I might be out of step, but 5 minutes of peek a boo, round and round the garden, and horse riding a child on your knees is enough for most adults, and will probably get the youngsters happy for more.

Missingstreetlife · 02/01/2019 14:46

Queen you should also speak to your health visitor or gp. Someone needs to tell your dp or you need to think about how to enforce boundaries.

QueenofmyPrinces · 02/01/2019 14:48

Will be very clear to them that this is considered appropriate behaviour for men but not for women because for one thing women don't have the physical strength to do this
this is clearly a way of separating men from women and saying that this is appropriate for men but not for women

Very true. My eldest son is always asking me to throw him around “like daddy does” but I physically can’t do any of what my husband does with him.

My husband has a brother who has three children. The brother does extremely rough play with his two sons (worse than what DH is like with our son) but doesn’t do any rough play with his daughter because he “doesn’t want to hurt his Princess.”

Santaisfastasleepatlast · 02/01/2019 14:51

I remember being tickled to the extreme as a small dc. Locking myself in the downstairs loo terrified.
As an adult if anyone tried to tickle me I shut down. Don't feel anything at all. Even being held (cuddled) makes me numb.
Hopefully your ds will be young enough to forget it. And well down for taking back control.

Missingstreetlife · 02/01/2019 14:56

So the boys get the message it's ok to be hurt. I would report that

Bertiebitch32 · 02/01/2019 14:57

I'm sorry but if my child had marks if be seriously considering reporting it even if it was done in fun it's probably the only way he would listen and know you're serious

MrMakersFartyParty · 02/01/2019 15:08

He doesn't have marks I was showing her where my son was saying they ache, I was sort of exaggerating really.

OP posts:
morningconstitutional2017 · 02/01/2019 15:14

Remind your dad that he injured you as a child and has he forgotten? Tell him that DS has complained that his wrists hurt after visits and in no uncertain terms that he needed to see the GP. Perhaps add that the GP has said no more rough games even if this is a fib. Your dad sounds stubborn so if possible cut down on unsupervised visits if you can. You really must put your foot down.

Dragongirl10 · 02/01/2019 15:20

Op clearly you cannot trust either of your parents, so just don't leave him with them, they can meet you out of come to your house..end of.

My son HATES being tickled and would have a panic attack if someone bigger and stronger continued to tickle him.
This is not kind and gentle 'roughousing' it is nasty behavior from your father, please don't doubt that.

You are doing the right thing, stop this now and re educate your son on how to behave with his siblings, ie gently and listening when they say 'no' this will only work if he his being listened to.....

ForAMinuteThere · 02/01/2019 15:24

I had a parent doing this. Didn't listen and it was getting silly - then he hurt my eldest and the eldest was upset and we left immediately. He's never done it since. It put a thorn in their relationship as my eldest thought it was all fun and games to that point. It shouldn't have got to that stage at all though, it's not what I'm suggesting.

TheMincePiesAreMine · 02/01/2019 15:28

Crikey, are your son's wrists bruised?

Well done OP. Really glad to hear we have helped. You're the parent, trust your instincts.

TheMincePiesAreMine · 02/01/2019 15:29

Crossposted - slow typing sorry!

ColdCrumpetsandButter · 02/01/2019 15:34

Don't send him.

Secondly he needs to quit the blaming mummy business. How dare he!

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 02/01/2019 15:45

My own Dad tickled me to the point of panic when I was quite small - he was leaning on my knees, which were up to my chest, and I don't honestly think he realised what he was doing (because he never did it again) - I couldn't breathe to laugh, to cry, to say stop and the only reason he did stop is because tears were leaking out of my eyes and he noticed.

I HATE being tickled. LOATHE it. And will not ever tickle a child past the point where they can't catch their breath, or with any bodily restriction so the can't actually draw breath.

Not everyone likes rough play and it's often a fine line between laughing and screaming/crying - both my sons have a fear of heights and being thrown up into the air by a big strong man would have them screaming all right - from fright!

Can't generalise about what boys/children like.

Fairenuff · 02/01/2019 15:49

Well done OP.

FuckingYuleLog · 02/01/2019 16:34

Well done op. Unfortunately the gps can’t be trusted to look after him alone while he’s so little.
I was absolutely fuming on your behalf that your dad has been blaming you for having to stop his games and turning your son against you. I would explain to my son very simply that it’s not safe and grandad could hurt you doing that. Sorry to have to say it op but he doesn’t sound like a very nice man - and your mum sounds scared of him.

JustABetterPlayer · 02/01/2019 16:36

Knickknack no not seriously but they do get more and more wound up and silly, which inevitably ends in tears if they don’t calm down Grin.

JustABetterPlayer · 02/01/2019 16:39

Consolidateyourloins

Try reading the post by the other user before making senseless comments.

subspace · 02/01/2019 17:19

The brother does extremely rough play with his two sons but doesn’t do any rough play with his daughter because he “doesn’t want to hurt his Princess.

Nice one, teach girls they're fragile because they're female, that'll serve her well in the future Hmm

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