To think this is very cheeky - re home schooling

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

My DB and SIL have had SIL's mum (lets call her Jean) living with them since April so that they could WFH whiles she looks after their 4yo and 6yo, as they're both in high pressure roles. Jean is 69 and has been retired from nursing for about 5 years and watched the kids 3 days a week before they began school.

However it seems it's all gone tits up today, SIL's mum has packed her bags and gone home after a disagreement with DB and SIL.
Apparently they aren't happy that she hasn't really been doing the home schooling stuff, despite forwarding her the teacher's emails every day. SIL said she would "sit on her phone in the living room while the kids watched TV."

They spoke to her today and said that it's very important the kids get their home work done and she needs to do the work with them. Long story short - Jean stropped off and went home. Now they're in a huge panic about it (the reason I know all this is that SIL rang and asked if I could spare a few days to look after the kids while they find a new solution, as I am furloughed).

AIBU to side with Jean on this one?
The poor woman worked her whole life, lost her husband in her 50's, when she did retire she went straight to doing childcare for free 3 days a week, went from retired solitude to suddenly living in a busy house with 2 energetic kids as a favour. They are 4 and 6, it's not like doing their GCSE's, DB and SIL seem to think that not doing cutting and sticking tasks assigned by the school will doom them to a life of stupidity. And, to me, when you ask such a huge favour you don't get to be picky about the details. If she wants to sit on her phone all day, as long as the children are distracted from bothering mummy and daddy then whats the problem?!

I said no to the childcare BTW. I have 2 of my own to look after and I can barely be bothered home schooling my 2 (it's also against the rulez innit)

Wow taking them to her allotment and out on bikes to the nature reserve! I think Jean sounds ace.

Mum and dad are twits. They are responsible for the schooling NOT the FREE childminder!

#teamjean Oh and

Your DB and sil are CFs of the highest order

Jean is a legend....I hope when contact is resumed she ensures her son and daughter in law know how lucky they are!

I’m with Jean!

Cheeky, but it doesn't surprise me.

My brother and SIL are like this with my parents. I've watched in bewilderment as my parents spend hours each day learning the curriculum so they can teach my brother's children over skype. Meanwhile we're told how exhausted DB and SIL are, and how hard life is home-educating your children! What's really tragic is that when lockdown ends, I imagine they will go back to not bothering to put their children in touch with their grandparents, because it will no longer be 'useful' contact.

Team jean!!

they will remember spending those lovely hot May days in the nature reserve/allotment with granny Jean for the rest of their lives (they can catch up everything else when they get back to school)

So they're taking the piss twice

Fuckers

GO JEAN! We LOVE YOU JEAN!

Jeez what CF!

What's also annoying is that their kids are in Y1 and pre school and their school offered to take them both back on 1st June and they said no!

Noooo.....🤣

Homeschooling a 4 and 6 year old is full on.

I mean, come on shiningstar2, you're having a laugh.

(That said, I'm completely all for Jean)

Team Jean ... your inlaws are users

To be fair, she should have said no from the start. You either look after the kids properly, or you don’t do if.

Nobody thought the lockdown was going to last this long, personally, after a week, at Jane’s age, I would have thought it was enough for her to stop the kids climbing over the parents while they are having meetings at work.

If they wanted a live in nanny they should be paying her the going rate, not complaining and thinking it is enough to feed her.

Team Jean all the way!

If Jean has been taking them for walks and bike rides, that's perfect childcare.

CF parents should have done a bit of phonics and reading every day. If they couldn't fit any number work in during the week then they could have done that at weekends. Easy to do counting or simple addition and subtraction just by playing board games.

Team Jean!

Team Jean here too

Go Jean. At her age I plan to eat cake and read books like,not take up teaching.

Haha ...No goodbyestranger ... I'm not having a laugh
i'm a retired Secondary school teacher. Subject English and English Literature. Taught at GCSE and A level and believe me I'd rather have a full class of teenagers any day, in a school setting, than be responsible for the teaching of two Infants plus the care, making and supervising of meal times and refereeing quarrels any day. But then I'm not a very patient person

Another one Team Jean! 🌟

Poor woman was doing her best as a favour. At 69 being as involved as the DC's parents wanted her to be would have been exhausting so good for her for voting with her feet and going home for some peace!

And well done you OP!
I said no to the childcare BTW. So refreshing on here to see someone be assertive! 🌹

So, who will be looking after the DC tomorrow?

DB and SIL by the looks of it!

No idea if the school have contacted them. Are schools really doing that?! I mean I'm doing a fraction of the work sent every day with mine and no ones said anything (though I did email them at the beginning to say this would be the case)

I’m always amazed when people fail to acknowledge what a massive privilege it is having grandparents who are willing and able to provide regular free childcare. It’s up there with being gifted a house deposit, and yet so many seem to take it for granted.

I totally agree. My mum lives abroad (and couldn't look after a hamster), dad died before my kids were born and exH's mum and dad are amazing and love the kids but are still only in their early 60's and work full time. My aunt and uncle love round the corner and dote on my DC and are happy to have them if I'm in a pickle. so between me and ex we've had enough people happy to babysit for nights out, emergencies etc, and we are bloody glad of it. Never expected them to watch them while we work. We always paid for childcare while we worked - but the amount of people I know who get pregnant and financially plan that their parents will watch their kids until school age, as if it's an entitlement, is shocking. I always think what if they're suddenly sick, go on holiday, have a long term illness etc.

ExMIL has a friend who has found herself looking after her 2 GC every weekend since they were about 3 months old for 2 nights. Oldest is now 7. She's knackered but it becomes their norm and she doesn't want to upset her DD. I often wonder how they are coping now without granny taking the kids 2 nights a week!

I, too, worship at the altar of Jean.

When my childminder told me she was doing limited reopening I could have kissed her. I don’t care what she does with her - it is great for my daughter to have someone else than me trying to work and deal with her needs. If I was getting it for free....might just shut up.

BTW I can totally picture Jean right now having a bubble bath, glass of gin and tonic (with a slice of cucumber, large helping of gin as I found out one Christmas ) in hand, belting out songs to her Michael Ball album.

We salute you Jean

Good for you Jean!

So refreshing on here to see someone be assertive!

I'll admit when SIL rang I thought "this is SO going on MN later" and part of my refusal to help was spurred on by "what will MN think if I say yes"