Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To tell sister her parenting is alienating others

275 replies

OnionsAndLemons · 01/07/2023 06:54

I think my sisters parenting is so extra, that whilst I believe your children should be your top priority, I think her reactions to thinks are out of proportion.

Example: we both think our children should not have to kiss/hug anyone they don’t want to. So I said to her 2 year old after a family meal out, ‘cuddle goodbye?’ Her 2 year old just stood there so I said ‘no?, Ok’ and stood up. My sister pipes in, talking to her daughter ‘we can say no auntie Kate can’t we, tell auntie Kate we can say no’. I was so embarrassed as it was in front of everyone, I said I was not pressuring for a hug. She said oh I know we’re just teaching her she can say no. I agree with the concept but she’d have learnt from the interaction with me alone she can say no.

My mum was doing my sisters 2 year olds nappy. She initially wouldn’t lie down for it and when she did my mum said ‘oh well done, good girl’ or similar. My sister said mum was overdoing it with the praise and asked her to tone it down as girls are taught to be obedient and she doesn’t want that. (Note: my mum treats my son exactly the same, lots of praise when he does as asked). She does this sort of thing with my mum a lot and my mum is feeling constantly criticised and untrusted. My sister told my about the nappy thing, expecting me to agree but I told her you can’t micromanage every interaction.

I have an isofix car seat for my son in my car and bought a cheaper one (but new and from a reputable place) for my mums car for occasional use. My son is the same age as my niece so they both fit in it. However my sister has told my mum her daughter is not to use it as it’s cheap and doesn’t rear face. She doesn’t feel it’s safe. But hasn’t bought one herself. Didn’t share cost with me when I suggested we buy one together they can both use. Has never learnt to remove her own car seat to put in my mums car.

These are a few example but I could go on. Next time she says something similar to me or tell me about something to do with my mum I feel like it’s all going to spill out.

OP posts:
Fandabedodgy · 01/07/2023 10:21

She's OTT to my taste but you just need to grin and bear it.

There's loads of differences in parenting between me and my sister and my SIL. I never say a word about though and I wouldn't appreciate them saying anything to me.

ANewAdventure · 01/07/2023 10:21

She does sound a bit irritating and performance parenting.

I refused to let my kids use the grandparent seats my siblings were happy with. I expect they thought I was being precious! But the difference is I swapped my seat in to their car, and then when care became weekly I bought a seat for them.

It’s really up to your mum whether she puts a boundary in about some of this stuff or not. I know plenty of grandparents who put up with all sorts of crap because they don’t want to risk not seeing their grandchildren. I’d suggest taking a step back when you can, and saying to both mum and sister: “please don’t complain about x to me, it makes me feel uncomfortable”. Because it seems like it’s the stuck in the middle bit that’s much of the problem.

rainbowstardrops · 01/07/2023 10:23

Apologies as not the point of this thread but my children are teens/twenties now so I'm not up to date with the latest thoughts and ideas on car seats.
When mine were little, they had rear facing first stage car seats up to about 9 months I think but then a larger forward facing seat.
If you can use rear-facing seats up until they're around 6 years old, where do there legs go?! Sorry if I'm being thick but I didn't realise this was a thing these days.

Oh and your sister would irritate the life out of me @OnionsAndLemons!

Irritateandunreasonable · 01/07/2023 10:27

Dreamer8 · 01/07/2023 07:18

The first example is perfectly fine, it wasn't embarrassing. The second example is ridiculous. The third example is her choice if she only wants to use a rear facing seat.

First example was a bit OTT. Sounds like OPs sister was just putting on a show.

Children learn best by subtle consistency and mimick that of how their peers & grown ups act around them.

Sounds like OPs sister is desperately trying to claw at some control rather then just living life by the values she feels are important.

ANewAdventure · 01/07/2023 10:27

rainbowstardrops · 01/07/2023 10:23

Apologies as not the point of this thread but my children are teens/twenties now so I'm not up to date with the latest thoughts and ideas on car seats.
When mine were little, they had rear facing first stage car seats up to about 9 months I think but then a larger forward facing seat.
If you can use rear-facing seats up until they're around 6 years old, where do there legs go?! Sorry if I'm being thick but I didn't realise this was a thing these days.

Oh and your sister would irritate the life out of me @OnionsAndLemons!

They cross their legs. Or stretch them out up the seat. Or hang them either side. Or bend them. Think about all the different positions a child may take when sitting on a formal chair, not being able to sit prim and proper is not a problem!

Lacucuracha · 01/07/2023 10:28

I offered to go half on a car seat, she didn’t take me up on it. We hadn’t discussed what kind we’d get so it wasn’t me forcing a cheap one on her.

So she only cares about the safety of her child if someone else pays for it. She’s a hypocrite because she’s still sending her dc to your mum.

Why doesn’t your mum ask her for half?

LolaSmiles · 01/07/2023 10:37

*They cross their legs. Or stretch them out up the seat. Or hang them either side. Or bend them. Think about all the different positions a child may take when sitting on a formal chair, not being able to sit prim and proper is not a problem!"
This, plus I don't get the impression a forward facing seat with legs dangling is that comfortable.
I hate sitting on high stools without a foot rest. Younger children forward facing always looks like that to me.

OhwhyOY · 01/07/2023 10:39

She's right re the car seat, your child shouldn't be forward facing if under 4. It's significantly less safe. But she should have said this before you bought the seat and bought one jointly, it's not helpful at this stage, particularly said to your mum rather than to you (I.e. bit worried that seat isn't safe, any opportunity to return it?). The other stuff would irritate me but I'd just roll my eyes and ignore it - unless it was so constant it really drove me mad and then I'd tell her in no uncertain terms that she needed to pack it in!

rainbowstardrops · 01/07/2023 10:39

They cross their legs. Or stretch them out up the seat. Or hang them either side. Or bend them. Think about all the different positions a child may take when sitting on a formal chair, not being able to sit prim and proper is not a problem!

Oh ok @ANewAdventure. I didn't realise. If they have their legs up the back seat though, isn't that really dangerous if the car is involved in a crash? A bit like when front seat passengers put their feet on the dashboard?
And what's wrong with a forward facing seat? Sorry to ask so many questions and to go off on a bit of a tangent but I've never heard of this but like I said, it's been years since we needed car seats!

OnionsAndLemons · 01/07/2023 10:40

@Fiddlesticks82 i do but it’s been strained at times so this helps to gain a bit of perspective on what to address, what’s actually unreasonable and what to grin and bear.

OP posts:
OnionsAndLemons · 01/07/2023 10:41

@OhwhyOY it is constant

OP posts:
LolaSmiles · 01/07/2023 10:42

rainbowstardrops
The danger for front seat passengers putting their feet on the dashboard is that if airbags deploy and their legs are there then it's going to get messy/painful.

It's why, if I remember correctly, the passenger airbag needs to be turned off if parents use the front seat for a rear facing infant carrier.

The rear headrests in the back seats don't have that risk.

Quiverer · 01/07/2023 10:53

Jellifulfruit · 01/07/2023 09:30

I don’t see it as performance parenting though. She’s teaching her daughter from a young age that she can verbally use the word “no”. Rather than freezing. If she adopts this when she’s an adult, it might save her from some hairy situations. Of course auntie took the silence as no, most would, but not everyone. Predatory men may not. And may use the lack of a verbal “no” as a way to surpass a rape charge

Come off it. No predatory man dealing with a small child is ever going to succeed with the defence "She didn't say no". And by the time OP's niece reaches the age of consent, it seems pretty safe to conclude that she will have learnt to say no rather than to stay silent, irrespective of what she said to her auntie when she was 2.

Jellifulfruit · 01/07/2023 11:01

Quiverer · 01/07/2023 10:53

Come off it. No predatory man dealing with a small child is ever going to succeed with the defence "She didn't say no". And by the time OP's niece reaches the age of consent, it seems pretty safe to conclude that she will have learnt to say no rather than to stay silent, irrespective of what she said to her auntie when she was 2.

I meant in adult world you dingo.

Jellifulfruit · 01/07/2023 11:02

Quiverer · 01/07/2023 10:53

Come off it. No predatory man dealing with a small child is ever going to succeed with the defence "She didn't say no". And by the time OP's niece reaches the age of consent, it seems pretty safe to conclude that she will have learnt to say no rather than to stay silent, irrespective of what she said to her auntie when she was 2.

Also no, it’s not “pretty safe to assume”. Maaaany women find themselves being coerced into sex by men pressuring them. If they’ve been taught from an early age that NO is ok, and they don’t have to convey a “no” by silence, a lot of adult women may be less manipulated into sex. Work in this field and you’ll have your eyes opened.

Quiverer · 01/07/2023 11:05

Jellifulfruit · 01/07/2023 11:01

I meant in adult world you dingo.

Which is utterly irrelevant to this issue. You dingo.

Quiverer · 01/07/2023 11:07

Jellifulfruit · 01/07/2023 11:02

Also no, it’s not “pretty safe to assume”. Maaaany women find themselves being coerced into sex by men pressuring them. If they’ve been taught from an early age that NO is ok, and they don’t have to convey a “no” by silence, a lot of adult women may be less manipulated into sex. Work in this field and you’ll have your eyes opened.

You really think this child is not going to be taught fully about saying no over the next 14 years? Or that somehow her aunt accepting her wishes when she was 2 is going to affect that? This is straying into fantasy.

GCalltheway · 01/07/2023 11:11

I think your sister has had a bad experience and she is trying to prevent it happening to her little girl. It seems extreme to ask her dd to practice with people. I would cut her some slack and be supportive.

Countingdowntodecember · 01/07/2023 11:12

She just parents differently to you. I wouldn’t put a 2 year old in a forward facing car seat either 🤷‍♀️.

GreenNoel94 · 01/07/2023 11:24

Honestly if that’s the way she is choosing to raise her child that’s fine but if your mum finds it difficult to look after her for fear of saying the wrong thing or your sister won’t provide the car seat she wants used (I would want rear facing also in all honesty) then your dm is also within her rights to say she doesn’t want to look after her anymore.

ChangeIsInevitable · 01/07/2023 11:27

LittleBlueBrioTrain · 01/07/2023 06:59

The micro managing sounds like a pain but she's probably right about the rear facing depending on the age of child and brand of seat. There are some shocking and totally inappropriate car seats available from reputable places

This is true but she hasn't provided a solution. I think that's what's making it ridiculous. She can buy a suitable car seat then but she hasn't and seems to be expecting others to do it for her.

ChangeIsInevitable · 01/07/2023 11:35

OnionsAndLemons · 01/07/2023 07:53

I’m not saying she should use the car seat (and actually will now be looking at getting another one for my mums car, I assumed if it was new and from a car seat company, it would be safe). What I’m saying is she has provided no alternative, did not take me up on the offer to share cost, and says she doesn’t know how to remove her own car seat to put in my mums car.

I was embarrassed because no one was paying attention to me offering a cuddle, they would have all seen my sister telling her daughter to tell me no. Equally her step-son (9yr) sits on my families laps whether they want him to or not. She doesn’t say anything.

My niece recently vomited at my mums house, it wasn’t a lot, was straight after having a bit of a cough while eating and she was her normal self after. So my mum didn’t tell my sister until pick up. My sister said my mum should have text her. My sister spoke to me about it, that’s she just wants communication and I said maybe she’s feeling a bit criticised. Both sister and her husband said they don’t care if they want a text they should get one. So my mum texts a few days later that notices poop was a bit green. Sister said she doesn’t need to know every little thing.

Yeah your sister sounds like hardwork.

Jellifulfruit · 01/07/2023 11:37

Quiverer · 01/07/2023 11:05

Which is utterly irrelevant to this issue. You dingo.

It’s not thoooo 😫 😂

BonnieBobbin · 01/07/2023 11:40

Your DM and DSIS are putting you in the middle but you don't have to have an opinion on any of it. Just nod, say hmm, then talk about something else.

I don't think any of the examples are bad. Your DSIS wasn't criticising you in the first example. She's trying to teach her Dd to say 'no' - which her DD hadn't done. You'd said 'no' for her iyswim. There are umpteen threads on here about women learning to say 'no' as adults because they've been socially conditioned to say 'yes' or not say anything. It's a good lesson for a girl to learn to say 'no' when she is tiny. Likewise the 'good girl' is part of wider social conditioning about what constitutes being a 'good girl'. It's not about your DM. It's not personal.

ChangeIsInevitable · 01/07/2023 11:41

TheLongpigs · 01/07/2023 09:04

OP, I think you're having a bit of a hard time on here from people who are seeing their own parenting writ large in your descriptions of your sisters behaviour, and are feeling defensive about it.

I think you are being completely reasonable. I also do not think that anyone has the right to come on and tell somebody that their experience was not embarrassing when that woman has clearly said that she experienced embarrassment. So I would ignore everyone who has said that - and probably everything else they've said too!

I think the only thing you can do at the moment is to withdraw a bit, and hope your mum feels able to do similar. Your sister may change a bit if she has another child, or just wears herself into the ground or becomes tired of her own tedious parenting commentary.

It doesn't sound like you would get anywhere by talking to her about it – peoples responses here are evidence of that!

Completely agree with this, OP.

Swipe left for the next trending thread