Don't really want to bring kids to MIL

[lampadu]

MIL has a habit of asking for me to bring the kids or her and then picking them back up. After school and nursery I mean.

I find it a bit inconvenient.

I'm currently on a break from work, so I pick my DD up at 3:30 and then my other DD at around 4 ish. We get home for about 4:30.

We then watch TV/ have cuddles, eat, bath etc. we have our little routine.

Getting them to sleep takes at least 30 minutes and is highly stressful, as they both need me to fall asleep with them and if one of them is messing around or sometimes both, it can take forever.

Anyway, it's inconvenient for me to pick them both up - go to MIL's house ( she likes to feed them there ) then either go home ( or stay there for a couple of hours ) and then go home.

They always get all wound up and then it's late to bed and it takes even longer to get them to sleep.

I don't mind once in a while, but say, once a week is too much.

Am I being too inflexible?

I would rather she just visited us instead. But she doesn't really like that as much. I would also be happy if she did the pick ups and then I could pick them up from her house. That may be a bit easier in some way on me.

just say "sorry, we need the time and regularity of our routine, why not talk to DH and arrange a visit"

and then ignore requests.

Op I have the exact same here it’s a bloody nightmare. Mine are 2 and 4 and it’s so stressful to bring them so often. I dread it. I would love to be visited instead. No idea why we can’t be as we live close by car (I don’t drive but they do) and am very welcoming. But just want to say, I know how you feel!

She isn’t in charge of you, tell your Dh to visit her with the dc one da6 every now and then.

YANBU. She'll have to be more flexible, if she wants to see the children so often. I'd suggest that you'll go to hers every X number of weeks (whatever feels right to you) and she can come over to yours or pick the children up and take them to hers on the other weeks, if she wants time with them.

That may not be exactly how she'd prefer it, but her way isn't to your preference, either!