MIL fed my children ice cream for dinner

[Bubblebubblemrtumble]

My MIL offers to collect DC 1 day a week from school then proceeds to feed him ice cream for tea. I am grateful for the childcare. But ungrateful for the unhealthy tea. I know she feeds DN a wholesome meal once a week whilst in her care. And leaves my kitchen in a state

It’s ice cream, not crack ffs

What, every week?

I bet she doesn’t do it in January.

For the love of god, does it matter?

Ignore it. Either she’s being fun granny, in which case once a week won’t hurt, or she’s doing it to get a response, in which case she’ll give up once it has no impact.

I have a confession. Last Friday I had ice cream for dinner. It was a big tub too.

This is Mumsnet so you're not allowed to have any opinions, input, preferences or concerns about grandparents who provide any sort of childcare. You're just supposed to leave them be and never breathe a word (even if it's something dangerous which this is obviously isn't but anyway) otherwise you're sooooo ungrateful and can just look after them yourself 🤪

Anyway, as a one off then maybe it's fine but it's still weird if she intended that to be their dinner because if it were my kids they'd be whinging about still being hungry about 10 minutes later. If it's a regular thing then maybe she genuinely thinks they're having dinner with you later or something? Who knows. But you're perfectly entitled to ask. And to be irritated by the kitchen being left a state tbh.

could it have been a passive aggressive move because she was annoyed you didn’t cook dinner for them? Any sane person would know that’s not an appropriate dinner.

Serves ice cream and leaves the kitchen in a state?

How so?

Because the Op wouldn’t mind if it was her own mum, but MIL’s are all evil on here.

Because of the hot weather, or all of the time?

did you thank her and ask if it was her or your son who was having a day that needed ice cream?

if this was a weekly occurrence you would have stopped the babysitting by now.

Grandmas are meant to break the minor rules every now and then. It’s one of the joys of being a grandparent and part of the what makes the relationship between grandchild and grandparent special. Every once in a while, they can indulge the children without long term consequences or setting precedent.

Did it happen once or is it a regular thing? If it’s every time I would be annoyed too and leave a kid’s ready meal in the fridge. Or a plate of something that can be heated up. My DC are starving at dinner time and I’d want them to be fed properly, ideally with some veg as they never eat it with their school
dinners. Ice cream for pudding.. absolutely!

Leaving your kitchen a mess… really annoying but probably just suck it up. Or make a joke about it at a later time when the ice cream thing has blow over. Or just use paid childcare, it might be better.

I want ice cream now.

This!! What are YOU feeding your own child? Or are you expecting free childcare and a dinner made as part of it?

Leave a dinner with the GP to serve your child and tell her he can have the icecream for dessert?

MIL used to give mine chocolate biscuits for breakfast and just before bedtime. Fucking annoying but to be honest I have two very healthy non obese children with good teeth so whilst not ideal daily, occasionally it won’t hurt.

i too, on occasion, have had maltesers and wine for supper 🫣

How lovely, memories of a special Granny to cherish when he's all grown up and reminiscing about long gone family.

My Granny used to make amazing cream horns for me 40 years ago, I survived.....

Once, 2 years ago, i gave my kids ice cream sundaes for lunch. They still remember that day and wish for it again…

You misunderstood me, I didn’t think it’s a suitable tea but certainly not such a big problem and not a crack.
My point was that before making any conclusions it’s better to ask MIL what happened.

Did she know she was expected to make dinner? Because it sounds as if she was just meant to be picking them up from school which is not the same thing. Therefore the ice-cream was just a fun after school treat on a hot day - exactly the kind of thing grannies are supposed to do!

I imagine she assumed you’d be making dinner later.