Are Grandparents that dip their toe in and out of their Grandchildrens lives damaging?

[Sad4kids]

As in when it suits them?
Kids are 9,7 and1
Both sets moved away nearer coast to semi retire
I feel hurt when I see other children enjoying quality time with their Grandparents
We visit them about twice a year, and they us, but when they visit us they stay elsewhere and only spare us an hour or so of a 3 day break
Bizarrely this goes for mine and DH s parents
I feel like cutting them out altogether, harsh I know
DH thinks I'm being ridiculous
But to see snippets of their 'too busy' grandparents is better than not knowing them at all?
What do you think?

Zootime You have summed it up exactly
The children deserve better and it is hard when dd asks why they dont spend more time here, I have a choice then of either "saying something" or letting things carry on as they are OR being away next time they are in the area. Neither ideal but hey ho

If you are as unhappy as this when they visit maybe they feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. I can pick up on other people's energy easily and normally know when something is wrong/someone is happy. Without realising it, it's very likely you are subconsciously pushing them away.

Try to be welcoming and make plans so that they have to stay a bit longer when they visit. You might find that the mood changes and things shift.

Also, be glad that they are not in your face all the time. There are plenty of threads on here of being constantly pestered by the GPs. I know which I would prefer...

I'd be more sad that my parents were only wanting to see ME for 1 hour in a 3 day visit. Surely you should be more important to them than your kids, the parent child bond doesn't stop just because you have had kids.
We moved away from both sets of parents when I was a child and visits to them and them to us usually consisted of the adults chatting whilst the kids amused themselves. The era of grandparents endlessly playing with kids is a very recent one.
When my kids were young if my parents visited they'd chat to the kids, and play with them a bit but mainly wanted to chat to me and hear my news.
I think it's sad for what it say about you and your husband's relationships with your parents. Your kids will be fine. I don't see any advantage in never seeing them again just because you don't see enough of them. Life doesn't have to be all or nothing. Try and rebuild your relationship with your parents instead of focusing on their role as grandparents.

I don't see anything in your post that suggest they are being shoddy!!!!
We lived hundreds of miles away from mine when i was little and gor to see them christmas, easter and maybe august bank holiday. It was great to see them a few hours and I never felt i was being treated shoddily.

You now have your family unit and anyone else you have is a bonus not a right. Be glad you have the at all an enjoy what you do have instead of dreaming of something unattainable. Jut because they don't see them much doesn't mean their love is less.

I think it's harder for those of us who had regular contqct with our own gps as children. I saw both sets every week without fail as a child. My dcs see both both sets every 6 mths. It's all v distant.

My parents live abroad so contact is restricted to holidays twice a year, usually us going to visit them.

As for MIL, contact means sitting for a few hours in her nursing home until she gets too tired.

Dc are still close to their grandparents.

I had a similar level of contact with my grandparents who lived a 5 hour train journey away. I still remember them with love and gratitude.

I'm another one who saw GPs about 3 times a year when young - and I don't think they ever came up to visit us (presumably didn't feel up to the journey). As far as I was concerned, that was just how it was - I didn't feel that they ought to be visiting once a week.

I'm actually in a similar kind of situation with my father - I recently went NC, mainly because my DD was being particularly affected by it. He lives 3miles away and we were seeing him so infrequently even though she would beg and beg him to come and see her. He'd promise to spend time with them, then would make weak excuses at the eleventh hour as to why he couldn't and she was so upset and couldn't understand why he didn't want to see her.

Of course, I was gutted he'd turned out to be a totally crap grandparent after being a pretty good dad up until I turned 20 and then decided to withdraw any emotional support stating 'he'd done his bit'.

So I do understand where you're coming from and personally I couldn't stick it any longer - felt my Dc's deserved more than his scraps of time, as and when he could be bothered to deign us with his presence.

Oh and I recently, after 5 months of NC, sent him a text because DD was still asking after him, asking whether he would be prepared to commit to spending time with her and he replied he was on holiday and would contact me when he got back. That was 2 months ago and we haven't heard a peep.

What you are describing (little time together) is very normal for a long distant relationship with grandparents. However it is unacceptable that they have favourites.

I think you should lower your expectations personally. The lower your expectations, the less hurt you will feel.

What is your kids behaviour like also? Is there anything they specifically find difficult when with your family?

Kids see my IL's and GP's 3 times a year. My parents make a huge effort although they find young children tiring, they have a very find special relationship despite the distance. While MIL makes little effort when with the kids and as a result they quite like going to her house but don't really have a deeper link. It's still healthy for them to know three roots though

When I was 2 and my brother was 3 my mum was seriously ill - in hospital for 6 weeks, followed by recuperation time at home. Obviously it was an incredibly difficult time for my parents and various friends and relatives helped out with us two. My mum felt very let down by her parents who did not help at all (my dad's parents were both dead) and it caused a strain on their relationship.

Of course I can see my mum's point of view now, but kids just don't see it that way. I loved my 'fun' Grandma and my life was definitely better for having her in it than not, even though I clearly wasn't a priority for her.

My dc see their gp"s once a year when we go to their country. They like them, and recognise they live elsewhere. The other gc live practically next door to them, and they are heavily involved in all childcare and decision making. This would not be for me! Its bad enough for a couple of weeks at the parenting HQ.

My parents are dead, but when alive, same scenario as above without the judging.

I think your arrangement sounds fine tbh, just encourage the dc to chat to them when they or you call, and visits when you can. You could just ask them if they happy or want to see/ do more, but the grass is generally greener I think.

We have this, I feel like you very sad about the whole thing. My dad lives to far away so we only see them a couple of times a year. But he sees my nice and nephew quit a lot as they are physically a lot closer. We can't realy help that and they seem to get on well when we do see them.

But what upsets me more are my in-laws, who are both retired quit young and live about an hour away. We don't see them unless we go to them, the two times they have said they would come this year they have cancelled on us at the last minute. Which really upsets the kids. The kids really want to see them, but it's like they don't just have the time for us. They have no other grandchildren either. They just seem to busy and not bothered. As someone else said up thread it's hard on DH to as they spend so much energy and time on his sister who still lives with them at 33, but very little effort on DH and his family.

One set dipped in and out and it was fine, I wasn't close to them and it was what it was. I saw them 2/3 times a year.
When they died and the other grand kids spoke of all the lovely things they did with them I did feel a bit crushed. But as long as its fair than its fine.

My grandmother lived abroad. I saw her three times until the age of 10, then after that maybe once a year/18 months when money allowed (she died when I was 17). She would send birthday and Christmas cards but we didn't speak the same language, so couldn't even chat on the phone.

Nevertheless I knew she loved me and the tiny amount of time I spent with her was positive. I loved her. She was my gran.

She did see a lot more of my cousin but that's cause he lived in the same town so of course I understood and it never bothered me.

Thanks for all your stories, it's really comforting to realise that the kids won't know any different as it's always been like it.
As someone said up thread it is harder for me to accept that they are just too pre occupied with their own lives, this turns to anger and frustration on my part,
But I realise that to cut them off would be spiteful
We could push ourselves to visit them more often
If anyone has any tips for me to just swallow my frustration and disappointment with them I'd be grateful
Because that is what I am I guess, disappointed that they can't/won't be more involved in our lives
Also to answer someone up thread, No, there has never been any family fallout or behaviour problems with the children etc.

It all sounds very normal.

And it sounds like straightforward sibling rivalry on the part of the adults but being attributed to the children's welfare. (Muuuuuuuuum, you love Freddie more than you love meeeeeeeeeee)

Of course it isn't damaging for children to only see their grandparents a couple of times a year.

I think involved grandparents are nowhere near as common as they once were, with greater mobility with work etc.

I have been that grandchild. I had gps in a different country (but very close geographically). We understood this made contact difficult so for quite some time we didn't know or expect any different.

But when there are cousins involved it gets very tricky. An aunt had a kid and that changed everything. Dm mismanaged it in a way, but not that I can blame her. Gps started making multiple trips a year here to see cousin and promised us a visit but would never show. This continued when aunt and cousin moved to the same town as us. But eventually Dm stopped telling us as she couldn't stand our disappointment.

We don't think highly of our gps at all. There's a lot more to it than that but they're little more than scum tbh. We actually think being away from their games in the main was the best thing that happened to us. Apparently they are upset we think so little of them, my aunt thinks we should get over it as they are old. We said no, they need to get over it as we were kids and they are reaping what they sowed. The irony is that they have 3 great grandkids and have no relationship with them either (one is a cousins kid so not just mine).

Basically the best you can do is limit your kids disappointment, so just don't tell them anything. I wouldn't arrange anything either if it's that upsetting to you that you're thinking no contact. My Dm caused herself so much upset trying to force that relationship.

EATRISKIER, I am sorry that you have had all this in your family, but I don't think OPs is the same at all. When they do get together they get on!!! The GPs in this case are not 'scum'

OP I think the only way to change how you think is being aware of the wrong thoughts when you have them and say to yourself 'where did that thought come from is it right for now or can I let go of it'!! Its not easy but becomes easier with practice.

Lucky to have grandparents at all.

No, it's not damaging to the children.

Your attitude, on the other hand...

It's you who is upset not your children.

I don't know how old your parents are but I suspect that staying with you and 3 young kids if it's a small ish house could be their idea of hell.

It comes down to the relationship you had with your parents pre children. How was it?

You cannot expect a poor relationship to be transformed by the addition of grandchildren.

Do you get on with the parents?

It doesn't sound like it because they are coming to see you too not just the children.

At the risk of sounding unreasonable, maybe you ought to look at what your house is like for visitors- do your kids run riot and is that why they don't want to stay long? There must be a reason for them keeping their distance so maybe you need to have a serious look at what could be keeping them away.

I also think it's ridiculous that you say your children 'deserve better'. As if! No child has a 'right' to a certain amount of grandparenting!

I didn't have any grandfathers- they died when my own parents were very young ( when my dad was 8.)

I had 2 gradnmothers one of whom was very distant emotionally and who I only saw every 2nd week when she came for Sunday lunch and it was all very strained.

My other grandma was ill from aged 60- heart problems- and although I was closer to her, her ill health meant I didn't do much with her except visit her for tea with my mum, and she stayed with us occasionally.

I don't feel 'deprived'.

I think you need to get over yourself on this one, TBH.

Loopy thats a little unfair. I think when you've had very close grandparents yourself, or all your friends have parents involved in their children there can be a real sense of loss for a relationship wanted.

Where I live now a lot of people live close to their parents and pop in daily! Or at least several times a week. People often mention they are going to take kids wo their mums for lunch or mum will step in if the kids are ill or help pick up from school etc. I can only imagine how lovely it would be to feel you are not doing it all on your own, or that there is someone who will come for a walk in the park with the kids.

I don't have this and recognise every families' different and stopped being grumpy about it. But it is such a lovely thing to see that of course it hurts if you hoped for that and didn't have it. Or are surrounded by it.

I understand exactly how hurtful this is, particularly when their other GCs live across the road from you, it must feel like you are constantly having your DC's noses rubbed in it.

I think you really do need to try very hard to come to terms with it. They sound extremely uncaring and tactless, but this is who they are, and you will not change them.

You may well find that if you can let go of this anger and not 'care' so much, they might be drawn closer to your DCs.

I did this with my inlaws, by having a good life without them - being very active doing stuff in the holidays etc etc., but importantly, I never cancelled on them (always told them how important they were - cringe cringe), but equally showed them that life was great and interesting without them, and that in no way did we rely them. In the end (it wasn't overnight), I suppose they began to see what they were missing.

It's horrible though and I really can empathise with you. Good luck.