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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I don’t like my granddaughter

383 replies

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:12

Hello, as the title says, I don’t like her and it’s (obviously) affecting my relationships, I feel guilty and I’m trying my best to not think about that, and to re-frame the relationship in my mind. Does anyone have any tips or experiences? I feel like such a twat.

She’s nine, I love her, she was a lovely baby, the problems have developed over the years. I find that I don’t really want to visit like I used to and babysitting is a chore, I used to enjoy it so much.
I’m disabled, a wheelchair user. When I’m at my DDs house and I need to go to the toilet my DGD races every time to get in there before me if she sees me heading there. Any request to let me go first is met with sneers and refusal. She will then sit on the toilet for 20 minutes saying she hasn’t finished. I’ve wet myself a couple of times.

She is unpleasant about other people, things like saying she doesn’t want to be friends with the new girl at school because she’s too ugly, doesn’t want to watch a tv show because the actor is too fat, that sort of thing. No longer friends with so and so because they are poor. I’ve spent quite a lot of time trying to talk to her about not commenting on people’s appearance and not being judgemental but she doesn’t care.

They have pet cats, DGD clearly doesn’t like them, shouts at them and pushes them away if they are within reach, they know not to go anywhere near her because she’s been unpleasant to them since she was a baby.

DD says she’s ’spoken to her’ about the toilet thing. DGD just smiles and nods, every time it’s just ‘don’t do it again’

OP posts:
YetMoreNewBeginnings · 07/02/2024 13:14

The problem here is your GD's parents who are allowing her to behave like that.

They're doing her no favours whatsoever.

Perfectly reasonable for you to decline babysitting if her parents don't deal properly with the toilet issue.

Molly0 · 07/02/2024 13:15

I would stop babysitting.

TomeTome · 07/02/2024 13:16

Well she sounds very unpleasant. Have you told her so?

sprigatito · 07/02/2024 13:16

I wouldn't like someone who treated me like that either! Your DD and her partner are sleeping on the job here, they need to step up and actively parent her. She's going to struggle with relationships all her life if she's allowed to behave like this.

DriedFlowersLiveForever · 07/02/2024 13:16

I would not be babysitting her ever again!
To be honest with parents as seemingly useless as hers I doubt her behaviour or attitude will improve much as she heads towards her teens.
Just steer well clear of her OP.

LightDrizzle · 07/02/2024 13:17

Wow! That’s quite disturbing, poor you!

I certainly wouldn’t be babysitting, I’d only want to see her in the company of one of her parents. Hopefully this is just a very unpleasant stage but she sounds repulsive at the moment. I hope her parents are working on empathy. She is currently cruel, a very alarming thing to be.

CattingAbout · 07/02/2024 13:18

Her parents need to start parenting her by the sound of it. Stop helping them out with babysitting etc until they do.

fuckmyuteruslining · 07/02/2024 13:18

Some people are just not very nice. I think she is one of them. Disengage. The toilet thing is absolutely horrible.

Clockwised · 07/02/2024 13:18

Steer well clear, no more babysitting until DD and her DH step up.

saraclara · 07/02/2024 13:20

How upsetting. I'd be so distressed if my lovely pre-school aged DGDs became like this.

I'm afraid you simply have to refuse to babysit her. Tell her parents that she's not talking any notice of you or them regarding the toilet, and that you refuse to be humiliated and have to wet yourself again.

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:20

There’s only DD, no partner or dad. Not excusing the lack of firm consequences but it’s hard as you can imagine.
if I say no, I’m not visiting or babysitting, I will miss out on my family.
Torn, obviously

OP posts:
cerisepanther73 · 07/02/2024 13:22

She is quite unpleasant child unfortunately i wonder whether it's the way her parents are bringing her up is the issue really 🤔?

Her parents need to seriously step up and address these kinds of issues,
as these kinds of issues will not go away,

Just wondering is she possibly undiagnosed speacial needs issues at all?

PutMyFootIn · 07/02/2024 13:22

If my daughter did that to my mum, i'd physically take her off the toilet.

TraitorsGate · 07/02/2024 13:22

Stop visiting this spoilt brat until her parents step up and they all learn some manners. She sounds a very unhappy girl, are the parents in touch with the school to see if there's anything going on that has made her behaviour so unpleasant.

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:23

Apparently she’s an angel at school, a social butterfly, pretty and popular

OP posts:
TomeTome · 07/02/2024 13:24

Well are you doing any consequences or just bleating to your daughter? The solution is not to just allow the child to behave like a brat. Speak up.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 07/02/2024 13:24

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:20

There’s only DD, no partner or dad. Not excusing the lack of firm consequences but it’s hard as you can imagine.
if I say no, I’m not visiting or babysitting, I will miss out on my family.
Torn, obviously

It might be hard, but allowing a child to behave like that unchecked is doing them no favours.

Your Granddaughter is going to find herself very unpopular with her schoolmates and struggle with friendships if she continues behaving as she is.

Parenting is hard. Solo parenting especially so. That's not an excuse to fail your child in basic manners thought.

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:25

TomeTome · 07/02/2024 13:24

Well are you doing any consequences or just bleating to your daughter? The solution is not to just allow the child to behave like a brat. Speak up.

Thank you but no, I’m not going to be parenting her

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 07/02/2024 13:26

'pretty and popular' can still be a dick.

the parents are the problem here.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 07/02/2024 13:26

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:25

Thank you but no, I’m not going to be parenting her

Why not? So you look after her and she gets away with being unkind and a brat? Good luck with that.

LightDrizzle · 07/02/2024 13:27

In your situation I’d explain to my daughter that I was sure it was just a phase but for now, I’d be sticking to visiting them both and no longer babysit as the blocking access to the toilet has been a repeated behaviour and one I’ve found humiliating and upsetting.

You must be very worried. I hope her mother, your daughter, really works on this.

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 07/02/2024 13:27

SiliconHeaven · 07/02/2024 13:25

Thank you but no, I’m not going to be parenting her

If you're not prepared to stop babysitting, not prepared to speak to your DD and not prepared to step up with your GD what exactly are you looking for from the thread?

If neither you nor your DD do anything then nothing will change

CorBlimeyGuvna · 07/02/2024 13:27

This is your daughter’s fault. Feel sorry for your GD tbh as she’s not being guided and disciplined well.

Can understand you not liking her behaviour and that affecting how you feel towards her. Don’t have any advice, perhaps others will.

All I’d say is don’t write her off – as an adult finding her own way she may turn out to be a decent person. It’s difficult to expect her as a 9 year old to parent herself.

TraitorsGate · 07/02/2024 13:29

Maybe she is jealous of you and no one likes a precious, queen bee princess .

Janetime · 07/02/2024 13:29

I can’t believe The abuse being thrown at this child. What’s wrong with people?

op speak to her mother. Any behavioural issues are about the parent at this age.

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