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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

Kids don't want a relationship with Grandma

60 replies

Bertie17 · 22/09/2024 08:18

Morning all,
This is kind of hard for me to write and its long winded but I'll skip out the long explanation of why it happened. But it's happened and I genuinely believe there's no going back now. My kids have said they don't want to be associated with her anymore as a result.
Over the years she's fallen out with many members of the family - even her own kids at times - and she's been quite biased when it comes to the Grand kids too - she definitely has her favourites and makes it's so obvious that it's quite sickening tbh. She's got 10 grandkids altogether.
Myself and OH have caught her out lying about allsorts several times and when confronted about it, she's always been in denial about any wrong doings and blames everyone else for what's happened.
We've got 3 kids, 2 girls aged 22 and 15 and a son who's 17. She's made it obvious that she favours our son over our Daughters as she'd spoil him rotten then give the girls "leftovers". Which then caused problems in our house. She'd come down to ours with a bag full of new clothes for our son but then bring a skipping rope and a hoolahoop for our youngest Daughter (who was only 9 at the time) and tell her to get out in the garden with them and skip because she was "too fat". You can probably imagine how my poor DD felt. It was heartbreaking.
She'd come to our house snooping round the bedrooms after pretending to go to the loo, she'd sit and slate everyone and I mean everyone. Even BILs 2 youngest kids. She'd say they were fat, they were pains in the backside, one of them is thick as pig poo. But we never ever told anyone because it would cause endless crap that we don't want or need. She's slated BILs new girlfriend and her kids. Said his girlfriends a liar and her kids think they're something special. But later that same week she'd be out having lunch with them.
She started bribing our son with money too. Told him if he brought a cup and plate out of his room that she'd give him 20 quid. She even told him she'd give him 50 quid if he took his acne meds every day for a month (he was taking them every day anyway) but he wasn't allowed to tell us or his sisters. Obviously I found out, I always do. And I begged her to stop. Because it was getting to a point where he was wanting money out of us for doing stuff ie cleaning his bedroom. I told her he should want to keep his room clean, he shouldn't expect money everytime I tell him to clean his room. She made life soooo hard for us and the arguments that came with her bribery were ridiculous.
She'd be down at our house 5 days a week because she was bored and we felt like we couldn't breathe. If I was going anywhere ie shopping and I wasn't in when she came down, she'd get on about it and be ringing me asking how long I was going be and then not speak to me for a week. But then she'd tell SIL that we never went to see her and only went when we wanted something. But she'd told us SIL didn't like us, she was sick of SIL bossing her about and saying she wasn't allowed to buy our kids anything. Which obviously got our backs up with SIL because our kids are her Grandkids too.
I told my OH that she'd cause major trouble one day and he agreed. It was just a matter of when.
Then it happened.
Everything that she'd been lying about to SIL when we went on holiday last year .( SIL came along as she was in process of leaving hubby no2.) came to a head. SIL threatened my OH, pushed our eldest DD and threatened to smash her face in, then threatened DS and youngest DD. And we had a HUGE falling out. All MILs lies came out and she blamed SIL at first, said she knew she was going to cause trouble on holiday and wish she'd never asked her to come. Then SIL and MIL were arguing. SIL calling MIL a narcissist. OH and FIL had to stop her. Then MIL rang one of the other Granddaughters telling her that our eldest DD had been talking about her (she'd not said a word!) so she rang DD kicking off.
Next day however, SIL and MIL were fine and stopped speaking to us.
We left the holiday the next day and came home and we've not spoken since.
MIL has seen DS a couple of times and told him SIL was out of order, she does her head in, and then proceeded to tell DS about SILs first hubby and how she chooses stupid men bla bla bla. She's not spoke to DS again since even when she's seen him. She saw youngest DD the other day and stared straight through her as though she didn't know her. FIL was coming to see us regularly but he's not allowed because MIL said so. Her reasons being because we didn't buy her a birthday card. Bearing in mind her birthday was 3 months after the fall out and she said she didn't want to speak to us for the rest of her life.
Our kids are missing out on so much but tbh they don't care. They've said they don't want to be associated anymore. They miss their Grandad so much but not Nannan. I'm beginning to think SIL was right when she called her a narcissist. DS starts an engineering apprenticeship in 2 weeks. They don't even know. They'll only get to find out if I put something on social media or if BIL tells them. BIL we see regular, he's been ace. He's had loads of issues with MIL in the past himself and he's tried to smooth things over for us because he says she's being pathetic but it got him nowhere. Then she accused him of stealing out of her house (he didn't!) because he was sticking up for us and told MIL that SIL was a trouble causer too.
I'm done trying with that woman and OH and kids are too. Life's a lot more peaceful since she's not been speaking to us. I knew this would happen one day. And I was right. And she's got nobody else to blame but herself. She's still snooping on us because BIL told us. It's just kids are missing out on cousins etc because she's poisoned them against us too.

OP posts:
SensibleSigma · 22/09/2024 08:24

I can’t find any reason in there for you to have contact with them

Why would you want that?

until the other members of the family see her for who she is, there’s no point trying to have contact. If they do, then BiL can help them get in touch with you and you can try again with them.

I’m a bit shocked you allowed her to behave like that around your DC. That’s pretty poor.

Sirzy · 22/09/2024 08:26

The only thing relevant is their ages really. - they are more than old enough to use their judgement of the situation to make their own decisions.

PolaroidPrincess · 22/09/2024 08:27

I gave up reading when you said that she was coming to your house every day and you went on holiday with her.

She's awful and I cannot begin to understand why you'd let her disrupt your life to such an extent?

ThePoetsWife · 22/09/2024 08:30

Your kids have more sense than you do.

Why on earth would you want a relationship with her? Why did you let your family be exposed to such dreadful behaviour again and again and again Confused

NowImNotDoingIt · 22/09/2024 08:36

Why did you let this go on for so long?

Why would you want your kids to have a relationship with someone like that?

Meadowfinch · 22/09/2024 08:38

Your children have good boundaries. No one needs that level of nastiness and manipulation in their lives. Block her, Tell her she is no longer welcome in your house because of her behaviour, and move on.

She has a wholly negative impact on all your lives, adds nothing positive and needs sidelining rapidly.

Pumpkinpie1 · 22/09/2024 08:39

Listen to your kids , they are right.
She brings nothing to your family but chaos and toxicity.
Keep the BIL and ditch the crazy grandma

MumChp · 22/09/2024 08:42

Why haven't you said stop years ago?

DanceTheDevilBackIntoHisHole · 22/09/2024 08:42

You say your kids are missing out but the only thing it sounds like they're missing is chaos, drama and very toxic relationships. No one needs that and you and your DH should have protected your children from it years ago. Good on them for stepping away now.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 22/09/2024 09:08

Your kids aren't missing out on anything! I think kindly you need to reassess your own relationship with her cut her off

Bertie17 · 22/09/2024 09:13

Oh believe me, Ive had some right dos with her over the years. I begged her to stop doing the things she was doing, re the bribery etc but she thought there was nothing wrong in what she was doing. She'd stop for so long then start again.We've gone for a year without speaking before because I put her in her place. Please don't think I've not told her what I think because I have several times. It's as though she likes to undermine me. BILs kids lived with her for 5 years - I'm glad it wasn't mine!. I don't care if my kids never see her again. As I said in my post, it's their Grandad they miss and their cousins more than anything. She's involved everyone in this fall out and it's fractured relationships with everyone else.

OP posts:
Bertie17 · 22/09/2024 09:21

Meadowfinch · 22/09/2024 08:38

Your children have good boundaries. No one needs that level of nastiness and manipulation in their lives. Block her, Tell her she is no longer welcome in your house because of her behaviour, and move on.

She has a wholly negative impact on all your lives, adds nothing positive and needs sidelining rapidly.

She's not welcome in our home. She knows this. We've not spoken for over a year. I'm a bit annoyed at BIL trying to smooth it over for us because I couldn't think of anything worse than her back in our lives. I get he's doing it because she's caused trouble between my kids and their cousins and we'd all like for them to have that close relationship again but they can speak to each other without her being involved can't they so..

OP posts:
crostini · 22/09/2024 09:23

Personally, I'd have stopped speaking to her when she called your 9 year old fat.

Bertie17 · 22/09/2024 09:24

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 22/09/2024 09:08

Your kids aren't missing out on anything! I think kindly you need to reassess your own relationship with her cut her off

Already have cut her off. She's not welcome here. And she knows it. We've not spoken to her or SIL for well over a year and it's been lovely. Kids just miss their Grandad. He won't be around forever and I think it's shocking that he's so under the thumb that he's been told her can't come down to see us. They should be able to have a relationship with Grandad, they don't need that to do that but he doesn't want to rock the boat with her.

OP posts:
Bertie17 · 22/09/2024 09:26

crostini · 22/09/2024 09:23

Personally, I'd have stopped speaking to her when she called your 9 year old fat.

We didn't speak for a year after that

OP posts:
Saschka · 22/09/2024 09:29

She'd come down to ours with a bag full of new clothes for our son but then bring a skipping rope and a hoolahoop for our youngest Daughter (who was only 9 at the time) and tell her to get out in the garden with them and skip because she was "too fat". You can probably imagine how my poor DD felt. It was heartbreaking

Not so heartbreaking that you actually did anything about it though? I can’t believe you made you children see her daily and go on holiday with her for six years after a stunt like that.

rainsofcastamere · 22/09/2024 09:30

crostini
Personally, I'd have stopped speaking to her when she called your 9 year old fat.

We didn't speak for a year after that

@Bertie17

No, you shouldn't have spoken to her ever again.

Cupooee · 22/09/2024 09:30

Your poor children being reared in such a toxic environment.
I would think they will look back and wonder what on earth were their parents thinking facilitating such a toxic environment when they were children.
Awful.

Motnight · 22/09/2024 09:33

Support your kids to stay away from her.

Tell any members of the family who try and persuade you otherwise to mind their own business about this. And be willing to stop contact with them too

Let the drama continue without any of you involved (and it will).

Soontobe60 · 22/09/2024 09:37

Why are you allowing this woman into your home? Why did you go on holiday with her???

Globetrote · 22/09/2024 09:37

Your DC are old enough to decide who they want a relationship with, and they’ve clearly decided that their need to cut off their Nana is more important than seeing cousins and DGF.
She sounds like a vicious witch who thrives on causing drama and misery.

It’s sad that people don’t have a backbone and the emotional intelligence to work through the drama and manipulation for themselves to see the true situation for what it is, but that is hugely common. Maybe one day the cousins will see the light.

Also, if you haven’t seen them in over a year why have you not locked down your SM so they can’t see your DS’ apprenticeship news etc? Why allow these toxic people access to your life still? Block them everywhere.

Horseracingbuddy · 22/09/2024 09:42

I think now your kids are reaching adulthood, they are making their own decisions regarding MIL. Those decisions are right for them. FiL can facilitate a relationship with them if he wants to. MIL and FIL do not have to come as a package. You don't need to tolerate or smooth over MILs poor behaviour.
Your kids will take the lead on having healthy relationships with people they want to see.
I was surprised by my DS telling me he didn't want to see his GM anymore because of the way she treats DS's father. I was gob smacked as we'd fallen into the situation of tolerating her 'because she was DPs Mum'. We'd all come away from visits feeling sad for DP as she was so awful. Then one day DS just refused to go, it's now been 3 years. There's been no fall out, in fact she hasn't clocked its been 3 years! We just say he's doing overtime, seeing mates etc.

DrummingMousWife · 22/09/2024 09:45

They are not babies, they have a right to decide who they have in their lives. I would be impressed that your children have recognised the toxicity and are looking to remove this from their lives. Support them in this, it’s no ok to just put up with people who are nasty.

Alongthepineconetrail · 22/09/2024 09:47

You don't beg an abuser to stop their abusive behaviour because you're making them feel important. Cut her out and leave her to it and don't force your children to have a relationship with her either. They're not missing the toxicity & drama, you are which is why you're sad on their behalf.

Bertie17 · 22/09/2024 09:50

Cupooee · 22/09/2024 09:30

Your poor children being reared in such a toxic environment.
I would think they will look back and wonder what on earth were their parents thinking facilitating such a toxic environment when they were children.
Awful.

This wasn't the norm all the time you know. I've literally broken it down and put it in a single post on here to ask for advice on how they can continue their relationship with their Grandad and cousins.
Our little family - me, my OH and kids are happy and thriving. We've always told the kids not to listen to her when she starts. And told her to her face too that she's bang out of order. 75% of the time she was perfect but she did do and say some absolutely toxic stuff that we've never forgiven her for. We've put her in her place, we've not spoken to her for long periods of time. But I can assure you there's no toxicity in our household whatsover. I don't think it's fair of you to judge my parenting or my OHs because trust me, we're not the type to put up with it and we haven't. MIL has got worse over the past couple of years. But do you realise how hard it is when you live in close proximity to each other? My kids didn't see her everyday 90% of the time she'd come down when they were at school. And in the holidays they'd be out at their friend's. Her 5 visits a week only started about 6 months before we went on holiday. Before that we'd probably see her once, maybe twice a week.

OP posts:
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