My mother drives me to drink.

[LynetteScavo]

I can't spend more than a couple of hours wit my mother and DC's together with out desperately wanting a stiff dirnk.

I'm not a big drinker, but somehow her perferential behaviour of DS2, and her inability to recognise DS1 has sensory issues drives me up the wall. She also needs to recognise I'm am the parent not her. Sh insists on paying for eveything, but also on disciplining the DC's.

After a lovely afternoon out with her this week, all I could think of when driving home was having a drink to calm my nerves.

I dove her so much, but she drives me insane!

Ahrrrrg!

have you brought up the preferential treatment?

My sister has, and my mum's tried her best not to show favouritism, but DS2 is just like my dececed father, except blond and blue eyes and utterly georgous - he's impossible not to adore. DS1 is misserable about everything (almost)becuase of his sensory issues - everything is too loud, too bright, too fast, too tight. He's also only interested in things with wheels, and not at all arty like my mum and DS2.

Ha! Be grateful. I'm normally the one who has to drive DH to drink

Sorry. I don't know the answer. My mum has many admirable qualities but her preference for my eldest son, whilst hidden most of the time, sometimes drives me wild! And her intolerance of my poor DD. My dad is however a saint and he mitigates her a great deal.

I think you either have to make her understand and risk a rift, or just let it float over your head I'm afraid.

The 3 DCs' do usually visit her seperately.

It's the days out that drive me mad.

Mind you this is nothing new: when I visited her when I was young free and single, I would have to raid her sherry to get through the day - things were so much easier when I didn't need to drive or look after DC's!

Are you posting because she is driving your mad with her behaviour, or because your response to it is to crave a drink?

If it is the latter, then are there other things you can do to let off steam / relax / cope? Go jump on a trampoline; listen to a meditation tape; dance to loud rock music?

Are you using drink as your way of rebelling against her - secretly drinking her sherry when you were younger; rebelling in your own home now you are older?