July 25, 2005

Pretend You're Dr. Phil...

Okay, I'm sending out an appeal to the parents out there for some advice, again. Get ready for this...

We are planning on going back up to our hometown area to visit our respective parents this weekend. When I called my mother last night to talk, she grilled me about when we were going up, how long we were staying, and when she could see the kids, specifically Son. I told her we'd be driving up Friday, and going over to see her sometime Saturday and then spending the night. She demanded to know where we were staying Friday night. With Husband's folks, I told her.

"Oh God," was her response.

"So, when do I get to see my grandson? I only get to see him Saturday night? When are you going home?"

Sunday, I told her, as Son will be busy the next two weeks with camps and stuff. Mother then gets all demanding, wanting to know when she can see her grandson, on and on...

Now, first of all, she does have a granddaughter, which she constantly overlooks. Second, I took Son up last month and he spent almost an entire week with my parents, and then came home with half of ToysRUs!

I vented to Husband last night, told him this is why I never want to go visit. I hate going to see my mother; if I literally just dropped off Son and left (like last month) she would be thrilled. It's like she forgets about Daughter...and then there's the one reason I don't like to visit the in-laws, and that's everyone's favorite (not) sister-in-law. Husband doesn't like to see her either, so we have to schedule our visits around that waste of humanity and practically swear my mother-in-law to secrecy. I don't want to make my MIL feel bad, but I swear I'll leave if favorite in-law shows up with her nasty kids.

So, here I am, all pissed off because my mom is making this a pain in the ass. She expects me to go up the following weekend too so she can have Son for the whole time. I don't want to go, I hate going up to my mom's because she treats Son like a baby instead of an almost six year old. She still gives him sippy cups, has him use the little potty chair...I've gone on about that before.

I don't have the nerve to stand up and say "Look, Mom, knock it off." When Husband was away a lot when Son was a baby, I relied on my folks probably more than I should have, so "self-inflicted pain, no mercy" as it were. But my mother makes it so difficult for me to want to visit...she gets mad at me or Husband if we discipline Son, forgetting what she was like with me when I was a kid.

In short, I'm tired of it! I moved three hours away hoping this would ease up, but it hasn't! I don't even want to visit for the holidays, that's how bad it is getting!

Show Comments »