When it comes to my grandkids, I always want to be there for my family because I love them. On the other hand, I recently had a bad experience with my daughter-in-law (DIL) that made me feel hurt, guilty, and unsure of what to do next.
It all began when my daughter-in-law asked me to watch her three kids, one of whom is my real grandson. I was happy to watch my grandson, but I told my daughter-in-law that she would have to pay me to watch her other two kids from a previous marriage. Taking into account the extra duty of taking care of three kids, I thought this was a fair request.
However, my DIL didn’t answer my request well. The next day, I found out that she had changed the locks on her house, making it impossible for me to get in.
I tried to tell my DIL that my choice wasn’t in favour of someone else, but because of my limits as a retired person. There are times when babysitting three kids at once is too much for me, so I set some limits to protect my own health. My DIL didn’t seem to see things my way, which is a shame because it’s caused stress in the family.
My son is trying to handle the fight between his mother and wife while being in the middle of it all. That’s why I set limits, but I don’t want to hurt my friendship with my daughter-in-law and grandkids.
