
My husband and I (SAHM) have a 4 year old and 2 year old boys. My parents consistently watch them on Saturday late afternoons about 3-4 hours like clockwork so husband and I can have a date night (although it's a 4 pm dinner haha). My parents are the younger grandparents by about 7 years than my MIL and FIL, and show a little more enthusiasm about watching the boys and my mom plans activities with the boys like crafts and such and texts me asking "when are they coming over?? :)"I absolutely love my M and FIL and I think they've been tremendously supportive. During my pregnancy with child #2, they'd watch the oldest 1 day a week, sometimes twice like clockwork to give me a break, even making the round trip drive, over an hour, to pick him up. They seemed pretty excited about watching the baby when he came along and the new routine became me dropping the 2 boys off (when the baby was 3 months old) at their house in the morning (they are retired) and then them driving the boys back to our house in the evening making it about an 8 hour day with the kids.Last fall, I've started asking less and less because they are so neutral about it that I can't tell if they enjoy it, or if it's a burden. I've asked several times if I can come pick them up to save them on the driving but they say "no, it's fine." But, there's no enthusiasm or "we can't wait to see them" or "we miss the boys". I feel terrible admitting this but I don't really like the idea of just hanging out at their house for hours with the boys because frankly, I get bored there and also I think of things I could be doing, like child free errands. Perhaps they could be feeling the only way they get to see the boys is by the occasional babysit so they are reluctantly agreeing?? I feel so guilty that I don't want to hang out at their house :/ anyone else struggle with this? I now only ask about once every 3 weeks for them to babysit the boys because I don't want to be a burden. My parents brought me up to be extremely independent so it's partially the general concept of asking anyone for help has always been hard for me, like I'm being a burden. They are so much harder to read than my own parents.I also worry that perhaps they are getting simply too old and tired to watch kids.tl;dr: does anyone else here feel guilty about asking grandparents to babysit their young kids (once every few weeks)? MIL and FIL in their mid 60's always agree to watch my 2 boys but never seem enthused about it like my parents do. They never initiate asking if the boys can come over. I have to ask every time. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2kMy6Ln
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