Why does my MIL do this?? Baby item edition.
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Anonymous
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We do a yearly in-law visit (they live far, far away). At the end of the visit, my MIL tells us we should leave ____ baby item with them, e.g. the pack and play, the stroller, etc. It’s so strange because we are still very much using those items (e.g. baby is sleeping in the pack n play every night of the visit) and yet MIL is like, “you should give it to me. Leave it with me.”
Of course we don’t give her the items, but we’re perplexed: What is her motivation? For context, she has no other grandkids (nor any in the pipeline, so to speak), she doesn’t babysit, and she spends almost zero time interacting with her grandkid during visits other than taking a few photos for Facebook. Any ideas? Is it: a) she wants to sell them (even though she has plenty of money) b) she wants to donate them to look generous c) she thinks our kid is too old to use a stroller at 2 years and this is a subtle parenting criticism d) she thinks taking away baby items will encourage us to have more grandbabies (wouldn't we actually need them, though?) e) she wants to display the items in her home to show what a great grandma she is? f)____? |
Anonymous
| Tell your spouse to ask her why she wants it. |
Anonymous
| She wants you to visit more often and leaving those things there will make it easier to travel also you do it more than once a year. Duh. When my kids were born my mom went out and bought a crib, borrowed strollers and high chairs and such all to make visiting her home as easy for us as possible. We appreciated it. But, there you go, always looking for the negative. |
Anonymous
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She wants them as props to show people who drop by how involved she is, and/or take FB photos with the props in the background.
In any case, just ignore. And don’t spend valuable time pondering this odd behavior when it doesn’t actually affect you and yours! |
Anonymous
| Just ask her! |
Anonymous
I mean this seems the obvious answer. Who wants to haul a clunky stroller and pack-n-play across country multiple times. Just leave it there since you know you’re coming back. |
Anonymous
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She wants you to visit more often.
My parents bought some things to welcome their grandkids in their home, even though they live in Europe and we can't visit often. They were just really happy to have little kids in the house. I'm an only child and these are the only grandkids. Now my kids are teen and tween age, they love to arrive at their grandparents' home, and pick out "their" glass and "their" plate, even though it's little kid stuff. They love to get the plushes out - MY old plushes that my father kept for them. Those are the special things they get to use only when we visit. |
Anonymous
this |
Anonymous
But now OP is going to have to wait an entire year to ask. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
+1 when my sister and I had babies my parents got a pack -n-play, and high chair to make visits easier for us. Not a stroller since we needed that to get through the airport anyway. |
Anonymous
Exactly. OP this isn’t rocket science. Duh is right. |
Anonymous
I mean, my god OP. Are you just looking for a fight? |
Anonymous
| She’s trying to make it easier on you so you don’t have to pack and schlep so much stuff. How is anything else even a consideration? Jeez. |
Anonymous
| She thinks if you leave the baby crap there you will be able to visit more often and not have to lug everything with you. |