Grandparents told DS to "just stop" regarding calls and texts to help rebook flights

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12/27/2022 12:59

Subject: Grandparents told DS to "just stop" regarding calls and texts to help rebook flights

quote

Anonymous

Backstory: I have younger parents and my dad still works as a trial lawyer. My parents are scheduled to come to DC tomorrow to visit for the holidays for a week because my dad had a trial scheduled today (and they were upset we did not visit them in my hometown for Christmas and went on a trip with our immediate family). Due to Southwest canceling their flights and a text they sent me and my adult siblings, my DH found flights that were very affordable on a different airline to rebook and offered to use his points to give them first class flights to DC. The catch was one hour layover in a city where my brother lives. My parents suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) and they are exceptionally petty. They booked their tickets after Christmas because my DH and I booked a ski trip to Utah the first week of winter break. Then my brother's flight was canceled due to the weather and they freaked out, not responding to our texts or calls for three days. My sister called them out on it and they claimed they were "too busy" to respond (these are people who text and call us incessantly at work).

This morning, my 8 year old son sent my mom texts that said (from son's name) and were clearly written by an 8 year old. He said that my DH had found tickets for them and offered to use his status and points. He said that the ticket prices were increasing. He asked my mom (or dad) to call me and DH. He then FaceTimed my mom two hours later, as he had the flight schedule on his tablet and saw the price changes. My mom was texting us all morning in a group text and separate texts plus my dad was sending group texts from when his flights were canceled until he called me from my mom's phone (he has never done that) to ask DS, age 8, to "just stop" and that he was not going to fly to DC unless he could fly to DCA only (DH found flights to Dulles and BWI, which we offered to pickup parents), unless the flight was allowing checked bags (my parent's airline had suggested only carryon and my parents NEVER check bags), unless my husband had found direct flights from their city to DCA at the same time as the flight he had prior. My DS is devastated. I took him to the playground and we are headed to the movies. But really? My mom claims she could not make a decision without my dad. My dad claims he needed to focus on his trial and not worry about flights. My parents both claim they didn't want to book flights until my 38 year old brother's flight was resheduled. My brother lives somewhere where all the flights are canceled this week. He wants to come here to see his nephews and is booking a flight Friday. He is also totally fine staying at my parents' alone or going to my aunt's down the street.

My mom is now saying she is going to cancel the trip altoghether, due to the weather and unpredictability of the flights, which I get. But my 8 year old called her from his Ipad and my mom gave him a long lecture about how we "already went on our vacation" and how "she isn't going to be able to make any flights that your dad (my DH) made for us as they are too expensive or have layovers." DH and I were going to pay for the flights. My parents are very well off and can definitely swing the $400 total round trip tickets and would take the free tickets using points. DS is really hurt that my parents yelled at him and were "unkind".

I explained to DS that my parents should not have reacted to a child like that, but they have anxiety about traveling and are not savvy about prices going up and can't make quick decisions. They always think something better is going to come along and it prevents them from quick decision making. Now my mom is texting me and my sister pictures of her Christmas decorations, presents, sad memes, gifs, etc. And she's making us feel guilty for her flight being canceled (!). My sister and I called her and my dad out for making my 8 year old feel badly and she said "well he already got to go on a ski vacation. We paid for private school and worked really hard and never got to do that with you. Maybe you would have been better off just going to public school and having kids in HS so you would be more dependent on me." (this is something she frequently says.

My dad texted my sister, DH and I to "chill", his favorite word. He is big into mindfulness although he has the worst anger management issue ever, the mouth that curses incessantly and is super hyper active and anxious.