Humblebrag...go away |
| OP, how is "mad" expressed? Don't accept 2nd hand information, from your husband or anyone else. Did MIL tell you she was mad? Hopefully she just said she was disappointed not to be invited and hopes to be next time. Said to you. (which is still a strong ask on her part but not "mad") You could just say back, "I'll keep those feelings in mind". You don't have to do something because someone is hurt or wants something. But her expressing herself, her hopes/wants, that has got to be considered reasonable. Btw, you doing the same for summer. MIL isn't a mind reader. |
If you have $100K to spend on childcare they probably assume you can afford a little more. Not all grandparents want to babysit, some would prefer to just go to a school event. When you are a grandparent you can be whatever kind you want to be. |
Op here. Yes she’s upset and has told me as such. My mom is actually worse than her usually and had called me screaming and crying hysterically about not being invited. I mean my MIL basically said about my summer scheduling issue “that sucks, I hope you get it figured out” so… I’ll see what she says when I let her know I’m hiring a college kid to bridge the gap. |
Op hers. I mean, this is over the course of YEARS. We are decently well off now, but definitely weren’t when we first had DC. We did alright, but childcare costs were really tough. And that’s fine, that’s on us, we decided to have kids, but none of the 4 of them have been very helpful even just for occasional breaks. Or even just to spend time with DC outside of a “formal” event. |
Your kids must be very young if you've never been to a school event before. And is it kid or kids? If it's multiple young kids that's a lot to ask old people to take on all summer. In exchange for an invite to some school event? Not exactly a fair bargain. |
Op here. 2nd grade. And it’s due to Covid… we couldn’t even go into the school till the end of last year. It’s one kid and I never said all summer. We have full time care. It’s an issue of getting DC to something after camp by a certain time a couple times a week. Not a giant ask. I have never asked or expected grandparents to care for DC full time or part time it’s always been sporadic needs. |
Not OP, but I have a 3rd grader and this school year is the first we’ve been to school events since a winter classroom party for kindergarten in 2020. Outdoor sports have been normal for an over a year, but last school year my children’s teachers did not allow any in-classroom volunteers or parties because of Covid. There were no field trips and the school play and concerts were limited only to the 4th and 5th graders participating- 2 adults per child limit. Preschool was the same 2020-2022 - drop off and pick up outside, no in person events. We had to have an “unofficial” preschool graduation at a park near the school. |
Once they get older, almost every activity is on the web, like HS sports schedules. Grandparents should be clued into these, and of course should feel welcome to attend. You’re a control freak if you think these events should be by invitation only. |
By the exact same token, OP and DH can be whatever kinds of parents they want to be—the kind that invite grandparents to school events, or not. Some parents would prefer not to have grandparents at school events. Same token. See how that works? |
So the kids are young. They would nothing not have been in school prior to 2020. |
^not have been in school |
Oh sorry! Yes, we are miserable people too who hate our children, our spouses and our ILs. We are pissed that a village is not there to raise our kids. We were misled into thinking that all we had to do was have sex and society would take care of our kids! HATE everyone!! Happy?? |
A 3rd grader would have been a kindergartener when Covid hit. 2nd graders are fall 2020 Covid kindergarteners. Regardless, parents of all kids missed out on a lot. |
Just flip it back to them, OP. "Ohhhhh it sucks that you wanted to attend the Spring Fling Musicale and weren't invited." |