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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I can't believe how nasty some of these posts are. Some of them need to be reported to admin.

It's extremely unlikely an 8-year-old is going to enjoy an 2 hour drive, where he is probably going to fall asleep, followed by a 2-3 hour game, where he is probably going to eat a massive amount of junk food and fall asleep, and then wake up so he can walk across a stadium parking lot very late at night and take a 2 hour drive home again. [b]He will be able to tell you all about the cotton candy and nachos, but nothing about the game.[/b][/quote]

NP here.  I am one of those rare breeds, a guy who really doesn't do any of the major sports (I watch tennis on the Internet).  I could care less about any major sports.

That said, I am also on team Grandpa.  If there was a habit of breaking rules and an inconsistent schedule messing with the kid's sleep/school, etc, I might understand OP's concern.  But in this case, we are talking a one-time late night for a special occasion or event.  If this was a must-attend family member's wedding that was 3-4 hours away that the whole family had to attend (like if OP's sibling were being married on a Sunday night), would she be making such a stink?  I think she'd find a way to make it happen.  Grandpa has come up with a special outing that is a special treat for the a great grandpa-dad-son bonding.  As for the timing, it may have been the only tickets he could get, or the cheapest because it was a school night.  He may not have had the option of a day game or a non-school night game.  As others have said, you need to make a way dad and son to attend this special event.  It is creating special memories of dad-son bonding and good memories of spending time with Grandpa.  I was 7 years younger than my brother and he has vivid memories of our dad taking him to ball games, circus, etc.  He was surprised when I was a teenager and he was in his 20's and Dad hadn't taken me to any of those (Dad and I did other great things together, but not these).  My brother took me to those special events and they are special memories of bonding with him, but I do miss having those experiences with my Dad.

OP, while your concern is understandable, I think at this point, the decision should not be about letting them go or not, but about making the experience as safe as possible.  After the fact, you can talk with your husband and he can talk to his dad about your concerns for future gifts.  So, if you husband is not likely to get a hotel room, then go to the drug store and buy a pack of No Doz.  Tell him he should call when they are leaving and you can remind him to take the No Doz.  Tell him to find a convenience store and buy a cup of coffee for the trip home.    Make sure he has a bluetooth headset and tell him that if he feels sleepy to call you can you can talk to him on the drive to help him keep awake.  Alternatively, you can call him about every 45-60 minutes to chat for a minute or so with him to make sure he's awake (it's much easier to answer a call with a bluetooth headset than place a call).  Another option, make a special mix track of some of his favorite music on an ipod/phone that can be played on the car stereo system.  Give it to him on the way to the game and tell him to save it for the trip home.

Having grown up without my grandfather and having a limited set of such experiences with my dad (who is otherwise a great father), I think it's important to ensure that your child gets such experiences whenever he can.  You have about 8-10 years left to make such experiences and memories for your child.  Even if he has to to go school late the next day, it's worth it.  Don't let your child grow up like the kid in Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle".[/quote]

Oops, PP again.  The reason I quoted the response that I did was because I have 5 yo twins.  I never watch major sports, but once or twice a year when we are spending time with my brother (who is a HUGE football fan), if it is during football season, the kids will watch at least one game with their Uncle.  And they love it.  He tells them about what's going on and makes it interesting for them.  They have no idea who the players are, but they know who "our team" is and whether our team is winning or not.  Afterwards and for a week or two later, they'll be able to tell you the highlights that their Uncle loved.  If the person chaperoning has a love of the game and can describe the game to kid, most kids can learn to love the game and build memories of what they've seen.  You'll find out the next day whether the kid had a memorable experience and remembers much about the game.  If (s)he does, then it is a worthwhile experience and worth doing again.  If not, then hopefully they had a good time with dad and grandpa and lesson learned, don't do that to that kid again.[/quote]

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