How are you with your parents/in-laws? I'm not sure if it's just me being overly protective, it if they really just over step their boundaries. Please be honest because it could just be me. I'd say it's the grandmother's, not so much the grandfather's. They both have the mind set "when Mom is not around it won't hurt, we are grandparents and get to do what we want" kind of attitude. The mil even said to my face "what mom doesn't know won't hurt her". I do not trust them one bit from everything they keep doing and saying. I know they won't hurt him because they love him, but I have parenting wishes that they don't abide by. Food for instance. My husband and I are both over weight and trying to watch our diets. I know since we are a little overweight our children can be too. We are trying to keep them on the right track with food and instill healthy eating styles with them. Limited sugars and junk food and more fruits and vegetables. Neither Grandma listens to that. When they babysit (one is every Friday) they find him junk food and candy/sweets, or even go out for fast food. They constantly question everything I do and try to tell me how to do things such as even how to dress them. I have worked more with kids than they have in their entire life. I am a teacher and have my early childhood degree. I know how kids work, or at least how to care for them lol and don't need their advice and especially don't need them questioning my every move. I do what I do because it's how I want to do it. Next is electronics. We all know technology is inevitable now, but I really want to limit it as much as possible. I try to not let him watch any TV or be in phones. This is completely ignored by the Grandma's. The one that babysits every Friday keeps the TV on all day and I've asked her numerous times not to. Any time we are in the car or she is around and there is no TV she has him on the phone. Now there are occasions we have movie night or what not, but I just don't want him using technology as much as she has him using it. So back to clothes. I hate the clothes they pick out for him, they are ugly. I try to kindly tell them that I don't like that style and explain the style my husband and I like but they refuse to support it. The mil even told be if she ever sees her granddaughter with a bow on she will take it off of her. We had this issue with my son and a hat that she kept flipping the bill up on. I told her that's not how it's supposed to go and she kept doing it. I've gotten to the point where I set out my son's clothes on Friday, but she ignores them and puts on what she wants. She makes him so hot by putting on sweat pants and sweaters. I'm a type of person that likes to be cold and my son is always hot. I'd rather be cold than hot so I dress him a little on the colder said. Not so cold, but dressed accordingly. Short sleeves work fine in the house. He doesn't need socks all the time etc. Again, he's never cold or I'd put them on. Next is sleeping. Any time she puts him to sleep she rocks him to sleep. He is now two and a half and she still insists on rocking him. Now I'd absolutely love to rock my baby forever, but he has/had to learn to fall asleep on his own. We put him in his big boy bed as his baby sister is on her way and it was time for him to fall asleep on his own. She doesn't listen! Then if he stirs a little she goes and gets him rather than letting him fall back asleep on his own. This takes away from so much nap time. I tell her he will go back to sleep but she doesn't listen again. Now we have been potty training him for a while and he's doing great but she has a hurt back and won't take him as much as he needs to. Then every time she tries she changes his pull up, even if it's dry!!! I told her not to as they are expensive and she said she's not putting used pullups back on him. But they are still clean! She did this when he was in diapers too. She thought he was wet so she would change him and he wouldn't be. She would go through like 10 diapers in an 8 hour period. Mil doesn't have any idea how to change a diaper. She does all kinds of funky things when she does. Backwards, sideways who knows lol. Not sure how she raised two boys. I think their dad did most of it. She even pulls his shirt off weird and stretches his arm out making him cry. She was doing this before he could even hold his head up. Can you say nervous Mommy? Back to my mom, we try to promote Independence. We try to have him walk as much as possible rather than being carried. I have him go on his tummy down the stairs for example. One main reason is the new baby coming. She carries him everywhere! I've asked her to stop and again she won't listen. He then spends all weekend crying at the top of the stairs to be carried down cuz Grandma did it that way all day. I'm 8 months pregnant and can't carry him as well. Even around the house she just picks him up and carries him everywhere. We taught him to use his silverware at meal time and put away his dishes. Hes such a great little boy and does great at it, but she insists on feeding him, again, he's two and a half now. When we are out to dinner she won't share him with anyone. She holds him on her lap and feeds him. She gives him all her food without asking if it's ok, including dessert. It's so frustrating and annoying. Mil has done the same thing she puts him between her and her husband and says "Mommy gets enough of you, it's my turn". I'm like"lady listen, I'm his mom, not you. I'll feed him and prepare his food". Like she's not around very often so I don't care if she sits by him, but to literally take him away from me and intentionally keep him from me. Whenever she's around she tries to keep him away from me. She would walk him to another room or take him outside without asking. She tries to take him to the store without me and even did once! I came downstairs and they were gone!!She didn't even ask or have her phone.My mom wants to take him places to, but she's a bad driver and had gotten in fights with people before to where the cops have been called. She even had an argument with a lady at Walmart with my son!! She wonders why I don't let her take him anywhere. It's because she doesn't listen to my rules. I let her once go to the zoo, fun right? She was three hours late getting home, he had no nap, and she gave him a ton of junk. I told her he could have one thing if he ate the lunch I packed and she refused to take it. She began for him to stay the night with her, number 1 she smokes (not around him) 2 her dog is vicious and even bit him once. She took the dogs side and said she didn't bite him. My son is my world and my daughter will be too when she gets here. I may be a little over protective, but be honest, would you trust these ladies? I absolutely hate feeling this way. I want to want them around, but every time they are around my blood boils from them not listening to my wishes. My husband completely has my back and agrees with me for the most part. I just don't know if it's me or if I really good the short end of the stick and have two bad mom's. Sorry for the novel lol just had to vent.