In-Law Issues. How would you deal?
How would you deal with this situation?
⏪📖 Back story, read if you want, or skip ahead to questions:
My in-laws (MIL & SIL) who live 15 min away, or less & neither have a job (so it’s not lack of time), never ask to see our 4yo, never ask to bring him over or if they can come to our house, they don’t ask about him, NOTHING, except for when out-of-town family comes and they want us to play family in front of them. They’ve bitc*ed to people in their family that I*** don’t make an effort for them to be in my sons life, when it’s them who don’t, so they have to act like they make an effort when the other family is present, I guess. ⏪📖
They want us to come for Thanksgiving & as you probably guessed it… their other family will be there. I’ve already agreed to go because husband really wants to go of course. But I have two problems…
My questions are:
1. My husband has to work that Friday, which they already knew, but MIL’s sister is coming that day and they asked husband if I’D* bring my son to visit again, as well as Thursday for Thanksgiving. They do this every time someone comes to town, while my husband has to work, and they can’t even have enough respect to text ME and ask me, knowing I’d have to be the one to come along. If they’re expecting me to be the one to bring my son, I think they should atleast have enough respect for me to text and ask me, instead of him.
2. Both “events” are at my SIL’s house because MIL’s house is too small to host family dinners, and she has 3 very large dogs. Two of the dogs are very chill and are no problem, but one of them isn’t used to kids and the last two times we’ve gone over there, which was last Christmas, he growled at my son numerous times, and snapped at him once. Keep in mind this is also a large dog, taller than my son and could easily hurt him. Last Christmas when we were over there, beforehand, I told husband that I wasn’t taking my son if they couldn’t agree to keep that one dog outside (they have a fenced in back yard), and according to him they agreed. We got there and it was outside, so I was like whew okay great. About 15 min pass and she lets it in…. He stayed in the whole time so I just held him the entire time, afraid of him getting attacked. Not to mention, my son has developed a new fear of dogs for some reason. Even small ones, because he doesn’t like them jumping up on his legs and he FREAKS out.
I’m already agreeing to spend part of Thanksgiving with them and be show ponies for their family, and they want me to come back the next day and do it again?!?! When they can’t even text me, personally?? And what do I do about the dog situation? Because she may agree to put the dog out and then just let it come back in again like last time… but I don’t think it’s worth putting my sons life at risk of being attacked by a large dog…
Achieve your health goals from period to parenting.