Playing favorites with grandchildren............

[littleredsmom]

Why is it my mother-in-law always has to play favorites with the grandkids.  she has 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.  Anytime we mention something good one of our girls (we have 4) has done, she immediately has to tell us what my brother in laws kids has done (he has 4 also).  It really hurts our feelings as well as our kids, cause she does it to them too.  We just told her about our oldest daughter, who is a Jr at Pitt,  was just put into Who's Who of Collegiate Students as well as inducted into the National Honor Society of Psychology Students, and all she could do is tell us about the neices.  What do we do???????????  Can't she just be happy for each one at their accomplishments and tell them, instead of making mine feel inferior to the others?

[Kiter]

Nov. 25, 2007 at 9:34 PM

doing that to the parents is one hting, but doing it to the kids- that's just mean. maybe you can ask her to let your kids have a few minutes to be happy about their accomplishments and to tell then that, before she shares her good news about the cousins. or be like me and just stop telling her about your kids accomplishments...

My MIL only talks good about the other grandkids...even her neices kids..... never about mine and when something is brought up about mine, she mumbles..."mmm-hmmm. " then starts talking about something else.

 

we homeschool and so my kids don;t have those bragging titles of 'best in class' or top score on testing..... and I guess she can't brag about how well behaved and caring and loving and self motivasted they are- cause you can't see it on a test result.

 {{(empathetic hugs}}}}

[littleredsmom]

Nov. 25, 2007 at 9:44 PM thanks for the "hugs".  She has a habit of doing this crap when my hubby and I aren't around with the kids.  but they're getting old enough to let us know how they feel.  I think we're, as family, at the point of not communicating with them anymore for this and other reasons.  We just want our kids to know extended families, and I guess they're going to miss out, but we have our own "family" traditions that keep us going and they relish in those.

(Original Poster)