Moms often need a support system, and grandparents are frequently that lifeline. However, there’s a fine line between helping and hovering.
A “helicopter” grandparent often doesn’t realize the trouble they cause because they believe they’re being helpful. These grandparents can undermine parents and become overly involved in the child’s life.
Helicopter grandparents shift from being supportive and loving to interfering and controlling, which can be harmful. In today’s story, as shared by Reddit user ButterflyTurtleDuck, we observe something similar. OP’s mother and father-in-law are classic helicopter grandparents. They constantly tell OP what to do and hover over her and her husband, both physically and emotionally.
Scroll down below to read the story!
Source: Reddit
1. If you feel that way about someone, you shouldn’t let that person babysit your child.
2. OP’s relationship with her in-laws has been on a declining trajectory ever since her little one (LO) was born.
3. The grandparents try to remove all obstacles from LO’s path of growth, which OP considers overbearing.
4. MIL would constantly criticize OP and her husband’s way of parenting.
5. The FIL pretends he knows everything LO is thinking…even more than his mother.
6. OP follows a specific philosophy to parent her child, but her MIL would just go with the flow.
7. This kind of makes it sound like LO is now their actual grandchild but adopted. This is not how to treat your kids.
8. The way MIL yanks that kid, she will end up dislocating LO’s arm one day.
9. They often talk about him like he isn’t a human but an object.
This is not right. And why haven’t we seen the husband get involved this far? I feel like he is afraid of ruining his relationship with his own parents. That is pathetic. He shouldn’t have had a child, in that case, or gotten married for the better.
I think OP needs to find a third-party babysitter. Just make an arrangement that excludes the grandparents from the picture.
Source: Reddit
10. This is the kind of helicopter behavior all parenting guides tell parents to stay as far away from as possible.
11. She would credit herself for all the positive behavioral changes and blame LO for all the bad ones.
12. They are under the wrong impression that OP wants to keep their grandchild away from them.
13. But their way of treating LO as if he were a toy would leave OP no option but to keep her child away from his grandparents.
14. MIL has plans to babysit LO when OP returns to work. This has concerned her a lot.
15. OP says her in-laws don’t treat her with any respect, so how could she expect them to treat her child properly?
16. It seems like OP is out of options and sees no other way but to let her MIL babysit LO.
No wonder she approached the internet for advice!
Source: Reddit
Here are some of the comments shared on the story:
17. Ain’t no one is allowed to do anything with that child except you, the parents.
Via lucyloo87
18. It is time to hire that nanny.
Via PrettyLilPeacock
19. Don’t give in to their fantasies, OP.
Via hello-mr-cat
20. OP’s story touched so many hearts.
Via whohaseverything
21. Not as adults, as a married couple, or as parents.
Via The_One_True_Imp
I really hope you guys enjoyed this one. Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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