I recently babysat my grandchildren (5 and 4) for four nights and five days so that my son and his wife could attend a wedding in Mexico and enjoy a few days of vacation.
They sought me because her mother would be unavailable, and I immediately expressed my discomfort. It felt like a long time to watch the kids, and she had clearly stated that the woman’s family is more important than the man’s, so I was annoyed that I was being asked instead of her mother. I’ll admit that I caved when my son became very upset, but I felt/feel that they were manipulative.
While I was with the kids, I was invited to an Epcot birthday party and wanted to go. It didn’t even occur to me to run it by my son or daughter in law because I had the kids for an extended period of time and they knew they’d be traveling wherever I went.
My daughter-in-law had previously expressed wanting to save money for Disney, but she had said that about a variety of things and never told me it was anything significant to her.
Additionally, it was Epcot. It’s not like I took them to the Magic Kingdom and they had a fantastic moment with their favorite character.
When they returned and discovered out, my daughter-in-law was enraged and burst into tears.
She said I snatched one of her children first and labeled me entitled. To be honest, being branded entitled did not sit well with me, especially because she had previously requested babysitting services. My son asked me to apologize because she was upset about missing their first Disney trip, but I declined and asked them to go.
My son contacted out again, saying I should have asked for something that huge, and his wife feels chєαtєd. I know she is a big Disney fan, but it was Epcot, not the real Disney, and I don’t think I should have had to miss out on a birthday party I wanted to attend. I informed my son that I was not apologizing for anything, and that they should consider how they made me feel when they ignored my original no. My son believes Reddit will show me the mistake of my ways.