Dear Annie: Exhausted Parents Can’t Deal with Grandma’s Demand of Visits Every Weekend

Dear Annie: Exhausted parents can’t deal with grandma’s demand of visits every weekend

Dear Annie: My husband and I have two kids under 5, and we both work full-time. As you can imagine, our lives are pretty hectic. My mother-in-law lives about 30 minutes away and expects us to visit her almost every weekend. If we don’t, she lays on the guilt pretty thick -- talking about how she “never sees the kids” or implying we don’t value family.

Dear Annie: Mother-in-law lays on a guilt trip if we don’t visit her every weekend

Dear Annie: My husband and I have two kids under 5, and we both work full-time. As you can imagine, our lives are pretty hectic. My mother-in-law lives about 30 minutes away and expects us to visit her almost every weekend. If we don’t, she lays on the guilt pretty thick -- talking about how she “never sees the kids” or implying we don’t value family.

Dear Annie: If we don’t visit my mother-in-law every weekend, she lays on the guilt

I’m starting to dread the constant pressure. How can we set firmer boundaries without starting a bigger family conflict?

Dear Annie: My mother-in-law’s weekend visiting expectations are exhausting us

Dear Annie: My husband and I have two kids under 5, and we both work full-time. As you can imagine, our lives are pretty hectic. My mother-in-law lives about 30 minutes away and expects us to visit her almost every weekend. If we don’t, she lays on the guilt pretty thick — talking about how she “never sees the kids” or implying we don’t value family.

Dear Annie: My mother-in-law’s guilt trips about my kids are wearing me down

We want her to have a relationship with the kids, but I’m starting to dread the constant pressure.

I’m Not Allowed to See My Grandkids Anymore Because I Refuse to Babysit Them

We received a letter from a reader who is struggling with a difficult family situation. In her letter, she describes how her daughter-in-law no longer allows her to see her grandkids after an argument about her role in their lives. What started as a disagreement about boundaries escalated into a painful rift that has left her questioning her place in her family.