My parents and church and MY CHILD
So, my parents lost all Nora rights on church nights. They called me on Monday and asked if they could watch her Wednesday night after her normal babysitting day. I agreed. Dad mentioned wanting to take her to church to show her off, and I said that was fine, but I wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay up that late, since she's been going to bed around 7pm every night, and church is a 30 minute drive from their house and starts at 7:30. I mentioned again to my mom Wednesday morning that I wasn't sure if she'd make it up that late, and again stressed that she's been going to bed early.
When I left work at 4 Wednesday I called my mom to see how Nora was doing, and flat out asked her not to keep her out late. Every time they agreed they would not keep sleepy baby out past her bedtime, and that if she started to get tired they'd leave early.
Cut to 9pm, when I call the house to see how it went AND NO ONE ANSWERED. So I left a message asking them to call me when they get back. At 10:10 I called my dad's cell phone, and he puts on his "calm down everything's fine don't get all emotional you poor new mother who's making a fuss over nothing" voice and tells me they're IN THE CAR and JUST NOW TAKING HER HOME. Over THREE HOURS after I told them she had to be in bed. He explains that a meeting came up after church that he just HAD to stay for, so mom put her in the car and she fell asleep in her carseat. So when asked to make sure my baby was home asleep by a reasonable hour, their answer was to let her sleep in the parking lot while dad goes to some stupid meeting that I'm SURE he could have skipped.
They have NO JUDGEMENT when it comes to church. I asked them to watch her for my high school reunion, and dad made mom watch her at my house because he wanted her to fall asleep in her own bed. But if it's CHURCH related? Then the six month old baby can sleep in the parking lot against her mother's express wishes.
So they have now lost all rights to overnights her on church days. And it's not so much the keeping her out late that upsets me, or the patronizing "calm down, crazy" voice dad used on the phone with me, or the lack of judgment when church is involved, it's the fact that as her parent I made it PERFECTLY clear what I was asking them to do, and on their VERY FIRST TIME watching her overnight they ignored me. I was so angry last night I was shaking.
When I left work at 4 Wednesday I called my mom to see how Nora was doing, and flat out asked her not to keep her out late. Every time they agreed they would not keep sleepy baby out past her bedtime, and that if she started to get tired they'd leave early.
Cut to 9pm, when I call the house to see how it went AND NO ONE ANSWERED. So I left a message asking them to call me when they get back. At 10:10 I called my dad's cell phone, and he puts on his "calm down everything's fine don't get all emotional you poor new mother who's making a fuss over nothing" voice and tells me they're IN THE CAR and JUST NOW TAKING HER HOME. Over THREE HOURS after I told them she had to be in bed. He explains that a meeting came up after church that he just HAD to stay for, so mom put her in the car and she fell asleep in her carseat. So when asked to make sure my baby was home asleep by a reasonable hour, their answer was to let her sleep in the parking lot while dad goes to some stupid meeting that I'm SURE he could have skipped.
They have NO JUDGEMENT when it comes to church. I asked them to watch her for my high school reunion, and dad made mom watch her at my house because he wanted her to fall asleep in her own bed. But if it's CHURCH related? Then the six month old baby can sleep in the parking lot against her mother's express wishes.
So they have now lost all rights to overnights her on church days. And it's not so much the keeping her out late that upsets me, or the patronizing "calm down, crazy" voice dad used on the phone with me, or the lack of judgment when church is involved, it's the fact that as her parent I made it PERFECTLY clear what I was asking them to do, and on their VERY FIRST TIME watching her overnight they ignored me. I was so angry last night I was shaking.