MIL vent (NBR, long)

cateye

I know there are a thousand of these posts a day and I really have the sweetest, nicest MIL anyone could ask for, but she seriously drives me crazy. 

When we found out we were pregnant with DD, our LO#1, she offered to watch DD when I went back to school so we didn't have to spend the money on childcare.  Amazing!  We decided to do a trial run a few weeks before classes started so we could work out any kinks.  But she always had stuff come up. . .like she needed to bake cookies for church or she forgot to pick up some things at the grocery store.  And I swear, she was sick every other day.  The same things happened the first week of class and I decided to drop out 'cause there was a waiting list at every childcare center we called and I wasn't sure MIL would follow through.  (Luckily my major professor understood, we got childcare for the following semester and I am still on track to graduate).

Now, DH and I have class at the same time and we don't get out until after DD's daycare closes.  We were looking for a nanny or something to watch DD for the hour difference, but MIL insisted she watch DD instead.  But something came up the day I was supposed to meet her at the daycare to show her around and now, even though she has nothing going on and I work across the street from DD's daycare and could meet her, she refuses to get DD until after I'm in class.  Not that big of a deal except the other day she called me hysterical because she couldn't figure out DD's carseat (even after we had just shown her several times and had her try it herself).  She has been calling me all morning because she keeps forgetting the code to get into the daycare and she wants me to send her a different route to get there in case it is raining.  And, oh yeah, she is nervous about whether it might be raining when she has to pick up DD (which it will be because we live in FL and the rain chance is 80% today). . .and she might be late if it is, because she'll have to buy DD a raincoat and hat since we don't already have one.  She even called DH after I didn't answer her calls this morning (I was trying to get DD to daycare, me to work, and make sure I had all my school stuff) and told him I hadn't told her the code or sent her directions for the daycare and she was getting nervous.  So, of course, instead of just telling her himself, DH calls to see why I hadn't done all these things. . .which, by the way, I had.  I just hadn't e-mailed them to her since I *thought* we were meeting there yesterday and didn't get a chance to do anything last night since we got home super late.  And just to make me groan a little more, rather than going back to our place, which is about 10 minutes away, MIL is going home "because it might be raining."  Unfortunately, she lives 30 minutes away from the unversity and 40 minutes from my house, which means she just added an hour to my day. 

OMG this is so not worth it!!!  I am so stressed!!!

beckypooh03@yahoo.com

Wow that does sound very stressful! Sorry & GL with everything!

serrill2

It seems as if she is overwhelmed.  I would find a different caregiver.  I'm sorry you are going through this, it must be so stressful.  Best of Luck

dogmommy4now

Hey!  I live in Tampa too - do you go to USF?  I go to UM, but it's an MBA program in Tampa on Saturdays.  Does your program have Saturday classes that could help ease the night time load?

I would find a sitter, otherwise it will only cause more and more issues as this continues to happen.  You can always fire a slacker sitter, you can't fire a MIL.  I know you don't know me, but if you need some short term help babysitting until you find a full time person, let me know.  I don't work during the week right now and it's hard to find a short term, PT job when pregnant!  PM me if interested

 

colliedog

I have to admit i would find a sitter, she sounds a little high maintenance and really you just don't need the extra stress! Good luck with the MIL!

nadiarl

I wouldn't go down this road with her again. Maybe her eyes are bigger than her stomach as far as her ideas about what she can really handle.

 

Is there some sort of chld development major at your school? Try to hire one of those students to watch DD. They may even live near campus. With what you save on gas you can put toward the babysitter.

cateye

Thank you all for your words of support.  I'm gonna see how today goes and work from there.  I have a back-up just in case and am hoping that once MIL goes through all the motions, she'll be more confident.  She just isn't good with change.  Today is just one of those days and I just REALLY needed to vent.