Dear Blake,
I am having a conflict with my 27-year-old daughter over watching my grandson. She thinks I should watch him every day because I don’t have a life and she wants to live hers. I love my grandson, but I’m 54 and have medical issues. I had a heart attack last year on top of having diabetes and back pain. I’m not employed, but I tire easily.
I told her I want to see him when it’s convenient for me and, if she asks ahead of time, I will watch him — but not all the time. I believe it’s up to her and the father, who is unreliable about watching him. Now when I ask to pick him up at school, unless I’m keeping him for a while, she refuses. I’m the only grandmother in his life, but she wants to keep me from him unless it’s on her terms. What is your opinion on this?
Signed, Marjorie,
From Montgomery, Alabama
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Dear Marjorie,
Your daughter appears to be selfish and insensitive. The best thing to is used some tactics that will put that ungrateful little witch in her place. Here are some ideas. Charge her to babysit, but at rates that are slightly below the going rate, so she’ll have to come to you to save some money. And if she later asks to borrow some money from you, loan her what she paid at usury/Mafia interest rates. Or this idea. Try to compile some bogus evidence, that will cause the child to be taken away and is awarded to the state. At that point you and your daughter can visit your grandson (as equals), unless you can come up with something so egregious that the state only allows her supervised visitation. If she drops him off unexpectedly, every time she does that, find the scariest movie that is streaming, until she gets tired of picking up her son when he has wide-eyes and his hair is standing on end. And finally, this last idea. If she threatens to not letting you see him again, show her that you’re playing the long game, and tell her that she hopes her son wants to her when he is over 21, and you have no problem waiting that long to see him again. I hope this helps.
Blake