In the past I have so dreaded visits from my SD and her unruly children. Mind you, we have had the grandchildren alone and gotten along fine but the kids are out of control brats when mom and dad are around. I am on my toes trying to keep my home from being destroyed.

I am angry at my SD & her husband for not controlling the boys and I am angry at my DH for running interference when I would correct the kids in front of their parents. Many times I would correct one of the kids for something and my dh would in my opinion teach them that they didn't have to listen to me. Not EVERY time would he contradict me but he did MANY times.

A couple Examples:

1. The grandsons ages 6 & 4 are in our outdoor Jacuzzi and they are pushing the buttons to turn the bubbles on and off and fighting, pushing, each other to be in position to push the buttons. They are rapidly pushing "ON,OFF,ON,OFF,ON,OFF". I tell them to leave the controls alone and my dh says "oh, they aren't hurting anything and so the boys continue turning it on & off. I say nothing and shortly my dh gets aggravated with the boys and he tells them to leave the controls alone.

2. We have a Jacuzzi bath tub in our master bedroom and the grandsons were taking a bath. I am in the room alone with the boys and the 4 years says he is done and wants out. I get him out, dry him off and get him dressed, then my dh walks in and the 4 year asks to get back in the tub and I say "No" and my dh says he can and proceeds to undress him and put him back in the tub. That really ticked me off.

The next time they visited, I chose to be limited in my corrections. That week end the only correction I gave was to stop standing on my couch and to stop hanging on my floor lamp. Neither time was my dh around to hear the correction.

After everyone had left my dh made comment that he could see I was a pop can about ready to burst. I then tell him the things the boys did that annoyed me. Such as:
1) standing in their chair at the dinning room table while we are eating.
2)Recklessly grabbing what they want on the table.
3)Sword fighting at the table with their butter knives.
4)Digging in my kitchen cabinets
My dh asks me "Well why didn't you say something?" I replied because you teach the kids NOT to listen to me. I could see my dh was really digesting what I had just said.

The next visit, I only corrected when I felt it was something to protect my property from getting broke. The grandsons are very destructive.

Okay, now I see the 4 year old has gone into our office and comes out with a yard stick I had in the corner behind the door. Note: I never allow my 3 year old bio grandson play with it. I know the yard stick is very old and is valuable to my dh. The 4 year old is trying to force the yard stick into a window space that obviously is too small for it. Finally his mom tells him to stop and he goes into the living room where his dad & my dh are. The next thing I hear is my SD saying "the yard stick didn't survive" and walks into the kitchen and sets the broken pieces on the cabinet. I say nothing & at the moment my dh says nothing but after a couple minuets he gives the 4 year old a good scolding.

In the past my dh would give me one excuse after another when I complained about anything to do with my sd & her family. I just find it interesting that I did not complain, I was not a pop can about to bust. I had made up my mind that I will protect my property and would say nothing to protect my dh's. I had decided he can protect his own.

What is interesting is NOW my dh is complaining about everything that I would have complained about. Now it is my dh who is saying these kids are out of control and that mom and dad need to wake up.

Thanks for listening! I am anxious to hear your thoughts. Thanks again