And so begins another week ...

It starts off with a bang, too.

Grandson is a brat. Gee, this is news? No ... but he's starting his week off on a good foot. Not. He comes down the stairs in his underwear, after telling DIL he won't get dressed. Then it's the food fight (he wants cereal, then he doesn't he wants leftover birthday cake instead). And getting that boy to listen ... forget it. All the while DIL is trying to reason and negotiate with him. It ended up he was sent to his room, and the cats got the cereal bowl.

I don't know who looks more stupid ... him and his fits or her trying to reason with him.

She had asked me last night when they got home from Exie Pooh's mother's 90th Birthday party about discipline - I guess he really was acting up there, too. I told her that time out would work good for Grandson. "I tried that, it doesn't work. Nothing works". No ... time out works!! Discipline of any kind works. You just have to be consistent, follow through and then supervise to make sure he's following the rules of whatever discipline method you're using. Something she hasn't grasped.

Married Son had an errand he needed to run on the other side of town. She wanted to go with him. I told her go ahead, I'd watch Grandson ... and make him sit at the table until the cereal was all gone. She thinks that was too harsh of a punishment so she stayed home. He's in the bedroom playing (not a part of the "go to your room" punishment) and she sits on the computer - not checking on him. She's not speaking to me, either. She's mad that she had to stay home with a brat, and seems to want to take it out on me. However, I don't find the silent treatment to be punishment. I'm rather enjoying it.

And then she wonders why she's got problems with him?

But then, don't try to tell her anything ... whether she asks for your input or not. There's always a reason or an excuse for whatever. Or if you know you've caught her dead-to-rights, she pulls that not me shit. Hmmm, could that whole attitude be the whole reason in the three years at her work she's never been up for any type of promotion?

Half an hour after she sends him to his room he's downstairs (dressed finally) and get this ... she gave him a drink box and a piece of birthday cake.

So ... he gets his way after all. What good is it to ask about discipline or to send him to his room as punishment if you're only going to give into his demands anyway?

And I keep saying to myself "not my child". She allowed it to happen, she can live with the brat. Too bad I have to suffer through it too.

Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better.

Post Script ...
Grandson has this whiney squeal he uses at times. Grates on my final nerve on a good day. I asked him to stop. DIL says "turn your bell-tones down". Excuse me? I told her he needs to turn his volume down, way down. And then we got into it ... tell me to deal with it! And so rudely.

It's gonna be a looooooong week!