My son and DIL have two grandkids 6 and 4. I babysit them once and while and overall our relationship is good. They were suppose to see us on Christmas for dinner.
I got a call today about watching the kids on Christmas from noon until they come to dinner. I asked them why and it’s because they got football tickets on Christmas.
DIL mother was suppose to stay with them over the Christmas week but canceled bexuase she can’t make the drive (6 hours). They don’t have anyone to watch the kids
They asked me to do it and I told them no. They said they would be out a lot of money if they can’t go and I told them they shouldn’t have bought tickets on Christmas in the first place. I told them to spend time with their kids
They told me not to expect them on Christmas Day. they are not happy and I am. confused if I am in the wrong?
edit: yes I am a women, yes I am doing the cooking for dinner. my husband has trouble walking and also sucks at cooking
NTA
I will be downvoted into oblivion (edit: never mind Reddit didn’t go football crazy thankfully)
WTF parents, go have Christmas with you kids. They are 6 and 4. They will notice if you are gone
This never made sense to me, it is basically the biggest holiday of the year and you don’t want to spend it with your kids
You don’t have tickets for the kids to see the game instead what you drop them off somewhere else
Edit: also not ever grandparent is kid crazy… there is a good chance op isn’t retired
Especially with how excited kids that age are about Christmas usually. I was really surprised by this comment section. I would have been so sad if my parents had separate plans without me for Christmas as a kid.
I would have been fine with it. Open presents in the morning. Play with stuff at grandma’s while the parents are out. Then all have dinner together. That seems fine to me.
NTA. They can see about taking the kids to the game and you get fewer dinner guests. It seems everyone gets what they want.
NTA. They shouldn’t be surprised when somebody refuses to babysit on Christmas, and ditching their kids Christmas morning for a game is messed up. Especially at the age where kids are usually SO excited about Christmas. It’s also just manipulative/petty to pull out of Christmas day because they didn’t get the answer they wanted. They won’t have any issue finding buyers for those tickets, so that’s not really relevant or your problem.
I’ll probably get downvoted as I’m seeing a lot of y.t.a.
I say NTA though. I get it. You’ll be too busy in the kitchen preparing Christmas dinner to watch 2 young kids. Sorry the other grandma couldn’t go but that’s not your problem. The parents should have bought tickets for them AND their kids and not expect anyone to babysit on CHRISTMAS DAY.
I don’t get all the YTA responses. No one, including grandparents, should be obligated to babysit whenever asked. I am sure OP was going to be busy getting the house ready, cooking, etc.
I also don’t think the parents suck for going to a game (although hopefully this is just a one off and they are not spending every Christmas away from the kids). But I do think they are the AH for trying to force OP to babysit and then using Christmas as a weapon.
NTA, babysitting is appreciated but not expected in my family. Also speaking as a parent, it’s a shitty thing to plan a football game on Christmas of all days.
Edit: thanks for the award 😊
NTA You are hosting the dinner, what should be obvious to your children is that you will be busy cooking and preparing your home for that.
Maybe slight y t a for what you said about spending time with the kids, but kind of not.
NTA, they are acting entitled to your time on a day they already knew you had plans
NTA.
I don’t care that you were an AH for how you said it, or that you judged them for it. Only AHs ditch their kids on Christmas for a football game, and this is coming from an atheist with some very mixed feelings on the holiday.
NTA. I feel sorry for the kids, they’ve just learned where they fall in their parents list of priorities.
NTA
Being a grandparent doesn’t mean you have to babysit whenever you’re asked.
And now they’re using their kids as a weapon to punish you!
A lot of people are ignoring the fact that “Grandma “ is busy cooking and “Grandpa “ isn’t mobile. Watching children this age would be very distracting and possibly dangerous. So the parents were just going to come for dinner after football?
NTA