Margaret graciously supported her son and daughter-in-law for years—especially by helping with her grandchildren, often picking them up for meals or babysitting. But the twins, aged seven and from her DIL’s previous marriage, refused everything she cooked—wrinkling their noses at pasta, chicken nuggets, and sandwiches, and demanding pizza or fast food instead.
After a particularly draining visit, Margaret asked her DIL, “Please feed your kids before dropping them off.” Her DIL nodded with a chuckle.
The next day, Margaret found boxes piled high in her living room—canned goods, frozen meals, snacks, juices—all stacked right inside her front door, blocking entry. Her DIL glanced at her and said, flatly, “This should last a while. I didn’t realize my kids were such a burden.”
Now, Margaret’s son is caught in the middle. Tension smolders, the kids haven’t visited, and Margaret is torn—she loves her grandchildren but feels taken advantage of. She wonders: Was she wrong for setting a boundary? How can she repair this without welcoming passive-aggression into her home?
