How To Handle Critisim From An In-Law

how to handle critisim from an in-law

Melissa - posted on 04/25/2011 ( 1 mom has responded )

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I used to handle it well...I would grin and bare it and maybe say what i thought but mainly I just took it! But today after spending a week in our home my father-in-law left with much critisim. He started by saying your doing a great job but...
then followed by you not setting boundries at feeding times..(our son has receantly with in the past few weeks developed a picking eating habit, but has been under weight and had eating issues for many many months) you cant just feed him what he wants your making him picky...I explained a method I am doing with him that is starting to work...he said he doesnt see it.
Then he said there was a reason why our does things when he is here, because he pushes him to and we need to push him more and push him to stay awake. he also said he doesnt know of babies that take morning naps.(our son starting crawling when he was here but thats it everything else he did with us and now takes one long morning nap a day)He then followed it by saying watch how much processed food I give him...I told him the reason why when he was here he got the processed food he did and he thought I shouldnt (my son had cearal bars, and a muffin) most everything else I feed him is organic and minumaly processed. he got an attitude and said a cearal bar was very processed and I reminded him why he got the kind I gave him.
Am I over reacting but took great offence to all of this. He always has something to say about how we are choosing to raise our son, when our son was young he used to say co-sleeping was wrong and you shouldnt hold him to fall asleep I mean it has been never ending. We dont do things the way he does but he thinks his way is the best...ok he is grandpa I get that but let me raise my son my way. He acts as though we are clueless and dont know what we are doing. I am 34 years of age( the same age as his ex-wife and the mother to his young daughters) and I have been around many babies and have nannied for years but he just doesnt think we are doing anything right! Ihave never let it get to me untill now, I am offended and my husband is not on my side and is sticking up for his dad.....could I maybe be overreacting?

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Emily - posted on 04/25/2011

Best thing is to nod your head, but keep doing what you know is best for your son. I deal with this same issue with my own mother, sadly. I just grin and listen to her advice, and then go home and do what I know is best for my kids.

And, by the way, my March 2010 baby still takes an hour nap every morning, a 3 hour nap in the afternoon, and goes on to sleep 12 hours at night...so your son is completely normal. You are doing a great job. Don't let anybody tell you differently.