Is there someone in your family

whom you KNOW you will clash with when it comes to raising your baby?

This is someone who is inclined to force THEIR opinons on you and pretty much tell you what you SHOULD be doing.

If you have such a person in your family, what is your strategy on putting them in their place?

Re: Is there someone in your family

Just nod them to death, and I do what i want to do.

Re: Is there someone in your family

I'm already known in my family for being pretty direct, as well as independent -

So, I don't think anyone would be surprised if I told them to back off

I honestly don't mind when someone is well intentioned, and I am the first one to ask for advice if I feel like I don't know what the hell I'm doing - but a lot of people just FORCE their way of doing things on you by saying things like 'Don't DO that!!" or "What are you DOING?"
or "WHY aren't you doing x, y, z???" or the ever irritating "The baby IS hungry, tired, teething, cranky, needs a bottle, needs a hat, isn't comfortable in that outfit' etc etc etc - the list goes on and on and on and on ..........I don't even HAVE one yet and I get annoyed with these constantly negative people - and I feel like those people are deliverately trying to shake your confidence or point out what you're doing 'wrong' .....those people can go straight to hell .....

Message edited 10/9/2008 3:12:28 PM.

Re: Is there someone in your family

Yes, and I plan on raising MY child the way my DH and I see fit. I have ZERO problems telling people such. I am not one to beat around the bush.

Re: Is there someone in your family

Yup.. My MIL. She lives in TN. I will just screen my calls Really I just listen, say sure, and then do the opposite.

Re: Is there someone in your family

I am sure I will butt heads with my mom and MIL, but since I am not using them for babysitting, they won't have the opportunity to say too much too often. I will dispute as I feel the need to though, I don't like unsolicited advice from family.

Re: Is there someone in your family

yes.. thank goodness she doesnt live very close!

Re: Is there someone in your family

sort of indirectly...My MIL will def suggest, knowing well that my DH will take her word as a word of gold, and then force it onto me...so I've already made it known to her that her son takes her opinion a little too strongly and be careful what you say around us...I've already told DH that we're raising her the way we want to raise her, and if we have any "medical" questions that he would normally got to his mom on, I am talking to the pediatrician and not his mom...

Message edited 10/9/2008 4:34:45 PM.

Re: Is there someone in your family

I can already tell you that DH's family will be putting their 2 cents in, especially MIL and her mother. Maybe not MIL so much, but I definately know her mother because she has been doing nothing but busting my horns my entire pregnancy. Whether its about taking my blood pressure everyday or badgering me on what I ate for dinner to the rest of my diet. I've done my best to be polite to her and not lose my temper. I've even told DH to get her off my back. Shaylie is my daughter and DH's daughter and no one is going to tell us how to raise our child. No one!