X-mas holidays: My parents spoil our children too much

Dec 11, 2017

When they return from their grandparents, they only want to eat "nice things".

LIFESTYLE | FAMILY

The fast approaching long holiday worries my husband and I so much as our three children aged 6, 4 and 3 will be spending a lot of time with their grandparents. Mum and Dad love them so much, and because they do not see them as often as they would like, they spoil them rotten. It is not a joking matter. Usually, after spending about a month with their grandparents, the children do not listen to me or their father.

Their grandfather tells them that children should not be caned, yet he used to be very generous with the stick when I was growing up.

They report us when we try to discipline them and want to eat 'special foods'. "Atat (luo for grandma) usually makes us eggs and bread and gives us ice cream for desert. There is even no chocolate here. Why don't you even make chips? we don't want to take a nap," they complain. 

We are trying to teach them to eat healthy, especially vegetables and take juice without sugar and so far, it is working.

Right now they know that they should lay their beds early morning, put away toys and have specific times to watch TV and read story books. But by the time they get back, we will be back to square one. They do whatever they want when they are with their grandparents, who rebuke us for taking life too seriously when we complain.

I am an only child, so my parents feel holiday time is their turn to enjoy the kids. My husband's parents are long gone, so we cannot come up with the excuse of letting our children visit the other side. The kids are already nagging us about when we shall let them go home to the grandparents. We are the envy of many of our friends because their parents don't like to take on their children during holidays, so we appreciate that this is a good problem to have, but we are in trouble. Please advise.

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