"My in-laws live a four-hour flight away but visit us five to six times a year. They're both retired and enjoy traveling. My husband and I are parents to their only grandchildren, and they claim they love spending time with them. But their behavior shows otherwise, in my opinion. Dear Annoyed, Their visits typically revolve around concerts, so they have a number of nights out while they stay with us."
"This is usually fine, but when they decide to see their favorite bands' multiple east coast tour stops, we feel like our apartment is a convenient, free Airbnb for them. It seems like seeing their grandchildren is not their actual priority. They also don't really play with the kids; they just like to observe them. My son is about to turn 5 and he's now questioning why Grandma and Grandpa "only like to look at him.""
Grandparents live a four-hour flight away and visit five to six times a year. Both are retired and travel frequently, organizing visits around concert dates and taking multiple east coast tour stops. Grandparents claim to love their only grandchildren but mostly observe rather than play with them, offering babysitting but declining when asked. Parents feel their apartment is used as free lodging and resent frequent nights out and early departures during special occasions. A planned departure at dawn on the older child's birthday will upset the child, and parents have already expressed displeasure to no avail. Parents can set boundaries to limit future stays.
Read at Slate Magazine
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