Im at the end of my rope.
Im not sure if this is the right place for this- but I'm just looking to vent.
My family is just...broken. My parents split when I (32f) was about 14. My sister (28) is NC with my dad and has been for many years. My brother (26) is essentially NC with my mother. I am the one stuck trying to keep the peace because I have a toddler (2m).
My mother has never once called and asked to see my son. She just expects me to invite her over if it's been more than a week of her not seeing him. The issue is I work 40+ hours a week. I never know when I'll be home from work. Some days it's 4pm other days it's 10pm. It's always a fun surprise. This makes weekday visits a struggle because when I get home it's usually a mad dash to spend some time with my son, cook dinner, and get him to bed. My mother basically expects every weekend to be dedicated to her.
Today i got together with a friend i havnt seen in almost a year. My mom called while my friend was here and I asked to call her back. After my friend left it was nap time followed by a mad dash to get as much laundry folded and put away as possible. I forgot to call my mother back. I called when I was cooking dinner and she was passive aggressive, clearly emotional, and moody the whole time. I tried to get my son to say hi but he yelled "no" and ran off. Obviously she was mortally wounded by this because her 2nd chance at motherhood wanted nothing to do with her and she ended the call.
Am i wrong for feeling like weekly visits are a bit excessive? If she were helpful and could keep my son occupied while I got stuff done it wouldn't be a huge deal but she doesn't even interact with him...she just stares at him. My time with my son is so limited, and so is my time to get chores done. I also have other friends or family members maybe i want to see. Am i really such a bad guy for feeling like every other week is sufficient?? Before my son was born I saw her maybe every 4-6 months (and Iived in the same apartment complex as her at the time.)
Posted May 5, 2025, 12:41 AM UTC