Parents?

[AmyM]

I wondered, are you close to your parents? Do they live near you, are they still living, do you get along? Me and my mom clash some kind of bad (though I love her dearly), but I do get along with my dad. I bet I am blessed to still have the old geezer around and be friends with him. He's 57 and probably in better health than me. I'm thankful for them that's for sure.

[Angie4b1g]

My mom died a bunch of years ago and I haven't seen my dad since I was 8.

I wasn't particularly close with either of them, so I just really don't know the difference. Sometimes I'm thankful to not have family.

[lauren grier]

we're not particularly close.. though distance wise they're like 5-10 minutes away We're just.. not a really like close huggy lovie sharing family kwim? LOL we never have been. Like most mom/daughter relationships my mom and I went through some major um.. unpleasant times We only really started getting on the right track after connor was a few months old-- but we're still not close. It's better this way, I like to pretend that we have the perfect relationship My dad and I.. I guess it's the same, though we never went through what my mom and I did.

[AmyM]

Sounds very familiar Lauren. There was a time that I could not be in the same room with my mom without a screaming match breaking out. Now since Kassi was born we can get along if necessary. But there's been a couple knock down drag outs since then (not physical of course).
My parents were never huggy either. But me and Scott and Kassi are. Like always huggy smoochy ick. My kid probably has an ego bigger than my rear end LOL

[scrapmonkey]

My dad passed away two years ago, and I miss him dearly. My parents lived in Connecticut (I now live in Ohio), so we didn't live close by. But next month my Mom is moving about a mile away from where we live. Since I'm an only child, this is a very good thing. We get along well, though she sometimes gets on my nerves (and my hubby's) when it comes to money matters. I'll be happy to have her close by...

[BrattyMeg]

both of my parents are deceased as well but I do have fantastic grandparents that I'm super close to, wonderful inlaws, and a brother and sister that are my best friends...

I got along with my parents for the most part. I was kinda the oddball child, wanted to do my own thing after I graduated high school and not go into family business (that I did end up a part of anyways on a part time basis down the road lol), wanted to leave town, etc...

I see A LOT (more than I care to admit) of my mother in myself...esp the things I say to my oldest DD (almost 12--that age yanno lol) that when I was a child I SWORE I'd NEVER say to my children lol

[Micheline Lincoln]

My dad lives out of town about an hour or so drive from my house, I'm a daddy's girl and always was we have a very close relationship we talk daily and he has been there for me everytime i've needed someone.
My mom in the other hand is a whole other story ROFL she's a nut, yes I love her to death but she is quite the pita LOL she just moved out of town this week(she used to live 15 min away) but now lives an hour away. (My parents are divorced)

[my3hens]

My mom is my bestfriend. She can be a royal pain in the ass and we have a lot of highs and lows but I am very blessed. My dad is another story (VERY LONG) So I will spare ya guys the gritty details. They live about 30 minutes away from me.

[supertwinkle]

My mom passed away last year from cancer. Since then I've been closer to my dad than before. He recently got remarried, so I'm still not sure how that's all gonna work out as far as all of us hanging together. They live two hours away.

[meems]

my father died when i was teenager. We didn't really get along. but I think if he were alive now we'd have more in common (love of internet, laptops, ipods, dvr, etc. would connect us LOL).

My mom and I get along okay, very superficial relationship though. I don't see her much b/c she lives in CA and I'm in IL. I don't really miss her and I doubt she misses me. We don't have all that much to say to each other.

[scarletsierra]

I love my mom to bits. She's one of my favorite people in the world and I consider a friend now as well as my mommy. We're very close. I don't feel close to my bio dad or to my step-father really, for various reasons. But I feel close with the rest of my family and I miss them terribly. We live many many miles/states away from them. That's the biggest drawback of military life for me.

[ZaCola3]

I am best friends with my mom, FOR REAL!
I love her so much. I love my dad too they are the best grandparents in the world!
And although I still fight with them occassionally, my mom tends to want to micro manage all aspects of my life, it never lasts long and we always make up!
Did I mention that they are the BEST GRANDPARENTS in the world?

[MrsWresh]

My mom is my best friend, well aside from my sweetheart of a husband. She lives on the other side of the country but we talk on the phone every single day! She is a retired flight attendant so she still has passes and comes to AZ probably 4 times a year too.

I talk to her about almost everything and her opinion is very important to me. She serves everyone around her tirelessly. She is all that I would imagine the Lord wants us to be. I adore her.

My dad is a lunatic. I try to have a relationship with him but generally end up having to take a "break" from him because he is so whacked.

[marnel]

My mom lives in NCarolina I see her like 2x a year and we talk all the time.
My dad lives in FL and I've only seen him 2x in 18 years by going back home for a funeral we talk once a year for my B-day or X-mas he's never met my DH or older kids but he will this summer, big sighhh!

[chloe]

My parents live in Switzerland about 5 hours away from here, so I don't see them very often. I'm pretty close to them although we don't speak on the phone very often. I'm A LOT like my mom (and my grandma as well), and not the best part to be honest! LOL And DBF is my dad's copycat... now that's scary! LOL I get along quite well with my dad's girlfriend, as long as she doesn't try to play a mom's role. She tried a few years ago but we (=my bother and I) put her back in her role pretty quickly, and now everything is fine! BTW, that reminds me that it's her b'day today, I'll have to call her! LOL

[rach3975]

My mother is the sweetest--she's always there for me and we love each other dearly. We don't have a best friend kind of relationship, but we might if we'd ever been able to live close to each other as adults.

My father and I have had some rough patches, but so has everyone with my father. He loves us, but the only right way is his way, and he can't understand that he has to accept the decisions we make for ourselves.

All in all, though, I feel very lucky to have the family I do. (Not sure I would have said that when I was a teenager and the rough patches were at their worst, LOL.) They're about 6 hours away, so we tend to see them every other month. I wish I could move my mother in next door, but my father and I need that 6-hour buffer zone.

[jovi_girl]

i love my mum to pieces! My fiance reckons somebody forgot to cut my umbillical cord (whatever!). She is awesome and would do anything for me, and vice versa. We werent as close when we lived together, but as soon as i moved out of home, our relationship got soooo much better.

My dad passed away when i was 17 and i was devastated. Still am really. We are a very close family. Im very close with my 3 brothers and my sister as well. i love it, and its great for my fiance and one of my brothers girlfriends as they were not close with their own families but now have ours to compensate.

[tuneskids]

my Mom & stepdad live about 9 hours away from us, we aren't too close really (they are alcoholics and I have a hard time dealing with their issues), although I do love them both dearly, and I hate that they are missing out on so much of their grandkids lives (I grew up being able to see my maternal grandparents every single day).

my Dad & stepmom live about 4 hours from us. I didn't have my Dad in my life much growing up, so we have never been overly close, but I try still. Des and my Dad are sooooo much alike, it's scary!! They have the same interest, other than my Dad being a sports nut and Des not so much. hehehee

My ILs live 9 hours away too (in the same town as my Mom, where DH and I both grew up). We are pretty close though, I call them Mom & Dad too.

[Kat Stokes]

I'm pretty close with my parents. My mom calls me her BF and that's okay. In a way, she is mine too. We weren't close for a long time because I was a VERY rebelious teenager and she HATED my dh for the longest time. Of course, she's over that now and we are pretty close. My parents have been married for 40 years this year and I sooooooo want that with my DH. They are the absolute best grandparents too!!!

[lizzyfizzy]

i am very close to both my parents...they have been married for 27 years. they live 6 blocks away and i work with both of them everyday. it can be wearing, but we all really love eachother and (sorry shannon...) my parents are the BEST GRANDPARENTS...ever. they are so supportive and they constantly help with letting the kids sleepover if dennis and i need to get away...a real blessing, they are.

with that said...my mom and i can clash. my dad and i are the same. =)

[joelsgirl]

Originally Posted by jovi_girl

My fiance reckons somebody forgot to cut my umbillical cord

ROFL My husband says that about my mom and my brother.

I'm super close to my folks. We literally live on teh other side of teh world, but we talk on Skype at least three times a week. I'd live next door to them if I could. They are totally perfect; they don't give advice but they do give money. And when we were in the States for 6 months in 2006, they babysat ALL the time.

I get so sad reading about those of you who aren't close with your folks. As a parent, do you see yourself doing things to ensure your kids don't end up feeling the same about you? Or do you feel like that's just how it works?

[Brandy]

My momma is really my best friend. I can't keep anything from her. I try to talk to her everyday but since her phone is busted it's been a long week lol. Now growing up we hit heads a time or two (or more lol) but after having owen and stuff we just got so much closer.

I love my stepdad as well. He's been in my life since I was 3 and really my only dad that I know. He's been really awesome and supportive. if you ask me i'm his daughter and everything. We get along so well. I don't think we've even ever fought (though i was one of those that were "scared" of people lol)

They are both amazing grandparents. Owen adores them both and they do as well. They live about 5 minuets away and i love it.

My "dad" was never really apart of my life. I haven't seen him in almost 20yrs. *well i've seen him around town but that is it* If you ask him he has a grandson but doesn't claim me. I told his wife's daughter to let him know as far as owen's concerned he's a stranger and he'll stay that way.

My inlaws like bout 10 minuets away and well we don't have that great of a relationship. not that it bothers me. What does bother me is that Owen doesn't get to see them much. His mom even made a point that they don't see owen enough but i'm like what ever. They live right next to his sister and babysit for her when she works, so they see my neice ALL the time. it makes me a little sad that they (and most of his side of the family) don't really see/know owen that much.

[mcardall]

I absolutely adore my parents! They are 19 years older than me, so they're pretty young. My mom is my best friend. And just like any best friend, we get on each other's nerves occasionally. I talk to my momma every day. And my dad is the cutest guy in the entire world! I haven't seen him in almost a year and I miss him so much. I can't even talk to him on the phone. Whenever he calls me, I end up crying because I just miss him so much! And I have to say MY KIDS have the BEST grandparents ever!

[Leila]

There are moments, few and far between mind you, where I can almost believe that my mother is actually a human and not some Borg-like creature with no emotions or tact. I love my mother, she's my mother, yk? I just don't like her very much. If I weren't her daughter and had met her somewhere...I'd do my best to avoid her as though she was carrying a particularly virulent strain of some long dead disease. Bubonic Plague maybe? The worst part of it is that she has no clue that she's so awful. She lives 957 miles away when she's at the house where I grew up, and 1100 miles at her other house. Neither one is far enough away.

My Dad and I get along very well. Even though we're not blood, I'm closer to him and have more in common with him than anyone else in myf amily. I'm convinced that he's the only sane person, besides me of course, in my family!

My father...yeah well, he's not far enough away either. I haven't seen/spoken to him in almost four years. Before that I saw him handful of times between 2001 and 2004...before that, nothing for 13 years...and he blames it all on me and my brother. Whatever. When he becomes an adult, we'll talk. Oh...I can't stand his third wife either. Adored the second wife though, too bad he screwed that over so badly that she won't even let me/my older brother see our younger brother. He's 23 now...he was 4 and still calling me Yee-ya the last time I saw him.

I adore my in-laws!

[EveRecinella]

I haven't spoke to either of mine in years, long ugly story, better for everyone this way!

[nonnie]

We are a military family so I don't see my mom as much as I want to - they live in Texas with the rest of my family - we are loud obnoxious and funny, and we get on each others nerves all the time, but we are family and I love them dearly - My dad lives in Atlanta and I see him sometimes - not as close and me and my mom.

[pbumbaca]

Hmm, lets see, I've never met my dad. My mom has always been my best friend, I'm an only child and it's been her and I my whole life. Lately though she drives me crazy. My grandmother died 10 years ago, and every year since my mom changes a little more. She's become very dependent on me in a very weird way. It's more like I'm the mom and she's the daughter. She calls me 4-5 times a day or emails me, she will call my cell phone if I don't answer my home phone. She talks non-stop, and I mean non-stop, to the point that I want to scream be quiet but of course I can't. I love her to death and I know I need to be more patient with her and that she is just lonely and God knows she does so much for us but for some reason I have a really hard time with it. She is the sweetest person in the world and would do anything for anyone if she could. Of course I sound like the big ogre here and I kind of am but seriously if I actually told you some stories you would be like huh?

[Andrea Gourley]

My Mam and Dad are the bestest which is why I still live at home even though I'm 32 We get on really really well and me and my Mam do everything together. I love them to pieces

[mummytothree]

I lived within 30 minutes of my parents up until about 2.5 years ago when we moved about 3 hours away. I get along great with my parents and am so thankful that they are both still ALIVE!! I don't see them as often as I would like but we talk almost everyday.

They are really getting on in their years (Dad is 73 and Mom is 66) and I get teary eyed and chocked up every time I think of them passing on soon!!!

[Emmy]

My parents live in the same town I do - they are maybe 10 minutes or less away. They've been a tremendous help to my dh and I during all our pregnancies and my mom comes to spend one day a week with me to help out with the kids and house. It's always been really good for me cause I know even if I get behind on this or that, she'll help me get caught up on her day here! Also - I leave the big projects, like packing up fall clothes or freezer cooking, for when she is here to help. That being said, my parents love our kids but don't like to babysit - so that's really bizarre. They will watch them for an appointment or something important but no date nights or anything. I would say we are close but not overly so - I am independent and make decisions independent of their opinions, I know they aren't fans of homeschooling but we are doing it anyway and they have learned to accept that and support us in it anyway. Stuff like that. I think we have a healthy relationship cause I'm not still vying for their approval in my 30's kwim? That was a big tunnel for me to cross as an adult but life has been better since I did.

[Stacey42]

My parents live 1000 miles away most of the time, 400 miles away the rest of the time, but we are close. We see them about 4x a year and talk to them regularly on the phone. We were never a tightly knit family, but we all get along and are tolerant of one another. I was the 'different' one but in my 20's we all came to terms with the fact that we are who we are & we always will be who we are. My dad will be 70 this year & my mom is 69, they have been married 43 years

[wildblueeyez]

You guys don't know how lucky you are to have your Mom still around. My Mom died in 94 when I was 25. I had two young boys - 3 and 1 and was not ready to lose her. She was finally my good friend. We had a rocky relationship as I went through my teenage years but after I was married (and yes, we had that huge blowout about me getting pregnant and hubby and I getting married quicker than planned), our relationship just really got great after I was married. We always were on the phone or with each other going somewhere. I even bowled with her on a league of older ladies just to be with her. I could spend the whole day with her and not realize I spent the whole day until it started getting dark outside.

25 was way too young to lose her and find myself without a Mom. There's not a day I don't think about her and miss her fiercely. She never got to meet my daughter Taylor - who was born in 97. My boys don't really remember their Grandma. and she was the type not to let people take photos of her so we have very few of her.

[Sarah8914]

My whole family is very very close. My mom was my best friend in high school and through part of college--but once I got married and had my own little family, it wasn't the same. We're still very close, but I don't talk to her every day or go to her for all of my problems. She is a great example to me and a wonderful Mom and Grandma. (my parents are young, they turn 50 later this year).

I'm pretty close to my Dad too, but it's different. He's had some struggles in the past couple of years that pull him away from his family a little, but I've always been a daddy's girl.

ETA: I try to always cherish my parents and the relationship I have with them. I know I am so lucky to have great parents who love each other and love us. My hubby lost his mom when he was 17 and it breaks my heart to think about him not having his mother. I wish I could have known her because she raised 4 amazing children and I know my hubby would not be who he is without her.

[junebug]

I've always been close to my parents. My dad is awesome, lol. Everyone always thought he was 'weird' but he just has a strange, sarcastic sens of humor-like me,lol. My mom and I have alwasy been really close too. Things are a little different now. My mom decided she didnt want to be married to my dad anymore about 2 or 3 years ago (lost track, lol). That has really been hard on me. My parents always seemed to get along great. They had there quarrels like anyone, but I never thought they'd get divorced. It really hurt my dad. I wasn't living here at home when it happened. I talked to my dad on the phone all the time cause i was worred about him. He was very depressed and he told me later that he had thought about killing himself, but couldn't go through with it cause he knew that my younger brother would be the one to find him when he came home . This broke my heart. He's moved on now and other than some financial difficulties he's okay now. My mom and I still get along, but there is a part of me thats very upset with her for what she did to my dad. He's a great guy, never hurt her or my brother and i so i still don't get what happend. I guess she fell out of love with him. Now she lives with her boyfriend, who 'used' to be one of my dads friends. Yah. I think she cheated on my dad with him but thats another story, lol. She's different now. Wrapped up in her own world, not quite the same as she was, but we still talk a lot. Its just not quite like it used to be . Divorce is never easy on kids, even if your 29 like me or 22 like my brother, lol.

[tlcaudle]

My parents live about three and a half hours away. I get along with them much better now than I did when I was living at home. We don't get to visit as often as we like, due to work schedules and such, but it's nice to get home every now and then. I will be going up this weekend, since I have Monday off.

[Becca Bonneville]

I am very close to both of my parents! I am happy for everyday that I have with them. I used to live right by them, but we moved a few years ago and we're now about 5 hours away!

I could never say enough about how great my parents are and how much love and respect I have for them. They have helped me through some very hard times and are always there for me. My whole family is close like that. I could'nt imagine it being any other way.

[iJenny]

Me and my family are a bunch of freaks who spend as much time together as possible. My parents (married for 36 years) live about 2 miles away from us (we used to live 4 blocks from them). My mom and I are SUPER close although sometimes we clash because she gets a little "too" involved in my marriage and parenting, etc. But we talk on the phone throughout the day and see each other almost every day. My dad is fantatsic, but we're not as close as me and my mom. He wasn't a great dad when we were little (not bad, just not around much) but he is seriously an AMAZING grandpa to my boys. And my mom, who was/is the world's best mom, is an even better grandma.
My sister and I are best friends and we live about 15 miles apart. But she is my son's kindergarten teacher, so I see her every day and we hang out at least once or twice a week.
And my extended family (mom's side) is all within 10 miles of us and we get together all the time for family b-days, dinners, and just to hang out. I've only just realized in the last 10 or so years that this is NOT the norm for most families.
We just really dig each other a lot.
________
LIVE SEX

[kscwgirl]

Jenny, our family is the same way.

I would be lost w/o my parents, seriously. My mom picks the kids up every day from daycare, and my dad watches them all day on Fridays. They babysit when we need it and we do things together all the time.

Extended family here is my aunt, uncle and my two cousins and we are together for every holiday/birthday.

[crecia27]

Originally Posted by ZaCola3

I am best friends with my mom, FOR REAL!
I love her so much. I love my dad too they are the best grandparents in the world!
And although I still fight with them occassionally, my mom tends to want to micro manage all aspects of my life, it never lasts long and we always make up!
Did I mention that they are the BEST GRANDPARENTS in the world?

total ditto! My parents live just a couple miles away, and I seriously don't know how we would make it without them. They are always there when we need help with the kids or any odd request we have. Its great.

[iJenny]

Originally Posted by kscwgirl

Jenny, our family is the same way.

I would be lost w/o my parents, seriously. My mom picks the kids up every day from daycare, and my dad watches them all day on Fridays. They babysit when we need it and we do things together all the time.

Extended family here is my aunt, uncle and my two cousins and we are together for every holiday/birthday.

Our extended family here is my mom's family.... my grandma, aunt, two cousins, great aunt and uncle, and a couple misc. "strays" we've taken in over the years.
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CANNABIS SEEDS

[AmyM]

Originally Posted by Leila

There are moments, few and far between mind you, where I can almost believe that my mother is actually a human and not some Borg-like creature with no emotions or tact. I love my mother, she's my mother, yk? I just don't like her very much. ........................................The worst part of it is that she has no clue that she's so awful.

Leila you said what I didn't have the guts to. I feel the same. I have tried for so many years to connect with her but it just won't work. She is incapable of emotion. Really. She doesn't hold my daughter's hand crossing parking lots and stuff, she holds her arm. I pointed that out to her and she acted like it was no big deal and shrugged it off. It breaks my heart, for her mainly. I can't see how someone can choose to live only feeling the emotion of anger. There are reason....she didn't know her father, lived with an alcoholic, etc... but you would think that as an adult when you have your own family and a grandchild you'd want to work through those things or at least try for their sake if not your own. Not so with her.
We are so very different. I'm a big ball of emotion and cannot stand to go to bed angry at someone. She will hold a grudge for life. I have offended quite a few people I didn't know but I try to watch my words really carefully with the people I love- my mom will talk stone trash to us but you should hear her at church or at work. Jekyl and Hyde for real. It turns my stomach. I have tried to reach out to her but she just gets meaner.
She would not babysit until dd was 2, not overnight until she was 4. She always has more important things to do, like cleaning or some stupid church activity and not time for my daughter. (don't get me wrong, I am a very devout bible believing christian and have nothing against church- it's just her ways KWIM?)Kassi has spent the night with her twice in a year and they live 30 minutes away. It hurts my dad- he always calls to talk to Kassi, asks when she's coming to see him. But we both know how my mother is, so he comes up here a lot without her.
She's like a tornado. Rips stuff apart with no apologies, but occasionally leaves a lucky home untouched.
I've stopped letting that run my life and ruin my own emotional health- I had to for my daughter's sake.
Another reason my daddy and me are so close- misery loves company I suppose. LOL.
I feel better getting that out of my system. sorry to bore you and give TMI

[ashleyprugh]

i live at home still, so i'd say my parents are pretty close by. hehe.
i'm closer to my mom than to my dad. but that's typical. i mean, mom was the one who was home with us. but even though i'm close to her, it doesn't mean i get along perfectly with her. there are days that i really don't like her.

[Paula]

I am extremely close to both my parents. But, I would have to say that I'm a daddy's girl.

[LeeAndra]

Y'all're so lucky.

My parents live 2.5 hours from here. My mom and I get along well enough, but it's mostly me parenting her as her mother is still learning how to feel again and be maternal after spending 50 years with a horrible tyrannical husband who has now been dead 3-4 years. She puts up with a lot of crap from my father and sister, who lives with my parents still, but feels powerless to do anything abt it. Sigh.

We would be closer, but she allows my father to spoil my sister to the detriment of my relationship with them both. I'm grateful to have witnesses to some of the stories and outside opinions that it's not me who's messed up. I spend holidays with them when I can and email my mom a couple times a week.

Although it is 'better' now that I am no longer dependent on my parents for anything, my father and I still don't have much of a relationship. I hug him hello and goodbye, politely ask him abt work, and sit with him on the couch while he watches TV, and that's enough for him.

Jeff's parents, on the other hand, live abt 20 minutes from here & have the same kind of relationship with him that my sister has with my parents. Jeff's parents come to all of his son's games and have him spend the night a few times a month in addition to babysitting him if the daycare is closed and Jeff has to work. Jeff is very close with his mother and talks to her on the phone 2-3x a week. The joke is that he's the daughter she never had as his birth was so physically traumatic for her that she was unable to have children after him.

I always point out how lucky Jeff is that there is a person in the world who thinks the sun rises and sets when he gets up and goes to sleep, but he just doesn't get it since that's all he's ever known.

[Melissa Bennett]

My dad passed away 6 1/2 years ago and we always had problems. He was a mean man and very harsh with us. My mom lives clear across the country from me and we have a good relationship. I just get so frustrated with her cause she does things now that are well, stupid. She had a stroke a few years ago and has not been the same since. I am very close to my inlaws and they feel more like parents to me than my own parents, in fact they are coming to visit for the whole summer and I can't wait!!

[scrappychic]

My parents are on the other side of the earth. They live in the Philippines. We always lived close to each other, 75 miles away at the most. But due to my dad's biz, they sold their place in San Francisco and moved to Manila. Mom and I didn't get along for the longest time. She drove me crazy and I did the same to her. We're getting along better now that she's far away, partly due to distance, but mostly it's because she's on anti-depressants. She still has her quirks but is more pleasant to be around now.

I worry about them because they're in their 70s and I only see them 2x a year when they come here for a visit. They seem to slow down more and more when I see them. Mom quit dying her hair and it's all gray and Dad's lost most of his hair. They get tired easily. If anything happens to them, I'm not there to help out. It's scarry not being near them.

[4noisyboys]

It's so interesting to read about the different kinds of relationships we all have or had with our parents.

Mine are about 10 hours away from me, and that is the closest we've lived since I was 19 and I moved to Alaska from California!! I was a rebellious child. I've never gotten along with my mom very well...I was adopted, and I was not the daughter she thought she would be getting. She wanted a quiet, meek and mild child who wanted to cook, clean and wait on men!! Well...that certainly wasn't going to happen!!! LOL!!

Her and my dad have been dealing with my younger brother (who has mental/emotional/drug problems, and have completely enabled him. He left his family (wife and two kids) and got back into drugs quite heavily. My parents let him move back in with them and he has a job now. My mom is so happy and thrilled he is doing so well, and when I ask her if he is paying child support and she says no...she doesn't understand why I won't have anything to do with him. I am actually going up to visit my sil (who lives an hour from them) in June, and I'll go see my parents when my brother is not there, but I can't go and stay with them. I think that would be a slap in my sil's face...and that of my niece and nephew. My mom's main concern is for her youngest child (and her only biological child). My older brother and I call her occasionally, but do NOT want to discuss anything about my brother (unless she wants to tell me where he works so I can turn him in to child support services!!).

It is hard...they are both getting older, my mom has early stages of alzheimers, can't cook anymore, and I wish they lived closer so I could help them...but they won't move. They won't change their will so their grandchildren (my brothers kids) will be taken care of, because they don't want to hurt my brothers feelings. Sure...give him all that money and he'll go blow it all on drugs!! That will make everything all right!

Ok...sorry for unloading all of this on you guys!!

[nesser1981]

I'm very close to my mom, my dad died when I was 3. But we're far away, I'm in Alaska & she's in New Mexico. DH is very close to his parents, they're great, also far away though, Michigan.

[nmartin1]

So interesting to read everyone's stories!

My parents and I are pretty close - although far apart in distance - me in Japan, they are in WI. We skype or e-mail several times a week and of course, now that they have a grandchild the want to know every detail about him. We are moving back to the States in part to be close to family.

We haven't always been close - I think going away to college, being out of the country for the past 7 years, getting married and having a baby has all taken our relationship to a new level.

I was a little relieved to know I was having a boy when I was pregnant with Graham. I know my sisters and I were mean to my mom and I didn't want to have to deal with that. And as far as trying to have a wonderful relationship with my children - I'm too new to know what works. Consistency and love I guess.

My in-laws are great as well, although my fil intimidates me (he is a very wise and observant man with high standards - of which I always feel I fall short) my mil is the sweetest lady.

We're pretty blessed.

[~toby~]

When my parents were alive, we were pretty close. We had some arguments and such, but not real bad. My Dad has been gone since 1988 and my Mom passed away last August.

I am getting closer to Roger's Mom though... she is a wonderful lady!