My MIL expected ridiculous behaviour from my toddler on holidays

"Your two-year-old is perfectly normal. Your in-laws are batsh*t crazy." Could your kid achieve this impossible standard?

Family holidays are great in theory, but in practice, not so much. 

One mum has described a recent family holiday that "was a nightmare" - as her foodie in-laws wanted to eat out three times a day with her two-year-old in tow.

"MIL booked a five-night break for us all. I explained to my partner that it sounded great; however, he and MIL couldn’t expect DS to be happy and content with constantly being in bars and restaurants. He goes to nursery three days a week now, and on the other days, we go to playgroup and meet up with friends and other children.

"All they wanted to do was eat out all day, and in between, they just wanted to walk around the shops."

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"He wanted to be outside and play"

Needless to say, the trip didn't go according to plan - because toddlers! 

"After day two, I explained that he was bored, and he wanted to outside and play/explore. However, MIL kept insisting on going for meals.

"I would let them go inside and order, and when the food was ready, I would take him in to eat. MIL is a very slow eater and takes around an hour to finish a food.

"I’ve told them both that I don’t think it’s fair to expect him to sit at the table for hours on end and get annoyed when he gets bored and irritable."

She ends her post by saying, "Would anyone else be excited to take their two-year-old to a restaurant three times a day and not get irritable?"

Kids in restaurants. Source: supplied

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"They're living in cuckoo land"

It didn't take long for parents to confirm in the comments of the post that it was not the toddler being unreasonable. 

"They're living in cuckoo land if they expect this from a two-year-old. Poor little boy, how dull for him. At that age, they love exploring and being outdoors," one wrote.

"I think if I went on holiday and were expected to eat out three times a day and just walk around the shops, I would become irritable too!" another agreed. 

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Even this foodie couldn't get on board: "I am normally a big advocate of getting young children used to restaurants, but this sounds excessive. I would start to get bored with this itinerary, and I am a 60-something foodie!"

"They sound very dull and lacking in any consideration whatsoever. Stop going on holiday with them," one mum advised. 

"Five days walking around shops and eating in restaurants! That's a waste of a holiday," another wrote.

While this user didn't hold back, saying, "Your two-year-old is perfectly normal. Your in-laws are batsh*t crazy."

Finally, the mum added: "Thanks for everyone’s replies. We all felt obliged to follow MIL's lead as she paid for the trip. Lesson learnt: I will be more assertive when they suggest doing said things in the future."

Originally published as My MIL expected ridiculous behaviour from my toddler on holidays