Help! I’m Getting Tired of Always Bringing My Orphaned Nephews on Vacation With Us.

Advice on manners and morals.
July 15 2013 3:05 PM

Leave the Kids at Home

In a live chat, Prudie advises a woman tired of bringing her orphaned nephews on every family vacation.

Emily Yoffe.
Emily Yoffe

Photo by Teresa Castracane.



Q. Vacation Dilemma: I live next door to my elderly in-laws. They have custody of their two grandchildren by my husband's sister, who passed away. We see these kids almost every day and I help with a lot of their day-to-day care. For the past three years they've lived next door, we've always taken them on vacations and day trips with us. We have a weekend trip coming up and I would like to have a quiet family trip with just me, my husband, and our son. I've found it quite stressful to take two additional children and I just want one vacation where I don't have to deal with constant squabbling and the headache of having three bouncy, excited, noisy children who hype each other up. And even though I'm happy to help look after my nephews, there is a part of me that misses the quiet family time we used to have, just us three. My husband thinks it's cruel to “exclude” the nephews and I should just suck it up. Is it mean to have a trip with just our own offspring?


A: I totally understand your desire, but instead of having a squabble over a single weekend with your husband, you both need to sit down and start having some comprehensive conversations about the future and your expectations and obligations to your nephews. These boys have no mother, and if there's a father he's apparently too incompetent to care for them. Being raised by elderly grandparents sounds difficult, and given the actuarial realities, perhaps not long-term. So what needs to be addressed is the plans for the boys if your in-laws are no longer able to care for them. If you become their legal guardians, then it won't be healthy for you to make distinctions between them and your "real" child. For now, I can see other ways to deal with this besides just saying, "We're going to have fun—and that means leaving you two stay home with the grandparents." These boys need activities over the summer. Maybe there are some short-term sleep-away camps they are old enough to attend. While they're away, off the three of you go. Maybe their father—if he's in the picture—can take them for a weekend. Maybe there are other relatives who can step up and be part of these children's lives. And while the kids are visiting, your little group will enjoy your privacy. I know caring for two motherless boys was not in your life plan, but here they are, so all of you now need to figure out the best ways to get everyone's needs met.

Dear Prudence: Creepy Crawly Guest Room

Q. Housewarming Gift Registry: I recently was invited to a friend's housewarming party, with the invitation detailing where they were registered. My question is twofold, the first part being, is this a new trend? And secondly, if so, is it a bit presumptuous to assume that guests would be asking for this information, as nontraditional as it may seem, in the first place? Curious about the etiquette for these ever-changing times.

A: No, the new trend is to say, "What's the password to your bank account, I need to withdraw some cash for my wedding/baby/house." A housewarming is actually not an occasion for the new homeowners to hit up their friends to furnish the place. It's a social event in which the hosts provide food and drink and the guests ooh and ahh over the lovely abode and bring small useful items for it. These are things anyone would want: glassware, salad tongs, guest towels. In addition, an invitation should state the time and place of the festivities. It should not include a note about what you expect people to purchase for you. You can pick something off the registry or not, but an etiquette book might be a good addition for their library.

Q. May Regret My Children (a Little): I have two healthy, fun, creative children, a first-grader and a third-grader. I love them dearly and would do anything for them. I was raised in a very traditional family with a stay-at-home mom and stressed-out, hardworking dad. I remember talking about my future career and my mom saying something along the lines of "of course education is important, but your most important job will be to be a mother." I did go to college, got married, then had my children at 25 and 27. Some of my friends chose not to have children and frankly I'm envious of their freedom to pursue education, careers, travel, frivolous expenditures, etc. I don't agonize about it, but I sometimes wonder what advice to give my children as they grow up. I don't want the assumption to be that they must have children some day in order to be happy or live a full life. I want them to see that there are other options for happy lives out there. How do I tell them this without leaving them with the feeling that they are not fully wanted and appreciated?

A: You have somehow gotten the impression life is a series of irrevocable decisions. That may be what you mother has drummed in your head, but it's just not true. Sure, having children is one of those, but beyond that, there's an entire world of choices before you. (You may also find that over the next decade some of your childless friends decide they are ready for motherhood.) Since you are getting itchy and somewhat bored, it may be time for you to look into getting back to the workplace. Children don't feel they are wanted and appreciated only if one parent is devoted entirely to their raising. If that's what the parent wants to do, great. But even a full-time mother should show her kids that adults have other abilities and interests beyond them. So you need to start pursuing those. At this point, you may want to take some classes to prepare you for an eventual return to work. Or you may want to get involved in some volunteer organization that's meaningful to you.

I know it's easy to assume that the present will be always thus, but one of the advantages of having your children young is that by the time you're in your 40s—your prime!—your little ones won't be little, they will be off. It's not too early for you to start laying the groundwork for what will engage your mind when your all your kids have time for is a text telling you how busy they are with their own lives.

Q. Racially-Insensitive In-Laws: I strongly dislike—or don't fully trust—some of my husband's friends and family. Although the family has accepted me with open arms, his father, the father's side of the family, some of my husband's friends, and their wives occasionally use cultural stereotypes. I'm the only person of color and the newest addition to the group; while I don't want to be pegged as "the sensitive minority," I also feel that my silence means acceptance of their words. My husband is totally accepting of others, never stereotypes anyone, and recognizes that these "joking" comments are offensive. But the one time I pushed him to respond to an offensive forwarded email, he dragged his feet, which was disappointing. I feel that since they're his friends and family HE should be the one to say something, but I understand that he doesn't want to get into an argument with people who raised him/whom he grew up with, and whom he loves. Is there a polite way to call them out on their words, or should I just leave this alone since 1) we don't often see them and 2) they don't say this stuff all of the time? They think their comments are funny and I appear to be the only one who is uncomfortable.

A: At least you can't accuse these people of hypocrisy—they spout their racism right in front of someone of a different race. They appear to be totally obtuse, but it's apparent they think they are either saying indisputable truism, or something humorous, and they don't see the problem. As we've learned, Paula Deen didn't see the problem, either. So why don't you approach this again with your husband in the spirit of saving these people a possibly damaging encounter at their workplaces. Say that you know he loves his family—and mostly they're great—but it is more than grating to hear their racism and you just can't sit there and take it when it comes up. Explain it would be so much more powerful if he could address this with them, but that if he can't, you will have to say something when you hear the unacceptable. Then calmly and politely speak up. You want to wait for something that is clearly over the line, and when you hear it, you can explain that perhaps nothing offensive was meant by the remark, but that it's actually perpetuating an insulting stereotype. If this crew decides you're really touchy and they have to be on their best behavior when then around you, then consider that good news for all of you.