As a contented grandma of five, I have always supported my grandchildren, offering them emotional and financial support when things went wrong. However, we gave my granddaughter Eloise a wedding present from her list, which led to a recent argument between us. My husband and I were cheap, she said.
We felt that giving an air fryer was a thoughtful and practical gesture. Eloise was furious, though, since she felt that we didn’t treat her with enough respect and affection. She even claimed that neither she nor her wedding were important to us.
My husband and I were astonished and wounded by Eloise’s reaction. We treated our grandchildren with kindness at all times. For instance, before they were married, we gave each of them a sizable monetary gift and covered the cost of Eloise’s college education. However, Eloise’s behavior left us questioning whether or not she truly appreciated our affection and assistance.
Despite our initial shock, we decided to believe Eloise. We gave her a lovely set of china in an attempt to put things right. However, we believed she hadn’t earned the cash gift, so we didn’t give it to her.
It wasn’t until Eloise discovered later that we had given her brothers the financial gift that we became angry with her. Then she said we were unjust. We explained to her that our decision was based on her initial reaction to the wedding gift and that we believed she needed to understand the value of showing gratitude and respect.
Eloise pleaded with us to reconsider, but we didn’t. Although we adore our niece, we also understand that your actions have consequences. We’re hoping this will teach Eloise the value of love, respect, and gratitude.