Dear Queenie,
My mother doesn’t like my husband. I don’t know why, because he is a good provider and he treats me and our children just fine and his mother treats me like I was her own daughter.
My husband doesn’t care about this, but it vexes him that she also seems to dislike our children although she just dotes on my sister’s kids.
Queenie, how do I explain this to our children when they are old enough to notice?—Estranged daughter
Dear Estranged,
Can you arrange for you and your children to see your mother without your husband?
However, if she behaves the same way toward the children even when their father is not present, you will just have to stay away from her and be grateful for your mother-in-law’s attitude.
As for explaining to your children, hopefully your mother will have come around by the time they are old enough to notice. If not, you can tell them that some people are just peculiar that way and her behaviour has nothing to do with them.
