Ima voting that MCs shouldn't denigrate at all.

Buffista parents, does anyone have kids emailing with grandparents yet? HPF emailed my mom (yes, can of worms, but we thought it would make her happy) last Wednesday and got a reply that night. She doesn't email much, and only when she's got stuff to say, so she hasn't replied yet.

My mom emailed her a 'where's your next email' two days later, then sent me a nastygram today. I am not happy. This is horrible.

What in the HELL, mom of Sox.

I have no advice for either consoling the child or managing the grandmum. Just had to share the what in the HELL.

It's early but I'm calling NPH and his partner for fug of the night.

Oh dear.

WRT alternatives for "lame": dud? I use dud a lot to describe things that generally failed to live up to expectation, or desire.

Yeah, that's all right.

Not trying to be provocative, but what do you think about hysterical as a word?

Oh good LORD, Sox. No advice (other than to tell your mom to fuck off?) but commiseration.

Hmm, I know the origins of hysterical, and yet I have a hard time taking it seriously as an upsetting/insulting word, since I feel like it's most often meant as "OMG that's hysterical[ly funny]" and not "OMG you're hysterical [you female you!]"

No grandparent (or any) emailing here. But then, most of the grandparents are not big emailers themselves. As a side note, and one I have been thinking about as I am leaving my headstrong 10 year old with my headstrong mother for 2 weeks this summer, you have to let them develop their own relationship and negotiate the terms. You're not responsible for HKF's emailing choices, no matter how much your mother thinks you should be.

I hate homework. Especially since both kids are standardized testing this week and STILL HAVE HOMEWORK. Also also, while my son is very funny and cute I wish sometimes he would STOP TALKING FOR 5 MINUTES.

The house was mostly what I expected - immaculately kept, smaller yard than I wanted, kitchen is tiny, no closests/storage except (immaculate and dry) basement. Great dead-end street.

I mean, I kept up a longstanding written correspondence with my grandmother. But nobody MADE me write to her. She wrote to me because she loved me, and I wrote back because I knew it would make her happy, because I loved her. There were probably years when I was a terrible correspondent, but my grandmother certainly never bitched about it, especially when I was, like, 9.

Yeah, Sox, I would tell your mother in very clear terms that email replies from the kid will come when the kid is ready. And you might add that if it becomes a chore or an obligation, she might not want to do it anymore at all.

Thanks you guys. It helps to hear I'm not alone in my thinking. She's super-dissatisfied with everything right now and I'm trying to set boundaries. Which is making things worse.