Let weak criticism roll off your back

Dear Carolyn: My only child, his wife and two children live a substantial distance away. Both my son and daughter-in-law have highly demanding, stressful careers. My husband and I are self-employed, so we can be flexible. We see our son and his family every couple of months and try to be as helpful as the distance permits. We have, for example, several times gone to visit on short notice to baby-sit.

Although my daughter-in-law can be effusively appreciative, she frequently scolds me or my husband. I have received emails that do not say, “Dear MIL, thank you for your help,” but only: “You left the garage door open and a raccoon could have turned over the garbage. You need to be more careful.” Once when we were 45 minutes late getting home with the children from a play group, I received an email chiding me for not being respectful of her parenting preferences. When we take the family on nice vacations (often to a location she has chosen), she complains that someplace else would have been better.

When I asked my son how I should respond to her criticism, he said she doesn’t intend to be mean, but she reacts/ types without thinking. Should we just ignore her critiques?

— S. Dear S.: Mostly, yes. You’ve covered the main reason: grandchild access, which is good for all of you. I get that it can feel like a hostage situation, but you do have the occasional “effusively appreciative” moments to hang onto as validation. And, of course, that time with the kids.