OMG Catnapper, you know exactly how I feel - its so comforting to know someone else has had to deal with the good-intentioned, but bad-application mother-in-law. Isn't it hard to be a normal family when she thinks she's in charge?? And talk about picking battles, I don't know where to start!! Eventually she must understand that its not okay for him to sleep with her and grampa with the TV and the lights on all night when he spends the night, and its not okay to have 3 ice cream sandwiches before supper (even if they are sugar free), and its not okay to appease him when he refuses to eat food unless it arrives via airplane method (he's almost 5), that he does know the words please, thank you, ma'am and sir, its not okay to interrupt adult converstation by screaming, etc. etc. When she lets him do it, its okay all the time. And I'm a bad, mean mother for saying no.

He's really a sweet, kind hearted, good boy. But Maw Maw is ruining him.

But those battles are for after Christmas.

Thanks all for your support and advice.