I'd go NC with my mother, but it's much more fun driving her insane knowing she isn't allowed to be alone with my daughter and that I can throw her out of my house for the slightest misbehaviour. I never go to her house and regularly walk out of dinners/lunches with family if she starts anything.

I'm the only one with kids and none of my other siblings are going to have kids, so unless a brother accidentally gets someone pregnant, the only grandchildren are mine.

My mother is furious about me letting my wife's parents regularly take out our daughter and look after my son (only a few months old). My wife's parents didn't quite believe what nutjobs my parents were until told about a few incidents involving my daughter (buying presents, only to keep them and promise they would be doled out for obeying rules and behaving while staying with them).

They live in the same area and my mother has seen them out a few times. She has tried to get MIL to hand her over and promised to return her and saying she'll just check with me always makes my mother say to forget it.

It's like having grandchildren is the ultimate validation of her life, but I've ruined any joy she would get out of it, by stopping her from being involved in any meaningful way at all. The pettiest thing I've done is refuse to let her have any photos done with my daughter.

The best though is my daughter doesn't like her and I've not said a bad thing about my mother to her. My mother through he inability to refrain from manipulation, or nasty comments has made my daughter ask her why she's so mean multiple times.

Every time my mother breaks down and cries (usually in public) and asks what she did so wrong, I ask her if she would like to see the videos, or have me write out a list. It's amazing how quickly those tears dry up and the fuming anger starts trembling under the surface.