My Husband Wants My Young Daughter to Play with Older Kids, But I'm Unsure

Photo byPower LaionUnsplash

My husband and I have been married for 5 years now and have a 2-year-old daughter together. We have always had a strong relationship, but recently we have been experiencing some tension around our upcoming summer visit to see our families.

My parents and my husband’s parents both live in small, peaceful villages that are relatively quiet and free from the bustle of city life. We are excited to visit and see our families, especially since our daughter has never met her grandparents in person. However, we are now facing a dilemma regarding the group of children who play outside in my in-law’s lot.

The children are all between 5 and 7 years old, and they are siblings who frequently play together outside in the lot. The siblings are known for being responsible and caring, but my husband made a comment to me beforehand about how our daughter should be allowed to play with them if she wants to. I was taken aback by this statement because I feel like it’s not his decision to make, and I don’t want to force our daughter to do anything she’s not comfortable with.

I expressed my concerns to my husband, but he didn’t seem to understand my hesitation. He said that he knows our daughter loves playing with other kids and would most likely want to go out and play with the siblings. But to me, the situation is not that simple. We will be in a new place, and everyone around us will be strangers to our daughter. I don’t want to force her to interact with people she doesn’t know, especially if it goes against my maternal instincts.

Despite my concerns, my husband continues to push for our daughter to be allowed to play with the siblings. I understand that he values our daughter’s independence and wants her to have fun during the trip, but I also feel like he’s not taking my concerns seriously. We have gotten into some arguments about this, and I worry that this could escalate into a bigger fight when we’re actually on our trip.

I don’t want to start a fight with my husband, especially not while we’re visiting our families. But I also don’t want to feel like my boundaries as a mother are being ignored. I’m prepared to stand my ground and do what feels right for our daughter, even if it means not allowing her to play with the siblings. However, I hope that my husband will eventually see my point of view and respect my decision as her mother.