"Later, I'll put a freezer in the activity room and keep it stocked with all sorts of ice cream and popsicles. Once you finish your homework each day, you can get one from your grandma. How does that sound?"
"Yay!"
The older kids all cheered, but the three-year-old immediately burst into tears. "WAHHH, I don't have any homework!"
"You get some too, but since you don't have homework, you can only have a little bit each day. Exactly how much is up to your grandma to decide!"
With that, everyone was happy.
Once the children had left, the more experienced women started sharing their wisdom with her.
"This mother-in-law, daughter-in-law dynamic is the trickiest. Listen, the best kind of mother-in-law is one who doesn't get involved in anything. They're dating, so just let them date on their own. Don't you go meddling!"
"Right, right, right! You have to pretend you don't know anything unless they tell you themselves!"
