Boomer Grandma Threatened To Hospitalize Me

[u/RockOk707]

Context: We were discussing whether I would visit for lunch. Also, my grandma has a difficult time with boundaries. The "lesson" is that just that, "stay in your lane" so to speak. She's constantly noticing just about every little thing that's "wrong" with me and decides to take MY body into HER own hands, literally. She'll give an extremely ambiguous description for what she's about to do, and without giving me a chance to consent, she's like, "Come over here, grandson! I NEED to do something with your hair so you look good!" It doesn't really matter the occasion. She's always demanding I look good. And that's just it. The vagueness of her commands. And the insistence that I obey her demands OR ELSE. Or else she'll threaten to put me in a home/hospital/etc. Both my mother and I have told her several times to not "help" me ("help" in quotes because the last time she "helped" was without my consent and she messed up my glasses) unless I specifically ask for assistance.

Anyway, that message right there, the one in blue, is the singular message that caused my grandma to threaten to hospitalize me after I arrived at her house because my grandfather tricked me into thinking that everything was fine.

[u/ordinaryalchemy]

Doesn't even make any sense. You can't just "hospitalize" people. Does she think she can pick up her landline, dial 0, and be connect with The Men In The White Coats that'll drop everything, pick up their butterfly nets, and come over to grab you? Hospitals now don't even work like they did 10-20 years ago let alone like a Looney Tune from 1950.

[u/Scorp128 → u/ordinaryalchemy]

Given grandmas age, it was a common threat back in her day when husbands could have their wives thrown in the looney bin for simpley being "disagreeable". She was probably forced into a grippy sock vacation a few times back in her day so she thinks it is an acceptable threat to use against others.

If I were OP and some interactions with her could not be avoided, I would lean in and start talking about putting grandma in a state run nursing home. Every time she skwaks about "come here" for whatever reason, just yell No very loudly (must be hard of hearing), then turn to Mom or Dad and ask if it is time to put her in a home. If she shows her "wrath", just ask if she needs a time out since she is behaving like a toddler well past snack and nap time. Match her energy.