My brother keeps promising my son a Saturday outing and cancelling. Should I stop putting it on the calendar?
Family“Why does Uncle Sam pick the day if he doesn't know?” my nine-year-old asked when the museum trip was cancelled again.
The first cancellation was a work change. The second was because my brother had accepted a weekend away with friends after telling my son they would go on Saturday. He says he loves spending time with his nephew but doesn't want a simple outing treated like a major commitment.
I had helped my son mark the date and choose what he wanted to see. Now my brother suggests that we stop telling him until the morning, which would remove the waiting but also leave us keeping a day free for something that might never happen.
I don't need my brother to take on a regular childcare role. I want promises he makes directly to my son to have a meaning both of them understand.
How do we agree a more realistic way to plan, and what should I say about this cancellation without making excuses I don't believe?