Mother-in-law asks mom to reschedule her daughter's birthday party because there's snow on the ground: 'The roads are fine. It's not snowing this weekend.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jan 31, 2026 8:00 PM EST

She might just be the most entitled grandma on the planet.

When my sister was little, she hated her "snow birthday." She was so happy when we moved from Illinois to Texas, because her birthday went from a snowed-in affair to a 55-degree day. Being born in January rather than September has many downsides. You don't get as many presents because everyone has spent all of their money over the holidays. People don't want to go out and party because they've made New Year's Resolutions that forbid them from having a good time. And worst of all, the weather is usually extremely depressing. It's much more difficult to celebrate when there's snow on the ground that makes the commute to your birthday party kind of miserable.

And yet, we still make it out for our friends and family's birthday parties, even when they're at inconvenient times and in inclement weather. That's a big part of being part of a community. You might not always want to go to your friend's birthday party when it's raining, and you had a bad day at work, but you do it anyway because it's their big day and they deserve to feel appreciated. If they came out for your birthday, you really have no excuse for skipping theirs if your only justification for bailing is that you're not "feeling it." We all need to show up for the people in our lives, even if it isn't the most convenient time or the weather isn't ideal. 

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  • Little girl in a pink winter coat makes snow angels during her birthday party
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The grandmother in this story knew that her granddaughter's birthday party was this weekend, and she didn't plan accordingly. She let the snow sit in her driveway all week, and now she's asking her daughter-in-law to reschedule the party to a less snowy day so she can come. It isn't even going to be snowing on the day of the party!

  • My mother-in-law asked me to reschedule my daughters birthday party because she didn't shovel her driveway

    My MIL texted me yesterday asking if I'd reschedule my daughters birthday party. Because it's cold, and it snowed last weekend.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • And she didn't shovel her driveway so it might be hard for her to get there.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • A couple of cars that are covered in snow
    via Hans (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The roads are fine. It's not snowing this weekend. The party is paid for, the cake is paid for, the character coming to the party is paid for.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • Mascot giving gift to a girl at a birthday party
    via john renzzel

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • If I cancel the day before the party I lose everything since it's prepaid. We are already having the party a day and time I didn't pick, to accommodate her preference.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • I'm not telling my daughter the party she's looked forward to all month isn't happening cuz Grandma didn't have her shit together to pay someone to shovel last weekend.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • I'm not telling a dozen kids to reschedule. Especially after all those kids have been cooped up all week because of the snow and need to run around and have fun.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • I'm honestly not even answering the text but I'm just SO annoyed anyone would even ask that.
    via u/ You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • Sometimes_cleaver222 NTA Why can't her child or husband shovel her out?
    via u/Sometimes_cleaver222
  • You_Go_Glen_Coco_ Original Poster's Reply It gets better. She has THREE sons. We live 45 minutes away and are first responders so we've been busy this week because of the storm but the other two didn't have work all week and live in the same town she does.
    via u/You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • Kitten_Kaboodle666 I would not cancel. Sorry but she can come celebrate when she digs herself out LOL. We live in the north east and had over two feet of snow last weekend. I understand the being cooped up. You can only do so much but your nuclear family ultimately comes first. Have fun, eat cake, listen to all the little giggles and know you're not making the wrong decision.
    via u/Kitten_Kaboodle666
  • You_Go_Glen_Coco_ Original Poster's Reply We're in NE too (Philly) and are definitely still dealing with problems, but the roads to the party are clear, and there's parking there. Not my fault she didn't do her driveway, in the suburb that always gets plowed and shoveled out pretty quickly in comparison.
    via u/You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • Nebulous2024 Oh boy. I hope you didn't reschedule!! That's quite a strange request on her part. If she can't go, she can't go? It sounds like it's mostly a kids party anyway. None of the grandparents have ever gone to any of my kids birthday parties.
    via u/Nebulous2024
  • You_Go_Glen_Coco_ Original Poster's Reply Mostly a kids party but normally they enjoy any excuse for a party, and they don't see her that often especially in comparison to the other grandkids who all live in the same town. We moved here (40 minutes away) last year and although we go to them as much as we can, they've been here once.
    via u/You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • littlekidsjl My ex MIL didn't come to my daughter's high school graduation because the cable tech was coming out that day.
    via u/littlekidsjl
  • You_Go_Glen_Coco_ Original Poster's Reply Could 1000% see that happening here
    via u/You_Go_Glen_Coco_
  • 40pukeko Hahahaha nope. No need to justify. "That won't work for us, I hope you can make it!" She's not the star of this show.
    via u/40pukeko
  • UESfoodie I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea that someone can be so selfish as to think that a child's birthday party should revolve around them and not the child whose birthday it is. I would fully pretend I didn't get it.
    via u/UESfoodie
  • whineANDcheese_ Just say "No, sorry, it's all paid for and invitations have gone out. Hope you can find someone to shovel you out, but we understand if you can't make it."
    via u/whineANDcheese_
  • New_Customer_5438 Nope. The snow is probably impossible to shovel at this point since it's frozen solid. If she wants to attend she can get a ride from another family member that's also attending. Or she can uber. If she wants to be there she will figure it out.
    via u/New_Customer_5438

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daughter in law snow birthday party grandma granddaughter mother in law family mom entitled people shovel
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