[joeysteele]

These are horrendous situations and you have my full sympathy because for you in the middle of it and seeing the time pass by and your Mum's hurt too,is one of the worst things to be in as you can often feel so helpless.

There are no real legal rights for grandparents to have full contact with grandchildren but there is a court route, something like a contact order can be applied for which may or may not succeed, this could take the form of face to face contact or indirect contact such as cards, gifts and letters.

However, the odds are all stacked in who has the custody of the children's favour,it has to be shown,
a) that the children could be harmed by having no contact with grandparents by tthe grandparents and then accepted by a court,or
b) that the children may be harmed by having contact with grandparents from the Mother or parents of the children.

Really the court route can make matters far worse because with the odds stacked in the Mother's or both parents favour, losing such an application can make any rift for worse and maybe permamently beyond repair.
As the Mother or parents could get even more hostile after such an action.

The gentle route of maintaining gentle contact and mediation from a trusted source like yourself, may well be what opens up the main doors in the end.
Ammi, as ever has in my view given really sound advice and that really is the best way to go about this.
Once it becomes a part of legal action then the future has no guarantees at all of any success or that anything may be able to end up being resolved in the future.

You have a hard task there the truth, I wish you long patience, understanding and success in the end but it may end up sadly where until the children are older and then wish to see and seek out their grandparents or in your case their grandmother,that will have to be the thing hoped for.

Your Mum is doing right to send cards,letters and gifts, if they are not being returned then maybe all is far from lost.
I myself would have hated to have not been able to see my Grandmothers.

Good luck and all my very best wishes to you with hopes you, with others, can bring about some tolerance between all parties that ensures good things for the children,your Mum and your family too.
When heels are being dug in however, it is really a time thing,that may be short or long, I don't envy your position in this one bit but keep trying and who knows when a breakthrough may happen.
Please listen to Ammi.