Thank you all, for giving me “permission” to walk away from the 529 and not feel guilty about my mother’s intentions. I needed that.
We will make do without the grandparent 529. My husband and I have been saving for our children’s education, not counting on $ from the grandparent 529. I knew it existed, but not how much was in it, and I assumed it was a small amount. The total, $18k, is actually more than I expected.
I completely agree that my bigger worry should be the future, and my father using me as an emergency bank. Although is wife H-A-T-E-S me, so I think her pride would prevent them from asking us for money. Thankfully he has a pension that he collects from monthly, so there’s a slow trickle of money coming in regularly.
Again, thanks for the advice.