ALSO! I tend to answer the question of the original poster before I comment because I like to give my own unbiased advice. I will say this not being rude to previous responders.
Wording like "if the situation degrades and the authorities need be called in" is an attempt to judge the mothers character as well as her families. We know nothing about them.
The other responded by saying "contact a lawyer" and "her family isn't stable" and financial issues and such. That in my opinion is bad advice to give someone who is heartbroken. And to say the mother is selfish and immature still and she may get a boyfriend that may hate the kid, and their living situation is unstable, and she cruel for wanting her 3 year old son back. He's 3 he's probably not even going to remember all this.
Am I the only one that's happy that her family is teaching her responsibility. "Go and get your child, hunney" it's unfortunate that she got pregnant at 13 but it happened! She's 16 probably closer to 17 she needs to be b with her son. And I'm thankful her family MADE her get the child. We know nothing about what's going on in that household.
If the heartbroken surrogate didn't say any of those things why are these variables even spokeep of? I'm sorry but I don't judge people. The only thing she said was the mother was stressed, emotional, and she yells at him the same things a 35 year old mother does. Give that girl a chance to have the son that came out of her vagina please! Give her a chance!
Firstly, it is a sad situation. Secondly, it's a sad situation that you really can't do anything about legaly.
I say that to say, I commend the biological mothers family for making the mother get her child. That's her responsibility. I know you love the kid, I do. I'm not saying back away as much as I'm saying find a way. If you helped raise the mother, try to insert yourself back into her life and that may bring a bond stronger between the 3 of you.
She needs to be a mother, you are a mother so teach her and help her. When the mother comes and tells you he's misbehaving when she takes him home from visiting you, sit the child down and explain that that is unacceptable and he shouldn't do it and punish him from coming to be with you if he can't behave with his mother.
I see the good you did by taking her in as well as her child. I see the good that the mothers family is instilling in the young mother that she has a responsibility, and I see the mother making strides as well, forced strides albeit but I think this could work in everyone's favor. If you work with the mother, you can work with the child, and if you work with the child, guess what? Hunney, your a grandmother basically!
This is one of the hardest stories I have ever read on the site in all the years I have been here. Heartbreaking. The unjust situation for this child boggles my mind. While you were a family friend, you became the mother of this child. The damage this young and horribly selfish girl is going doing to this little child is just almost criminal in my mind. I understand that she's the biological mother and tried to stay involved, but she was a mere child herself when she had the baby. I have a 13 year old myself and the idea of his being able to properly care for and parent a child is laughable. And now she's 16, has she matured? Possibly, but doubtful if the family is so unstable that she moves from place to place and there is a requirement by the now family member she is staying with that they force that toddler out of the only home he's ever known. I think in this instance, a court would look at your rights as having parented this child for so long. Have you spoken to an attorney? Please do. If this child is not being cared for properly now with a screaming teenager losing patience with him . . . in an unstable home life herself . . . and no real income to raise the boy, this is just so unfortunate that they'd allow this to continue. So, speak to a lawyer. And yes, make as nice as possible in the mean time to be loosely involved. But that poor boy will be a total wreck. His life has been uprooted. He's living in an environment that is not good (what happens in a year when she gets a boyfriend who hates the kid and she starts ditching him?) and he's suffering a huge loss of a person he loves, you. Truly, this is so sad. I'm also so very very sorry.
I think you should give his mother some parenting advice and try to arrange some gatherings every once in a while where both you and the child's biological mother are in the same place at once and try to get along well. Please try to understand what a hard time the teenage mother must be having and be nice to her too.
At the end of the day she has the right you have too grin and bare it no matter how much he cries (all kids cry when they leave a fun place) it's better then him being a 25 year old man feeling like his mother dump on him if you can't have kids get a dog I'm not saying this to no mean you just are lonely and a dog will fill the void don't invest any more time
I guess that since you don't have any legal claim to this child, the only thing you can do is continue to try to make nice with the mama, so you can see the child sometimes, even if she is changeable and capricious. Poor baby, he is going to be so sad. At least if you stay in touch with her and make as nice as possible, you would be able to hear if the situation degrades to the point where it becomes serious and the authorities need to be called in. Try to work out at least some playdates with your children or visits, not weekends but just random short visits. If she won't stand for that, you really can't do anything about it. I'm so sorry.