I'm a lot closer to my PiL than my parents, emotionally AND geographically. DH is too much of a Mamma's boy (in a good way) to run too far away from his parents. I don't believe that the mother's parents are the "better" grandparents anyway - when mothers didn't go back to work so early then yes, the mother would usually want her mother around more (and my mother was very poisonous about her MiL too) - but these days I could see my grandchildren without seeing their mother if I offered free childcare, so I can be favourite grandparent and the children will want to see me!