MIL dressing dd in clothes she's bought. Come and slap sense into me!

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

17 month old dd goes to MIL one day a week while I'm at work (my mother and nursery other two days). She's great with her and they do lots of lovely things that I don't get the chance to do. Anyway...

I used to send dd's little bag with nappies etc and two changes of clothes (MIL picks her up at sparrows' cough in her pjs) but all the clothes kept coming back clean. It turns out that she has a supply of clothes that she bought herself that she puts dd into. Now I know this is very handy for me, less washing and less bag preparation etc, but FIL sent me some photos they'd taken this week and she doesn't look like my dd. The clothes they're using are not what I'd buy and she looks really odd.

I know I'm BU and I'm not really making a fuss and would never say anything to them cos it's a non issue and they're great and lovely but it bugs me slightly so am laying it out in AIBU so you can all slap me silly and tell me to get over it

Off you go then

[wotulookinat]

This is a difficult one, but I think YANBU.

[cornsilk]

[pjmama]

YABU because it's not really doing any harm, but I have to admit it would piss me off too!!

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

I suppose what really bugs me was that nothing was said. If she'd said don't worry about clothes, I've got loads here, I probably wouldn't think anything of it, although she did look strange. But I had to work it out for myself by realising that the clothes I was about to chuck in the wash hadn't even been unfolded. Most odd.

[ChippingIn]

LOL @ cornsilk

YANBU to be a bit miffed by it and feeling a bit odd that she doesn't look like your DD.

However, as you say, it's a non-issue really and they're 'great and lovely'...

So, here's the SLAP you asked for - although as you are dealing with it quite well, not sure why you feel you need one....

(It wont be long before she is creating over what she wants to wear - so might as well let them have a wee turn first ).

[NeedaNewName]

Pick your battles - youre getting (I'm assuming) free child care, they adore her, you have less clothes to wash, you must get on (otherwise you wouldn't let her go there).

BUT, it would also irritate me and you would all have to tell me to pick my battles!!!

[squilly]

My MIL and sil did this for a while with dd, in similar circumstances to your own.

It's a control thing. They wanted to dress her in a very specific way and I was slightly too trendy for them (and believe me, I ain't very trendy!). I was horrified...extreme I know, but I just found it freaky.

Now dd is now 8 and wouldn't dream of wearing anything she hadn't picked herself or at least approved of. They haven't been able to dress her or buy anything for her for a few years now and there influence has been minimal, if not non-existent.

They like to say that dd takes after SIL/MIL or at the very least DH, but DD says she's nothing like MIL or SIL (thank Gawd) but is a lot like daddy. She also enjoys telling nanny that she's like mummy too

I'd put in a smug emoticon, but it's not nice to be smug is it?? Take heart. YANBU but letting her do this and not worrying about it is probably best. Your DD won't be adversely affected by it and for the sake of free childcare and a harmonious relationship (as much as possible anyway) it's not worth challenging it.

[cornsilk]

It is a bit weird. But free childcare is not to be sniffed at so grin and bear it for now - it won't be long before dd refuses to wear MIL's stuff!

[squilly]

I' ve just re-read my post and my spelling and grammer is awful. Apologies...having a weird day..

[wobbegong]

Sorry, but my response on all of these is always... lucky you to have help with your childcare. Neither my mother nor my MIL have managed even ten minutes of looking after my DD (same age, yes they live close).
I'm not surprised you are narked about the clothes, but unless there are other control issues going on, look at the larger picture. You are one lucky lady.

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

Ah such words of wisdom from you all

It is a control thing, MIL is a control freak and I was the first in-law. We had awful fights for the first couple of years but reached a truce which developed into a really lovely close relationship. So she's probably marking her territory a bit but, as you say, she's great and she's free!

I just wondered if I was reading something into it that wasn't there but it seems I was right and she's a bit of a nutter

Bless her

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

Nice left hook you have there wobbegong...

[ChippingIn]

I see what you mean about them not saying anything... so what was she wearing when she came home? If it was her clothes from your house - I'd be even more - it's weird to keep changing her in & out of 'their' clothes. If it's late and she's in her jammies again then maybe they just didn't think about it.

Do you think they do it every time or was this a one off?

[chipmonkey]

Eyeballs, as a Mum of 4 boys can I ask, did your MIL ever have a dd of her own?

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

She comes back in her jammies. Don't get me wrong, they really do provide a brilliant 'service' . They drive over and pick her up at 7am so she gets straight out of bed, bottle in gob and into their car. They bring her back at 7pm (they avoid traffic both ways hence timing) bathed, fed and back in jammies. It really is a great help.

I don't bother sending clothes anymore and nothing has been said about that so they must know I know, and still nothing said.

[ChippingIn]

It's probably just a case of them thinking that she should really be in 'lovely little girls dresses' and not in 'trendy' clothes 'at her age' and wanting her to look that way when she's with them, but not wanting to offend you...

You are lucky (or should I say, you are lucky that your hard work paid off) to have gone from a difficult relationship with them to a close one - it's not something many people manage

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

Three daughters chipmonkey so nice theory but I think it;'s just plain sub-conscious control-freakery

[wobbegong]

I'm sure you're right Eyeballs about the control freakery and not surprised you're annoyed, especially with "history of awful fights".

[moondog]

I don't think anoyne who has 12 hours of free and loving childcare a weeek can complain about owt.

[chipmonkey]

My niece's gran did this, now that I think of it. In fact she got my niece's hair cut and got photos taken of her in a pretty yellow dress! My dsis was fuming as the haircut was a real 1970's "do" and the dress was a very frilly affair altogether!
I do worry if I ever have a dgd, will I go a bit ker-azy and dress her up like a Barbie princess when no-one is looking but hopefully I will be able to maintain a degree of sanity!

[oranges]

if you send her over in pyjamas its less weird that they put their own clothes on her. It's not as if they are taking of clothes she has and redressing her, which somehow seems more confrontational to me.

[chipmonkey]

But moondog, what if the granny gave formula to a bf baby?

[EyeballshasBackBoobs]

There has been the odd occasion in the past where they have replaced the clothes but that was in the early days. Oh well, it's a MIL quirk

LOL moondog, I'm more musing than complaining, I hope