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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not help the inlaws who have barely accepted me for 29 years

358 replies

Splendud · 26/01/2025 18:58

DH and I have been married for 29 years this year. MIL and FIL have just about tolerated me all that time but there have been snide comments fairly regularly about my weight, about my career 'impacting DH' (it doesn't) and how DH's life would have been different had he gone to their choice of university (ie he wouldn't have married me).

FIL and MIL are now well into their 80s. FIL is in poor health and MIL is losing her sight. They have resisted downsizing for years and are now struggling with a large detached house which has a 100ft garden is 2 miles away from shops and cannot easily be adapted for the needs of an ageing couple. There is now a desperate rush to downsize to a flat nearer to shops, GP etc. because of the impending sight loss and both of them losing their driving licenses.

They have a huge amount of stuff which needs sorting out in order to move. We're talking thousands of books, documentation for cars they sold in the 1980s, so much stuff!

DH has two siblings, one lives abroad and the other is a GP working 4 days a week.

I have said I am not helping with this. They are not my parents and they have never welcomed me into their family. DH is happy with this and has had numerous conversations with them over the years about their attitude to me so none of this is news to them. I am in a senior role with a team of over 100 reporting through to me. I regularly work 8-6.30. I'm also a trustee for two charities including a food bank and I have a long term health condition. My life is busy enough as it is.

His siblings are very unhappy that i am not as involved as they are and think I should be doing more. The one who lives abroad thinks I should help because I am nearer and the GP sibling thinks that my job is less important and I should 'just take unpaid leave'. I am being bombarded by messages from the siblings giving me 'jobs' to do and calls from FIL demanding to know why I am not coming every weekend.

I have blocked them all tonight. DH is aware and supports me.

Two friends, however, think I am being really harsh. One has said that she is re-evaluating our friendship as she has never seen this side of me and has always thought I was better than this.

AIBU...or am I a mean and horrible DIL?

OP posts:
Scautish · 26/01/2025 19:08

Fuck that. YANBU.

ThejoyofNC · 26/01/2025 19:08

Your SIL/BILs have absolutely no right to be texting you demands, I'd have blocked too. As for your friend, if she's so bothered tell her they're accepting any offers of help.

heldinadream · 26/01/2025 19:07

Are the siblings male, by any chance?

Anyway whether they are or not, YADNBU, @Splendud .
I like the bit about you being a trustee on 2 charities yet your 'friend' somehow thinks you should have the time, energy and inclination to run around after people who've never been pleasant to you. Is she an advocate of performative doormattery?

SnarkSideOfLife · 26/01/2025 19:07

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. In the past I’ve had to sort out my grandmothers house/estate and then my dads. My dh got on with my relatives perfectly well but I didn’t expect him to help. Me and my brother sorted it and yes that meant taking time off work (annual leave). The gp daughter does get annual leave and can use some of it, your dh can obviously help and even the abroad brother can fly back…..he must have realised when he moved abroad at some point this might be necessary.

Or you find some sort of packing company to help and pay them, either the parents pay and/or all the siblings chip in. But if they’re downsizing hopefully there’s some money for this.

NotThisYearThx · 26/01/2025 19:05

Your only responsibility in this scenario is to support your husband as he supports them because it isn’t easy. Fuck would I be helping anyone who doesn’t like me, hasn’t accepted me or anyone entitled enough to be sending me ‘chores’ to do.

WingBingo · 26/01/2025 19:05

Can’t understand how anyone cannot relate to your decision.

Reap what you sow, and all that.

Good for you, btw. It’s selfish to not deal with your shit when you can and then have to leave it up to everyone else.

Jackiepumpkinhead · 26/01/2025 19:04

YANBU, stick to your guns. I would usually say rise above it especially to support your husband. Seeing as he understands your reasons, I’d carry on doing what you’re doing.

MostlyHappyMummy · 26/01/2025 19:02

Your husband understands why you shouldn't become a carer for people who dislike you and have their own 3 children to help
So ignore everyone else