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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How do you handle your Sis-in-law relationships?

31 replies

ThePerfectStormPrincess · 01/04/2025 17:37

How much do you have to do with your SIL’s? I want to know if this is normal-ish.

I have 4 SIL’s, we are all 50’s. None of them live very near me, the closest is about an hour and a half. I see them a couple of times a year. I get along really well with 3 of them ( my brother’s wives). I’ve known them for decades and when we meet we have a lovely time.

In contrast, my other SIL irrationally makes my blood boil and turns me into someone I don’t recognise. It’s my DHs sister, who I’ve known for 3 decades and she just winds me up no end.

I’m now 50 and I’ve told my DH that I just don’t want her in my life. He of course can go and do what he likes with his sister, but I don’t want to be included, and I’m not hosting her and her DH who is an arrogant arsehole. Even though DH thinks his sister’s behaviour is pretty awful, he’s upset that I’ve said this. I am not being rude to her, I just don’t want to hang out with her. It resulted in a very big argument. I don’t make my DH do anything with my family.

One of main issues I have with her is that I feel she is “in my face” whereas my other SILs aren’t. An example is other SIL has huge opinions on the things we do/buy/ choose/ adult DC and voices them usually negatively to our face or via MIL. I just don’t think anything we do is any of her business. Perhaps DH, but not the rest of us.

I’ve said “no thanks” or “I’m busy” to a few invitation's and it’s caused a bit of an atmosphere but TBH she’ll ignore or be snotty to me if I’m there so I don’t want to go.

How do I navigate this with my DH? He’s upset with me. I’d love a relationship with her like my other SIL’s but it’s never going to happen as she basically sees me as an interloper and has never let me forget it and now I just CBA with her drama.

YABU - get along with her for DH’s sake
YANBU - you’ve been a mug for putting up with it for 30 years

OP posts:
Differentstarts · 01/04/2025 18:40

I have 3, 2 I love and we spend a lot of time together the other 1 I tolerate and only see when I have to I just keep it polite

Ponderingwindow · 01/04/2025 18:37

We make polite, awkward, chit chat at family events. We have absolutely nothing in common except that our husband’s are brothers. The two brothers have little in common so it is hardly surprising.

my view on most family is you can manage to talk about the weather with just about anyone a few times a year at an obligatory family gathering.

SpringHasSprungg · 01/04/2025 18:30

I have 5, 2 I like and consider them friends, 2 I see about every 2 years and it’s pleasant enough, 1 I hate and avoid.

Readingroomlunch · 01/04/2025 18:29

I love both my SILs dearly and really wish we all lived closer, but good grief if I never saw my BIL again...

PassingStranger · 01/04/2025 18:27

You don't all automatically get on because your family, thought everyone knew this.
You don't have to have a relationship with any sil
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves

I wouldn't worry.

MJSavesTheDay · 01/04/2025 18:14

I like my brother's wife. I'm not a fan of my husband's sister! She's loud, brash, rude, and thinks the world revolves around her (like my mil)

But ... I'm not perfect either! 😉

And I'm of the opinion that this is what family is all about. You see these crazy people and put up with them, and they do the same with you, for the sake of the other people you love. My husband has a right to see his sister and for us us to be civil. My children have a right to get to know their aunt and cousins. It's also important for my husband to feel supported and for my children to see that we are all different and not everyone is like them or their mum etc..

My sil has never done anything massively bad (she's not a sex offender, hasn't murdered anyone, isn't a risk to children or me or my DH) so I just put up with it. We only see them 3 or 4 times a year. That's not a lot really and it's important to my husband. This is what families are I guess! At Christmas I just manage it all by eating choclate and smiling!! 😉