To think MIL’s “accident” wasn’t an accident??

I’m a mother inlaw twice and that is awful that your MIL has behaved like that
it gives us all a bad name ( although I do love Les Dawson MIL jokes lol )
she sounds childish and you need to draw some boundaries maybe ?
don’t enable this behaviour because believe me you will become very resentful of the family as time goes on.
Have a polite word firstly … see how it goes
don’t lose your head with it all ..: just explain how it all makes you feel, calmly as you can muster .
good luck …

I hope she at least offered to buy a replacement? She sounds unhinged 😔

Some people are just horrid. The end.

Even if she was secretly evil I dont think she'd bother smashing your plates. Honestly sounds like you are overtired. Hope she apologised though.

It definitely sounds as though she needs to be checked out by a doctor as they seem to be getting more regular. I would ask your husband to go with her or if any other family members have noticed anything different in her behaviour etc.

It’s not OP’s house, it’s OPs and her husband’s house. She has no right to refuse entry to her MIL (any more than her husband has the right to prevent any of her family entering).

Give her a breakdown of the cost to replace it.

Erasing your shows isn't breaking something, and anyone can do that by mistake I'd have thought.

My MIL refuses to use nice glasses, says she breaks them and can't stand it. So it really depends and you've not enough instances to make a judgement on. But you jumping to that conclusion says you dislike her, or think she really dislikes you so there's a lot more going on here.

I doubt that she did it deliberately tbh. I think that she would have been a bit more than 'judgy' if she did something so spiteful. Your DH was with her wasn't he? Has she offered to replace? If so, then it defo wouldn't be deliberate because what would she get out of it?

I’m with you OP because if I broke anything of my MIL’s I would be so so apologetic! As would she. She would also have offered to replace the vaccum if she broke it! So the attitude would massively piss me off. It’s not an oh whoops anyway if she keeps breaking expensive stuff! I had to google denby and they are expensive too so she is costing you hundreds of pounds. I’d ban her from touching my stuff.

Was she trying to clean it? My MIL would unasked for clean things and usually end out breaking/ ruining them in some way.

I do sympathise with your loss. Denby is expensive. Even the 1970s sets are costly.

Can you claim on the house insurance? Of course your excess could be more than a new one,

Depends on whether she has form for smashing up her own dinnerware at home.....

I don't think it was accidental, not with the plates and not for the other things. I think you should forbid your husband to ever invite his mother again unless he stays right there with her every minute. So not one unsupervised moment. And if she grabs at something just say please don't, you might break it.

It’s likely that she has a minor personality disorder and is a bit broken. Well adjusted people do not do this, and she’s almost worth your pity OP except she will not change and she’s getting off on it. I would try a deeply concerned/patronising face if you have to meet her again; these types cannot cope with not being superior

Reminds me of the time my ex- MIL went into the garden at Christmas and came back in with her shoes on trailing mud all through the hall and up the stairs on a light coloured carpet. It was no accident.

You absolutely do need a biscuit and a lie down but yes, she definitely did that on purpose. You have my sympathies.

How do we know she won't replace it?

She sounds like a right battle axe and I bet her son your partner will defend you to her and she won't like that so she'll do accidently clumsy not so accidental things monster in law comes to mind your husband must feel his mother's being off and doesn't want to cause ill feelings either end or that he can't see the terror going on so no it's. Not in your head you should better prepare for her arrival and put out things like beaker to make her a brew in just say it's safer for the kids if you use unbreakable things move your good things out harms way replace them with plastic flowers or cheap hoover you can put out for her when she's there Ballache but very worthit no malice intended play her at her own game while being so nice back shell get the message eventually stand yiur ground in yiyr home if yiur kids want to run wild in there house then join them because it's yiur house yiu are free to do what you wish I really hope this helps

Honestly, I'm surprised anyone thinks this is a series of just unfortunate mistakes. Deleting all of your shows off the box is honestly a very specific thing to do; you don't accidentally select all of the shows, then go into the menu and select delete.

If she's done the Denby by accident, she will offer to replace them, because that's the natural reaction to having done something like that. I assume she hasn't offered.

Not as much as you think. My DM had a very difficult childhood and that resulted in a kind of personality disorder that would often manifest as highly inappropriate jealousy and occasional general obnoxious behaviour.

it is definitely a thing😂.

I say this as someone who loved her.

My late stepfather used to do things like this. It’s expressing disapproval and contempt for your possessions and by extension, of you. Passive aggression.

Omg she sound like my mum I think it’s a narcissistic thing. I got a new build house & I think my mum was a bit jealous. She came round to visit me & asked if she could make grilled cheese(she brought stuff with her from the shop) she was taking it out the grill & all the cheese & tomatoes slid down the grill door. I have ocd & was a new oven she knew it would annoy me. I watched her do it & was no accident. She’s done loads of little things like that over the years & so have past narcissistic partners it’s just to wind you up they get a kick from it. If state anything she breaks etc from now on she has to pay for since it seems to be a habit or better yet don’t invite her round. I cut my mum off a few years ago best thing I did

I remember a bit where she stole a shoe of her son's new wife... that sort of thing