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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MIL made me feel unwelcome.

141 replies

KeenSnail · 13/07/2025 19:36

The past week I have been staying away from home in a holiday cottage with my in-laws, wife’s brother and wife’s brothers fiancé.

We’ve had a lovely week and yesterday celebrated my wife’s sister’s wedding. I haven’t always got on with my SIL, however over time we have disagreed less and less and I was under the impression the past was water under the bridge.

Today my SIL hosted a bbq with the close family and we were having a fantastic day together eating, drinking and playing lawn games.

At around 6pm my wife wanted to drive our 18 month old home as it’s about an hours drive back to the holiday cottage and she is trying to keep his sleep schedule as normal as possible.

We had all driven in two cars so there was room for me to catch a lift home with my MIL, FIL and BIL and BIL’s fiancé.

As I was packing up the car for my wife my MIL was saying goodnight to our son. I mentioned I was planning on staying behind. I felt as though she gave me a judgmental look and I responded to that with ‘I assume I am welcome to stay?’ to my surprise, my MIL replied to me ‘I don’t know’.

I then walked up to help my wife to the car when my SIL came to say goodbye. My wife corrected her ‘oh it’s just me and the baby going back, husband is staying’ and I jumped in and said ‘I’ll be leaving too. It’s clear I’m not welcome here’ my MIL then repeated the situation to my wife, SIL and FIL and made out it was an innocent remark as it’s not her home but I really feel there was a underlying meaning behind the incident.

Please give me perspective… am I wrong about this?

OP posts:
Notmycircusnotmyotter · 13/07/2025 20:22

No one said you do nothing.

we're saying it's weird and selfish of you to expect your hot, pregnant wife to get the toddler home and to bed while you stayed partying with her family.

KeepCalmAndPretendItIsOnTheLessonPlan · 13/07/2025 20:21

I voted YWNBU. I breastfed all mine and would not have expected you to have come back with me, pregnant or not. If I wanted you back with me, you'd be coming!
But...if I knew you had had bad blood with my sister in the past, I doubt I'd have left you there alone and I'd have already checked you were welcome, not sprung it on her.
So...I think your in-laws tolerate you for your wife's sake or they like you, but sister and BIL have remaining issues.
Your wife either hasn't been told or hasn't worked it out and, like you, thinks it had all blown over. In your shoes, I'd certainly have taken the hint and done a quick U-turn, yawning, change of mind. Dilemma solved. Tattle with wife on the way back - her family's reactions not being her fault - and finished the holiday peacefully but with guard up for future plans.

KeenSnail · 13/07/2025 20:20

Thanks for this! People seem to be assuming I do nothing for my wife or son which couldn’t be further from the truth.
I get up with him every morning and get him ready and make his breakfast and take my wife a cup of tea so she can have a lay in and she does the evening routine which is our preference and what works for us.
My wife was of course completely fine with me staying and if there was any indication she wanted me to be with her I would have left immediately.

OP posts:
Flashahah · 13/07/2025 20:19

BeachPossum · 13/07/2025 20:01

Right - in which case they were surprised that you were leaving your hot, pregnant wife to go and do bedtime for a toddler on her own while you carried on partying.

This

Spotthering · 13/07/2025 20:19

Tbh Op you don’t come across well here and I can see why. Your wife is pregnant and you happily let her go back to put your toddler to bed whilst you stay out drinking and partying with her family. And when your MIL rightly hinted that’s odd, you caused a bit of a scene at your SIL’s post wedding celebration.

Lack of self awareness definitely comes to mind.

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 13/07/2025 20:18

You should have left to support your wife, not stayed while your pregnant wife had to parent solo

MalcolmMoo · 13/07/2025 20:16

ToKittyornottoKitty · 13/07/2025 19:39

Maybe she felt it should be you taking your baby back to the holiday cottage so your wife could continue celebrating with her sister

Edited

This. I find it odd you wanted to stay with the in laws longer.

In general if we do something with my family my husband will look after our child more, if it’s with his family then I look after our child more. So we can each spend a bit more time with our family.

PeapodMcgee · 13/07/2025 20:16

This reply has been deleted

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MyMahoosivePenis · 13/07/2025 20:16

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 13/07/2025 20:11

OP you're getting flamed here, but I honestly dont see the big deal. When I was pregnant my OH would stay on partying with my family and I was happy to be going to bed, it was never a problem. Maybe MIL was just caught off guard as she expected you to leave with your DW. Try not to focus on it too much, as long as you and DW are in the same boat, that's all that matters.

Would your other half ask for a lift before he decided your mother could drive him home or just assume?

If he'd previously fallen out with your sister would he invite himself without asking to stay late on his own?

Would he then start an argument with your family bitching about your mother if he didn't get the answer he wanted?

If so, you really want to rethink things

Derbee · 13/07/2025 20:13

She was probably horrified that you were letting your pregnant wife go home alone to put your toddler to bed, whilst you carried on drinking and partying with HER family.

She was probably surprised that you were even mentioning staying in the circumstances, and you sound like you were petty and bitchy to top it all off. A real Prince.

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 13/07/2025 20:11

OP you're getting flamed here, but I honestly dont see the big deal. When I was pregnant my OH would stay on partying with my family and I was happy to be going to bed, it was never a problem. Maybe MIL was just caught off guard as she expected you to leave with your DW. Try not to focus on it too much, as long as you and DW are in the same boat, that's all that matters.

Fromage · 13/07/2025 20:10

Have you thought about supporting your wife?

I don't think you need to be lactating to put your child in the bath, then their pjs, bedtime story or whatever. Maybe you could keep your wife company, rub her back, make dinner?

TomatoSandwiches · 13/07/2025 20:10

This reply has been deleted

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Shatteredallthetimelately · 13/07/2025 20:08

Did you discuss with your wife/SIL that you'd like to stay?

If so dId your wife/SIL mind that you wanted to stay at the party?

ooooohlala · 13/07/2025 20:06

I would have very pissed off in your wife’s shoes.

MyMahoosivePenis · 13/07/2025 20:05

Hoping this isn't real because no one can have so little self awareness right?

RaininSummer · 13/07/2025 20:05

Yes this. She said don't know as I think she meant you should be checking with your wife.

DaisyChain505 · 13/07/2025 20:04

Maybe she was judging you for not helping your pregnant wife take your joint child home after a long day.

MyMahoosivePenis · 13/07/2025 20:03

Ok, in that case they made you feel unwelcome because you are not welcome, they think you're a shitty partner and they are sad she's been dumb enough to have another baby with you.

BreakfastClubBlues · 13/07/2025 20:02

They don't think you pull your weight with the baby/ are not supporting your wife.

Good on the MIL! Mine always encouraged DH to stay, leaving me to manage the kids solo.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 13/07/2025 20:02

KeenSnail · 13/07/2025 19:59

Ah, sorry. I should have mentioned.
my wife is pregnant so was always planning on driving home as I had been drinking and in addition she breastfeeds our son to sleep so I wouldn’t have been able to replace her in putting our son to bed.
She was pleased to be going as she’s been outside all day and it’s very hot here and I think she was looking forward to an early night back at the holiday home.

Yeah you still should have gone with her. She’s on holiday and pregnant, she doesn’t want to do everything alone and you didn’t need to stay out drinking. Your MIL just might have had a moment of surprise that you didn’t want to go spend time with your wife and child and would rather stay and drink with SIL who you don’t totally get on with. You were then very rude by calling her out on it.

BeachPossum · 13/07/2025 20:01

KeenSnail · 13/07/2025 19:59

Ah, sorry. I should have mentioned.
my wife is pregnant so was always planning on driving home as I had been drinking and in addition she breastfeeds our son to sleep so I wouldn’t have been able to replace her in putting our son to bed.
She was pleased to be going as she’s been outside all day and it’s very hot here and I think she was looking forward to an early night back at the holiday home.

Right - in which case they were surprised that you were leaving your hot, pregnant wife to go and do bedtime for a toddler on her own while you carried on partying.

BeachPossum · 13/07/2025 19:59

I think it was just really weird that your wife would go home with the little one, leaving you to continue celebrating with her family. The normal thing would have been for you to go (unless a drip feed is coming), and they were surprised you didn't.

KeenSnail · 13/07/2025 19:59

KeenSnail · 13/07/2025 19:36

The past week I have been staying away from home in a holiday cottage with my in-laws, wife’s brother and wife’s brothers fiancé.

We’ve had a lovely week and yesterday celebrated my wife’s sister’s wedding. I haven’t always got on with my SIL, however over time we have disagreed less and less and I was under the impression the past was water under the bridge.

Today my SIL hosted a bbq with the close family and we were having a fantastic day together eating, drinking and playing lawn games.

At around 6pm my wife wanted to drive our 18 month old home as it’s about an hours drive back to the holiday cottage and she is trying to keep his sleep schedule as normal as possible.

We had all driven in two cars so there was room for me to catch a lift home with my MIL, FIL and BIL and BIL’s fiancé.

As I was packing up the car for my wife my MIL was saying goodnight to our son. I mentioned I was planning on staying behind. I felt as though she gave me a judgmental look and I responded to that with ‘I assume I am welcome to stay?’ to my surprise, my MIL replied to me ‘I don’t know’.

I then walked up to help my wife to the car when my SIL came to say goodbye. My wife corrected her ‘oh it’s just me and the baby going back, husband is staying’ and I jumped in and said ‘I’ll be leaving too. It’s clear I’m not welcome here’ my MIL then repeated the situation to my wife, SIL and FIL and made out it was an innocent remark as it’s not her home but I really feel there was a underlying meaning behind the incident.

Please give me perspective… am I wrong about this?

Ah, sorry. I should have mentioned.
my wife is pregnant so was always planning on driving home as I had been drinking and in addition she breastfeeds our son to sleep so I wouldn’t have been able to replace her in putting our son to bed.
She was pleased to be going as she’s been outside all day and it’s very hot here and I think she was looking forward to an early night back at the holiday home.

OP posts:
IndieRocknRoll · 13/07/2025 19:58

unless there’s about to be a massive drip feed, etiquette would dictate that you would take baby home (or at least accompany your wife, considering your history with her sister). Even putting this aside you were rude and confrontational in your response
Do you have a tendency to misjudge situations like these, I’m wondering if that’s behind the bad blood with SIL?

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