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AIBU?

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SIL excludes my child AIBU to be annoyed?

179 replies

Aquababe73 · 06/08/2025 04:47

SIL has three kids older than my 1 by a few years. Since she has been with my brother she has always made little effort with me. First time she was introduced to me she fell asleep on my sofa and interacted very little. She was pregnant about a year after they met and I spent the Christmas she was pregnant with them. I bought them both lots of lovely new born bay stuff and fun new parent stuff. She got me a box of lush bath bombs from her and my brother. On Christmas day they left immediately after lunch to go to her cousins leaving me on my own at their place. I didn't know they were going anywhere until they were leaving and as i'd had a couple of glasses already I was trapped. For me that was the writing on the wall. Fast forward 18 months and I was pregnant. I found out just before their wedding. I was so excited as this was a long time coming. I told them both and my brother had a word with me privately and told me not to talk about it any further as I was 'stealing' his wife's thunder. I was hurt but fair enough of she wanted to be all princessy on her wedding day. A few months later I lost the baby. No condolences or sympathies were offered. 2 pregnancies later I finally had my baby. I didn't hear from either of them throughout my pregnancy. I didn't expect anything from her but my brother now seemed to be following suit. Again very hurtful. When my child was newborn all the usual house visits happened and her and my brother came along. I thought things were changing and we could now bond as a family and the cousins could all grow up together. I tried to arrange to meet up with her several times alone and she cancelled at the last minute each time so I gave up. She visited once with my mum and we all went to Mothercare where she proceeded to load up her basket with stuff that my mum could pay for. IMO her nose was out of joint the minute I had my DD as she had been used to using my mum as a cash cow up until then. Her own parents have plenty of money btw as do both her and my brother. DD has only ever received an invite once to one of cousins birthdays. There's 3 of them and the eldest is now 13 so that's a lot of birthdays. Whereas I've always invited the cousins to DDs birthdays. I stopped this a couple of years ago when I discovered she would get my mum to buy the birthday gifts she gave DD. Since then my DD has never received a birthday or Christmas gift from her. She does however buy gifts for the kids of her own brother. My brother does call on DDs birthdays but he travels abroad for work and if he's away there is no call from her. I always get the cousins gifts and feel I should now stop as it is never reciprocated as DD gets older she is becoming more away of this disparity (she's 9) and is hurt by it but I try and laugh it off and say it's no big deal etc but really my heart is breaking for her and I'm so blooming angry at my brother for allowing it to happen. I've tried speaking to my mum about it but she just pays me lip service and then fawns all over SIL making vomit inducing posts on FB about how wonderful a mother she is etc. Brother is the youngest and has always been the golden boy. I don't want my nephews to miss out but then I don't want my DD to be disrespected like this either. I also find my mums behaviour very disloyal as she won't address the issue with them either. So AIBU to expect my DD to be treated as I treat their kids?

OP posts:
Bobbie12345678 · 06/08/2025 05:04

It sounds like you are trying to have a relationship that she is just not interested in. That is sad if you really wanted it, but normal in lots of families.

You sound like you are then taking lots of things very personally that really aren’t. Why would her kids want a child several years younger at their parties? She is presumably close to her brother and therefore feels close to his kids. She does not feel close to you and yours. It is your brother‘s job to pay attention to your child’s birthday etc. It sounds like it is him that you should be cross with.

Ballardz · 06/08/2025 05:03

HoppingPavlova · 06/08/2025 04:56

I think the issue is you have tried to force a relationship. Just because someone becomes a SIL doesn’t mean they are obliged to have more than a perfunctory relationship with you. I don’t really have a relationship with my SIL or any in-laws as why would I? When parents were alive we would cross over at a lunch/dinner table for Xmas once every so many years but that was pretty much it. There was physical distance involved, sure, as we were several hours from any relatives, but even if we had of lived in the same suburb I can’t see how/why it would have been different. So, maybe she is a bit perplexed about the relationship you were trying to force?

Agree with this - just because you’re related it doesn’t mean you have to be friends. DH so hoped I would be close to his sister and she really tried, including huge gifts when I was pregnant, etc but I just never gelled with her. She’s done nothing wrong and I don’t dislike her at all - we just don’t have much in common.

I will add that unless DH needs me to because he’s busy, I don’t sort out the gifts for his family. So any gifts for my SIL’s child is arranged by my DH. And I sort the gifts for my side of the family. Surely the issue of lack of gifts for your daughter is your brother’s issue rather than something you blame his wife for?

Isitreallysohard · 06/08/2025 05:00

She's never shown you any interest, so I don't know why she suddenly would. Don't give her the energy, just keep your distance from her.

HoppingPavlova · 06/08/2025 04:56

I think the issue is you have tried to force a relationship. Just because someone becomes a SIL doesn’t mean they are obliged to have more than a perfunctory relationship with you. I don’t really have a relationship with my SIL or any in-laws as why would I? When parents were alive we would cross over at a lunch/dinner table for Xmas once every so many years but that was pretty much it. There was physical distance involved, sure, as we were several hours from any relatives, but even if we had of lived in the same suburb I can’t see how/why it would have been different. So, maybe she is a bit perplexed about the relationship you were trying to force?

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