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AIBU?

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AIBU for being annoyed with MIL for buying us another pram?

41 replies

blueyavocado · 15/08/2025 22:40

Cut a long story short, we have the yo-yo pram and a couple of weeks ago she sent a long lengthy message saying how it’s impacting our sons walking and we need to change it. After that drama she apologised and said she was being interfering.

This evening she’s rang us up to say she’s ordered us another pram to our address that is ‘lightweight’ and like the one she has back in the day. It’s a 40 pound one from amazon, with reviews saying about the poor safety; wheels popping of etc.

AIBU for being annoyed with her and feeling controlled. I appreciate she spent her own money but she’s ordered it to our address and we already have a fully functional pram which is easy to use

OP posts:
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Beyoungbefoolishbegappy · 16/08/2025 22:27

Yanbu my dh's grandmother is a controlling twat like this and everyone let's her get away with it. It's so suffocating and she needs to mind her own business and let you two be parents.

BetweenTwoFerns · 16/08/2025 22:26

And who keeps a second pushchair in case they go on holiday? I’ve got a massive house and a double garage but I wouldn’t store extra inferior pushchairs that I might or might not need just in case.

blueyavocado · 16/08/2025 09:39

BendingSpoons · 16/08/2025 09:16

I loved my Yoyo. It even goes on as hand luggage on a plane, so not sure why you need another lightweight one! Even if you did have a heavy pram, that's hardly an issue for your DS!

Yeah it makes 0 sense yo-yo folds down tiny

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blueyavocado · 16/08/2025 09:38

RawBloomers · 16/08/2025 01:45

In what way does she think it impacts your DC's walking? "That seems a bit of a bizarre claim for a buggy they ride in!

AS others said - just refuse delivery. If that's impractical for some reason then tell her she can either collect it the same week or you will sell it on ebay/donate to your local Oxfam/put it out with the trash/etc. Don't be drawn into a discussion about it. She didn't have the good manners to check with you before ordering, you can be just as high handed. If she tries to argue, let her finish her spiel and then say "So are you coming to get it or should I get rid?".

She thinks that the way the seat is set up is impacting my son learning to walk. It’s silly as he never spends much time in it, when we take him out he may be in it for an hour max and then he’s free to explore

OP posts:
BendingSpoons · 16/08/2025 09:16

I loved my Yoyo. It even goes on as hand luggage on a plane, so not sure why you need another lightweight one! Even if you did have a heavy pram, that's hardly an issue for your DS!

blueyavocado · 16/08/2025 09:11

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 16/08/2025 07:01

i was going to suggest the same as PP - could it be useful to keep the lightweight stroller for holidays and flights?

we ended up buying a £40/50 stroller for overseas holidays but as the kids got older I ended up using it all the time rather than the original buggy/pram.

the impact on the child is irrelevant but I wonder if your MIL struggles to manoeuvre the larger buggy. Does she do any childcare? Maybe suggest she keeps it at hers?

on saying that, I don't know what stroller it is and I couldn't immediately see one for that price on Amazon with any major safety concerns.

It’s weird she thinks its not light weight enough but its one of the lightest of the market and folds up to cabin bag sie she never does any childcare, its my partner who does all the childcare

OP posts:
Enough4me · 16/08/2025 08:25

Put it away and tell her thanks you'll keep it for when DC is older. If you don't use it later then give it away. The basic folding ones can be handy when DCs need a basic seat as cannot walk all the time due to tiredness.

RitaFires · 16/08/2025 08:21

This is weird and controlling. If she can't manage the pram you have she could discuss it with you and work out a solution. Why on earth would she think that sending you a bottom of the barrel buggy from Amazon would make you change your mind, particularly one with reviews that mention how low quality and unreliable it is.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 16/08/2025 08:07

I just looked at that YoYo one and it looks pretty crappy for the price of it. Tiny wheels that you'd feel every bump. Reclined so you have crap posture.

I can see her point but I also wouldn't accept the Amazon pram

Goatinthegarden · 16/08/2025 08:07

My MiL used to be like this when I was first with DH. It was really weird, for example, we’d mentioned we were going to buy a sofa and she’d say, ‘oh you don’t want a sofa like that, how about one of these?’ And then would bombard us with photos of sofas that she thought we should have instead. She tried to give advice about, and get involved in, any decision or purchase that she heard about.

She even did it when we were buying our dream house. Kept suggesting bizarre alternatives when she doesn’t know/live in the part of the country we live in. Like a new build flat in the entirely opposite part of the city to where we were halfway through purchasing a Victorian house with a garden and driveway.

And she hasn’t contributed financially to any aspect of our lives, so it’s not like it has affected her in any way.

DH’s parents would seem really put out and affronted when I insisted that we would be making the choices that we wanted. Years later, they still say ‘oh no point giving Goat advice, she always does exactly what she thinks is best’. They act as if they just want to be super helpful and I’m a bizarre, overly independent, feisty person that insists on doing things my own way to be difficult.

I’ve since realised she controls her own daughter and her husband in this way…and that she used to control DH like that before we met. They’ve been told which house to buy and where….and they’ve done it.

The weird thing is, she’s a nice, unassuming, quiet person. She doesn’t seem controlling or opinionated at all.

Anyway, my point is that I would nip this in the bud and refuse/return the pram. She’ll soon get the message that you are capable of having your own thoughts and ideas about how you raise your child.

opencecilgee · 16/08/2025 08:07

Use it for holidays. Also when kid is a bit bigger, you may prefer a cheaper stroller, rather than buggy

OneNeatBlueOrca · 16/08/2025 08:05

Zempy · 16/08/2025 08:03

Definitely refuse delivery. Is DH fully onside?

If she's out and they leave it on the doorstep, how does she refuse delivery then?

RabbitsEatPancakes · 16/08/2025 08:05

That's really odd given the main point of a yoyo is that it's lightweight!

I have one and whilst I think it's OK, I don't think it's a great for some things and I'd never want it as a main pushchair.

Is it the semi reclined seat that she doesn't like?

Zempy · 16/08/2025 08:03

Definitely refuse delivery. Is DH fully onside?

JaneGrint · 16/08/2025 08:00

How can one sort of pram possibly affect a child’s walking more than another sort?

This makes no sense!

But I agree with pp, I’d be telling her that we’re happy with the pram we already have, and either refusing delivery or asking her to return the new one.

CrumpledAnkle · 16/08/2025 07:54

Make her refund it. Has she nothing better to do? She needs to get a life.

Lurkingandlearning · 16/08/2025 07:50

Tell her to cancel the order before it’s too late

Needspaceforlego · 16/08/2025 07:31

Having been passed the buggy stage 5/6 years i Googled the yoyo.

Are the ILs scared to use it because of the price?
Do they find it heavy to use?
Or are they thinking LO should have a buggy they can climb in and out of themselves (which I always think looks dangerous)?

Id maybe keep the cheap buggy for holidays, especially if your thinking about a second child. Avoid your good pram getting recked by baggage handlers

BetweenTwoFerns · 16/08/2025 07:30

I don’t know what a yo-yo pram is but my MIL was like this, from another continent. She likes buying things anyway. I just gave everything away immediately. I didn’t have save for two cots and two play kitchens.

chocopuffs · 16/08/2025 07:29

I’m so confused, why does she think it’s interfering with your son’s walking? How old is he? The yo-yo was an absolute lifesaver for us and I have to admit we probably used it for too long but my daughter can walk just fine!

Planktonplank · 16/08/2025 07:21

Why would a yo yo be interfering with your DS' walking? It's just a buggy!

Id refuse delivery or if they deliver it to yours dump it on her on doorstep. DH needs to tell her to wind her neck in.

LlynTegid · 16/08/2025 07:20

Refuse delivery.

Unless you have frequent deliveries from Amazon, say you disagree with the company, perhaps you can use the space flight with Katy Perry and others as an excuse.

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 16/08/2025 07:01

i was going to suggest the same as PP - could it be useful to keep the lightweight stroller for holidays and flights?

we ended up buying a £40/50 stroller for overseas holidays but as the kids got older I ended up using it all the time rather than the original buggy/pram.

the impact on the child is irrelevant but I wonder if your MIL struggles to manoeuvre the larger buggy. Does she do any childcare? Maybe suggest she keeps it at hers?

on saying that, I don't know what stroller it is and I couldn't immediately see one for that price on Amazon with any major safety concerns.

olympicsrock · 16/08/2025 06:53

Could it be useful to have a cheap pram to take on holiday and not worry of it gets trashed ? Or to lend to a friend who pops round?

You could consider just shrugging and continue using the one you like .

ThejoyofNC · 16/08/2025 06:50

Agree it's your DH job to speak to her.

DM why have you sent us a cheap crappy pram? Come and get it and send it back, we don't want it. You had the cheek to criticise our choice and then you've bought something with dangerous reviews.

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