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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My husband tells his parents everything

233 replies

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 20:59

My husband is a great man, good husband, good around the house, great with the kids etc. He is very close to his siblings and parents which I honestly think is fab.

I get on fine with my family but we are not close. We grew up in a very private family where nobody could know our business and I was always stressed out trying to make sure that I didn't accidentally let something slip. My.mum was constantly telling me 'dont tell such-and-such this' and "if anybody asks, tell them xyz".

I never, ever ask my kids to keep secrets but at the start of our relationship would tell me husband what he could and couldnt tell anyone. He told me it stressed him out and so I stopped doing that because I realised that I was repeating a pattern of burden and putting it onto him.

However, I don't fully trust my husband and keep a lot to myself. Anything personal to me that I do not want to be repeated, I have to be very specific that he cannot tell anyone. I still have my doubts and just cannot be fully vulnerable with him unless I am really upset about something. Most of this is childhood trauma stuff.

Anyway I know that my mother in law tells everyone's business. I know all about my siblings-in-laws' lives, their kids, their problems, and as someone who was so guarded growing up, this is horrible.

Anyway recently, one of our older children (late primary) gor into very big trouble in school. It was very upsetting and while we supported the school and followed through on co sequences at home, I feel like i owe my child their privacy and that for their sake, I want this to be known by as few people as possible. It is not that I am ashamed. I'm not. But I value my child's right to be able to forget about it. It was a very sensitive issue and I just heard my husband on the phone to his mum giving him an update in a way which suggested that he has been keeping her updated.

On one hand, its his mum and he has a right to discuss his children with his family. On the other hand, its my child too and I value privacy and the right to not have everyone talking about you. I know far too much about my husband's nieces and nephews for example.

Is this me projecting my childhood or is my husband out of order for repeating every little thing back to a family who will share the news over dinner?

Aibu for feeling really uncomfortable with this? Am happy to be told that I am but dont want a big argument or to make things weird with him and his family.

OP posts:
CurdinHenry · 15/05/2026 21:29

LoveToddle4s999 · 15/05/2026 21:28

Sorry but you are incredibly weird. Parents and children are meant to be close and help each other.

Don't project your trauma from the emotional abuse you suffered on your family.

Get some help before you ruin your marriage and damage your children. I say this kindly as someone who had to get some therapy before I turned into my mother. It's scary how we end up repeating the bullshit we were raised with.

It's not weird, mothers who want to be on the circle of trust need to learn to zip it

LoveToddle4s999 · 15/05/2026 21:28

Sorry but you are incredibly weird. Parents and children are meant to be close and help each other.

Don't project your trauma from the emotional abuse you suffered on your family.

Get some help before you ruin your marriage and damage your children. I say this kindly as someone who had to get some therapy before I turned into my mother. It's scary how we end up repeating the bullshit we were raised with.

CurdinHenry · 15/05/2026 21:27

Lovely girl, beautiful girl, it's SUCH a pity

CurdinHenry · 15/05/2026 21:27

Yanbu

Gossipy mothers in law are hell

They're always telling awful tales of woe about people you've never met in a wide eyed breathless way and you just know they'll do the same about you

Your husband probably can't help it but I agree don't let him know more than you want everyone to know

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:27

FinalFrog · 15/05/2026 21:18

Does he default to discussing with his mother instead of you? Or is it just that he tells her everything in general.

Everything. He tells me everything too.

OP posts:
Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:26

Jellybunny98 · 15/05/2026 21:18

If you can acknowledge the issues that the privacy in your upbringing caused you, why do you want to do the same thing with your own family?

I don't. In fact, I don't tell my husband anything personal about myself that I don't want him to tell, unless I am really upset and it comes pouring out. After I ever share anything personal with him I feel really disgusting and dirty for some reason.

Its generally issues with my parents, or ongoing emptional things ive been working through for years. I have a counsellor who I can talk to and often tell ChatGPT. I just don't tell my husband if I can help it, which means a lot of the deep core parts of me are still secret from him. I dont want him to tell his family, and I don't want to burden him by asking him not to, so I don't tell him. That's a big sacrifice on my part to ensure I dont continue the cycle.

I have never in my life ever asked my children to keep one thing secret, to never say anything to anyone or any euphemism for keeping quiet.

I just felt like the waters got a bit muddied when its him sharing things about his children, who are also mine. I didn't quite know whose business was whose.

OP posts:
TakeALookAtTheseSwatches · 15/05/2026 21:25

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:18

Yes he does but I dont even feel i can confide in my family because they often turn things I tell them into being my fault somehow. I just hate the thought of my son being talked about.

What did he do op?

PoppinjayPolly · 15/05/2026 21:23

Jellybunny98 · 15/05/2026 21:18

If you can acknowledge the issues that the privacy in your upbringing caused you, why do you want to do the same thing with your own family?

This, the hairdresser thing is beyond normal. Did people know she had a family??

hotsoap · 15/05/2026 21:22

With me the case is....I am an introvert and feel energetically exposed if I tell everyone everything.....any resemblance?

hotsoap · 15/05/2026 21:21

I mean, my father was telling me to be private with anyone and no one is my true friend, while my mother was the gossip of the fucking block....now my husband tells everything to his mother, I don't tell much to anyone but my daughter if you leave her, she would tell everything to her friends, teachers and anyone bless her

Bedroomdilemmas113 · 15/05/2026 21:21

I don’t know if this will help at all but my mum had a really difficult upbringing (extreme poverty, alcoholism, domestic abuse) and she is very much as you describe. She doesn’t open up to ANYONE. She just can’t. She doesn’t like anyone to know anything about us.

Weirdly though, I tell my mum everything and she’s fine with that. Just not talking ‘outside of the nuclear family’. I can absolutely guarantee that any of her acquaintances (she doesn’t really have friends, she married an abusive man too….) know nothing about me or her grandkids (beyond the fact that we exist).

The way you are really isn’t normal - but what you’re describing reminds me a lot of my mum. She would be absolutely mortified if my dad had discussed anything I had done wrong at school with anyone for example.

Dragracer · 15/05/2026 21:18

DH is the same. My rule is, my business and your children's business is not yours to share. Even if it affects you. Tell everyone about your hemeroids but not about my work. If you want to talk to someone about something related to me because you need support, ask me first.

Although we have different problems. DHs parents are horrible people. He tells them things about us and they either then lay into him about how irresponsible he is and how it's his fault and revel in his struggle. Or he tells them something positive and they don't give a shit or worse, go out of their way to do something horrible to upset him. Quite frankly, they hate him. So my perspective is, stop giving them ammo to then attack you and then you're upset and I have to support you. But at the end of the day, I can't tell him not to talk to people about his own stuff, I can only dictate what he shares about information that doesn't belong to him.

So in your situation. Very simple rules. If it is solely about you, go ahead and tell everyone. If it is about me or our children, it is not your information to share, and you must ask permission first. Or you will become someone that isn't trusted to know anything about your own family because you can't respect people's privacy. When I explained to DH that I would just stop telling him things he understood how much it affects me.

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:18

Topseyt123 · 15/05/2026 21:16

I think your husband might have a point.

Yes he does but I dont even feel i can confide in my family because they often turn things I tell them into being my fault somehow. I just hate the thought of my son being talked about.

OP posts:
Jellybunny98 · 15/05/2026 21:18

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:13

I dont think I would mind if it just stayed with my parents in law but I know it will travel around. For someone with my background its so hard to let go of my business like that. My husband said that my family is like the mafia with the el muerto. Hope I spelt that right

If you can acknowledge the issues that the privacy in your upbringing caused you, why do you want to do the same thing with your own family?

FinalFrog · 15/05/2026 21:18

Does he default to discussing with his mother instead of you? Or is it just that he tells her everything in general.

hotsoap · 15/05/2026 21:18

why do you think your mother suffers from this paranoia?

Topseyt123 · 15/05/2026 21:16

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:13

I dont think I would mind if it just stayed with my parents in law but I know it will travel around. For someone with my background its so hard to let go of my business like that. My husband said that my family is like the mafia with the el muerto. Hope I spelt that right

I think your husband might have a point.

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:16

Topseyt123 · 15/05/2026 21:14

That's just ridiculous, weird. I would have definitely told the hairdresser who I was.

Again, why is it some sort of classified top secret? Does your mother work for MI5?

I have no idea. Just so much weirdness. When we were in public she would speak so quietly so nobody could hear anything she was saying to me and it was just day to day run of the mill stuff.

OP posts:
Topseyt123 · 15/05/2026 21:14

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:08

My mother is so secretive that once I went home to visit her and needed my hair cut urgently. She reluctantly told me where her hairdresser worked but informed me that I wasn't to say I was her daughter or mention me. Just act like a regular stranger off the street.

That's just ridiculous, weird. I would have definitely told the hairdresser who I was.

Again, why is it some sort of classified top secret? Does your mother work for MI5?

CheeseWisely · 15/05/2026 21:13

To clarify we told them that I was pregnant obviously, but never revealed my exact due date (to anyone) and I really did not feel they needed to know the gory details of my labour.

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:13

I dont think I would mind if it just stayed with my parents in law but I know it will travel around. For someone with my background its so hard to let go of my business like that. My husband said that my family is like the mafia with the el muerto. Hope I spelt that right

OP posts:
Namenamchange · 15/05/2026 21:11

I think it’s a you problem to be honest. You dh can tell his parents what he likes.

Tbh, my childhood was similar to yours, my parents still know very little about my life, but it’s because I find them quick to worry or be negative, I think there is shame attached too. Your dh sounds a more healthy dynamic. .

JustABean · 15/05/2026 21:11

I think this is a you problem, I also grew up in a talk about anything to anyone big family and I wouldn't have it any other way, we support each other, are aware when an adult or child needs help or support, always stuff to chat about and it's never been a problem. My DH came from the opposite don't talk about anything and it took him ages to be comfy and now he chats to anyone in family about everything now to and said he never realised how supportive a loving communicative family could be

Topseyt123 · 15/05/2026 21:10

I'd say you are projecting.

I would have told my parents this sort of thing and it wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest if DH had also told his. In fact, I'd have been surprised if he hadn't told them.

Why is it top secret? That sounds like hard work.

Tourmalines · 15/05/2026 21:10

Shinyblackstone · 15/05/2026 21:08

My mother is so secretive that once I went home to visit her and needed my hair cut urgently. She reluctantly told me where her hairdresser worked but informed me that I wasn't to say I was her daughter or mention me. Just act like a regular stranger off the street.

Now that is totally abnormal in my opinion.