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Mother-in-law and my own family

42 replies

7856 · 17/11/2017 19:05

Like many others, I could write a very long list of things my mother-in-law has done to upset and undermine me.

Our relationship has gone from bad to worse and, we only speak when she visits (about 3 times this year).

My issue at the moment is that we live in London and both our families live in Yorkshire (about an hour apart from each other). My husband's family consists of his Mum (who he has never been very close to) and mine a family of 8 (including brother and sister in law's) and, we're all very close. We come up to see my family perhaps 5 times a year - all the family are invited by my Mum to celebrate a birthday or go to a particular event. My MIL has started to expect an invite to our family gatherings. This expectation usually manifests itself as a "let me know when's a good time to come over". I think this is really rude but, my husband thinks "why not? why can't we just invite her along".

The history here (and this is just the things concerning my family) is that:
-when my husband and I first met my family invited her over for dinner - she brought her alsation puppy along without asking/ telling us she would be. she spent the whole of dinner sat on the floor. She has shown herself on other occasions to be a inverted snob and, made numerous comments about how disgusting it was that all the cars in the car park were so expensive (I guess she has a point, but, rude nevertheless). She then literally turned her nose up at us when we offered her a glass of champagne - and laughed at her son for drinking it. then we went for a walk and she fully ignored my Dad asking her to put the dog on the lead for the sheep - her dog then ran off, killed a lamb, noone could catch the dog, and when my husband finally did she literally said nothing of the entire incident. She did not once thank anyone for having her over and didn't return the invitation.
-for the first 3yrs or so my mum would send over a cake and a card at christmas. Again, never reciprocated.
-then, at our wedding she sobbed that she felt she was loosing him to my family and, a few hours later accused my mum of fat shaming her because she said "wow, isn't there a lot of food".

This, coupled with all the horrible things she has said and done to me - and she expects it to be totally cool that she just poos round to interrupt our family gatherings. I don't know, am I being unreasonable here? I think it's up to her to make an effort if she wants to be included and, I think this expectation that we'll include her in everything is rude. I think she could invite my parents over - or arrange to meet at an in-between bar even - perhaps say that she wants a relationship with them, wants to be invited to our family gatherings. I think with all that's been said and done - it's up to her to rekindle a relationship - if she wants to start afresh and move on from all the horrible stuff (sorry I haven't detailed the things between the two of us so this maybe seems harsh) that's happened between us all. Am I being oversensitive and unfair here?

OP posts:
MrsWhirly · 17/11/2017 20:46

Strangely the tables have turned over the years with DH. It was me upset and him saying "that's what she's like" etc. Now I find myself saying the same thing to him!

There's no tension. I'm not rude about her, or banned her from the house - she hardly comes anyway - but I don't defend or try and excuse her behaviour to save my embarrassment or deal with other people's shock at what she may have just said or done. I leave that to DH now...

timeisnotaline · 17/11/2017 20:47

Have you straight out said to your dh that: Its not complicated- they can't all get along because your mum is rude and difficult. It isn't our house to invite her there, and I am not going to inflict rude uninvited people on my parents.

ItsNachoCheese · 17/11/2017 20:47

She needs to learn some manners! What a horrible person

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MrsWhirly · 17/11/2017 20:48

Oh I forgot to say about Christmas... I put my foot down and refused to go to her house for Christmas every year. She insisted we go there but refused to invite my parents when I asked. So Christmas is at mine with my parents and she can come if she wants... or not.

LoniceraJaponica · 17/11/2017 20:53

"She insisted we go there but refused to invite my parents when I asked."

Why should she invite your parents though?

Christinayangstwistedsista · 17/11/2017 20:56

Does she have anyone else?

7856 · 17/11/2017 21:34

Christinayangstwistedsista - no she doesn't. It does make it harder to say no.

OP posts:
Skittlesandbeer · 17/11/2017 21:44

I think it strange that you and dh talk organise and argue about invitations to another persons event?

If it came up at my my house, the way you say it does in yours, I’d go with ‘actually Mum & dad have had a quiet word that they’ve decided not to invite mil to these. She doesn’t seem to enjoy it, and often prevents them from enjoying it too. Seems like mil comes only because she feels some sort of obligation too, but then is resentful. Mum & dad want to let her off the hook, so everyone including her can have a happy night.’

If dh persists you do with the broken record approach ‘have you actually talked to her about why she has such a bad time when she comes? Everybody notices it and are concerned. Don’t see how she’ll get another invitation until you talk it through with her. It’s only kind.’

I bet he won’t. He knows better than anyone what a rude killjoy she is.

Iloveacurry · 17/11/2017 21:48

She sounds awful. She shouldn’t expect an invite every time you go to your parents anyway! She doesn’t need to know when you go there does she?

Christinayangstwistedsista · 17/11/2017 21:48

I understand that she is a horror but it must be awful for DH. I would feel terrible if my mother was on her own whilst I was having g a lovely family!t time

Sorry, I know that doesn't really help

diddl · 17/11/2017 21:58

" I would feel terrible if my mother was on her own whilst I was having g a lovely family!t time"

That doesn't really make a lot of sense imo.

Op's husband is not resposible for his mum's social life.

It's doubful that he was seeing her everyday until the day he married Op & she's suddenly alone.

All he has to do is visit when they are in Yorkshire!

rainbowduck · 17/11/2017 22:04

My DH once invited his parents on my family holiday with my parents. My dad was so upset, I just had to fix it. I was happy to play the bad guy, I prefer my husband to be mad at me than hold a grudge against me (which I can easily fix) than my family (which I would struggle to manage).

It wasn't too much of a lie though, a holiday with PIL is my idea of hell...

Nothing like that has been mentioned since! Whoop!

7856 · 17/11/2017 22:23

It starts out being a "can we invite her to this or that" - but then turns to a, "can we leave early to meet her somewhere for coffee" - can we skip this one dinner to go see her. It's complicated - she's done a lot of things to our son that make me feel uncomfortable having him around her - he's 18months now but as a baby she'd do things like feed solids to him when I went to the loo when he was 4 months old and, I'd ask her to stop when I got back - she'd say "oh it's fine" and would only stop when I took her off him, shaking from the shock of it all. I just struggle seeing her full stop. I wish I could cut her out but, it would hurt my husband too much. Thank you for everyone's comments - you've all been so helpful and reassuring. Feel a lot more grounded about it.

OP posts:
MrsWhirly · 18/11/2017 18:29

LoniceraJaponica Because I asked her to. She refused to come to ours where we could all be together, my DH said we had to go there so she wouldn't be alone, but I didn't wasn't my parents alone. So that's why I asked.

MrsWhirly · 18/11/2017 18:30

Hence why I stay home now at Xmas and she is very welcome.

MrsAJ27 · 19/11/2017 10:31

Surely your DH can see how rude his mother is?

You need to have an honest conversation with your DH and let him know how you feel and the impact it is having.

It is not fair on you and your family to have to be around this woman.

If your DH wants to see his mother he should go alone

Bunchofdahlias · 20/11/2017 08:57

I'm going to deviate from the script here and say that from what you've written, I don't agree with your approach.

The key issue here imo is that DH does want to see his mother - his only family member. It doesn't matter whether you think she is objectively a delightful person or not. She is his mother. You seem to be saying that you don't think it's right for DH to want you both to so much as meet her for coffee on the visits to Yorkshire, let alone invite her to your parents' house (the latter being really a question for your parents). You seem to think that your family should have absolute primacy.

If DH and I were in your situation (visiting somewhere as far away as Yorkshire where both families lived, from London), both families would definitely expect a visit when we were there. His mother's wish to see her only family is not less reasonable because you don't warm to her. Ditto your DH's wish to see his mother.

I love my DMIL dearly but could easily put together an OP full of criticisms/inappropriate behaviour if I tried. Your criticisms are not exactly NC territory, ime most MILs do not always behave impeccably.

But I respect the fact that MIL is my DH's mother and I will always support him in maintaining a relationship with her. Frankly, our respective houses would likely be open to the other's parents if we were in your situation, but even if this were not the case it would certainly be necessary to spend some time with both sides when we were in Yorkshire. I would never say, "Well my family is nicer and better-mannered so let's just see them".

It stood out to me that you criticise your MIL for being upset at the prospect of losing her son to your family, yet that seems to be exactly what you are encouraging.

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