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Wwyd? I feel so conflicted!

41 replies

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 14/06/2021 14:30

DH is taking me away for my birthday at the end of the month and his mum said she would have the kids. Great! All sorted. I mentioned to DH that we could get DS a toddler airbed for when he stays at grandmas and he'd be so excited. And DH was like " Confused But they'll be here?!" It turns out that it's been arranged that MIL will be staying here in our house while we are away. I told DH hell would freeze over before I ever allow that woman to stay in my house unsupervised.

Now, there is a huuuuuge backstory. MIL is overbearing, interfering, controlling and I see her as little as possible. She kicked off when we booked our wedding (told us we were stupid and it would ruin our relationship), after our DD was born she told us we couldn't have any more kids, so naturally she kicked off when we announced DC2. She went mad when we put in an offer on our house because she hadn't viewed it yet (DH had to book another viewing just for her Hmm ) When I was heavily pregnant with DD she offered to do a big clean of our house because I was really struggling. She told me to go out so I wouldn't be in her way so I obliged, came home and she'd rearranged the kitchen. I'm 99.9% certain she rummaged around in the drawers in our bedroom under the guise of putting laundry away as things were disturbed in bedside table drawers. On our wedding day she gave DH a card, told him not to show me and to open it the next day. It said how proud of him she was and how thankful she was to him for giving her a granddaughter. And that she wished he would get me to do more housework because he works hard and deserves a nice house.

When we moved into this house, we ended up having DHs brother living with us for 3 and a half YEARS (still kicking myself now for putting up with it for so long). He finally moved out a month before lockdown happened last year (thank god!!) he was living with us all through my second pregnancy and when I was 5-6 months, I had a go at BIL for leaving a mess on my freshly scrubbed hob. Next day MIL calls me for 'a little chat' and in a nutshell, paraphrasing slightly here- she told me I had to be BILs skivvy, I'm lazy and disgusting for not ironing and I have to lose weight. Same pregnancy, around 30 weeks-ish, she told us she had bought DS a toddler bed Confused bearing in mind he was still in my uterus at this point. The bed never actually materialised so we're not sure what happened there.

Anyway, I don't want her to stay here. We DON'T have a guest room so the only place for her to sleep would be in our bed. Honestly the thought of this makes me feel sick. It's my home, my bedroom is my safe space. I don't want her tainting it. DH says it would be easier for the kids as all their stuff is here which is true tbf. But it's not like her house isn't child friendly and it's plenty big enough, DD has her own bedroom there!

WWYD?? I'm conflicted because I know it would be easier for the kids. But the thought of that woman invading my happy place is really upsetting me Sad

TL:DR AIBU to put my foot down and not allow a woman I can't stand to stay in my house and bed?

OP posts:
Howshouldibehave · 14/06/2021 15:32

@Hsurbbrb

I can see why you don’t want her in your house. But you can’t really expect her to do you a favour of this extent and then complain you don’t want her in your house
This.

If you don’t want her in your house, fine-then cancel and take the financial hit.

If she’s good enough for childcare but only if it’s not in your house, then that’s not fair.

Sausagis · 14/06/2021 15:34

If worst comes to worst ... don't forget Australian emigration forms in the bedside drawer.

(I would hate this, having had MIL "help" by rummaging in my bedroom drawers before when I'm not there...)

WeeMadArthur · 14/06/2021 15:39

Take any paperwork with you, or buy a lockable file box, buy a massive strap-on and leave it in the bedside drawer, and ( what a previous poster did a long time ago) get paperwork for emigrating to Australia or New Zealand and leave it in a drawer.

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AntiStars · 14/06/2021 15:45

Love the Australian emigration paperwork idea! But can totally see it from your side and not wanting her sleeping in your bed. As other posters have said, I would explain everything you have said in your first post to husband and then give him the choice, either he diplomatically changes the plan to the kids staying at hers without dumping you in it or he cancels.

LookItsMeAgain · 14/06/2021 15:58

It's the OP's DH that organised the childcare, without a thought to how the OP would feel once she found out.
You have a DH problem @AintNobodyHereButUsChickens. As long as he doesn't see anything wrong with how his mother and siblings treat you, he is just not going to change.
This was a holiday with strings apron strings attached! I wouldn't go on the holiday as I'd be thinking of what she might be finding as she rummaged through my drawers.
Perhaps have a conversation and phrase it in such a way as you would wonder how he would feel if your daughter was treated the same way as she is treating you and would he be happy to let it slide or would he expect her to stand up for herself, that kind of thing.

ShinyGreenElephant · 14/06/2021 16:50

I wouldnt under any circumstances leave my kids with her and she wouldn't step foot in my house let alone sleep in my bed!!

TillyTopper · 14/06/2021 17:13

WWYD you say: either I'd say no way would she stay in my house by herself, or if this would cause a massive ruck with DH then I'd buy a ton of sex toys, and "hide" them round the house. Think dildo in the kitchen utensil drawer, anal plug in the bathroom cabinet, crotchless all in one in the wardrobe... My MIL never snooped in our bedroom cupboard after I did that - I could tell by her face what she'd seen when she came downstairs.

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 14/06/2021 17:18

I mean, I don't really need to buy a load of sex toys to do that sort of thing. I could just open the chest of drawers in our bedroom, and the bedside tables...

OP posts:
RunningFromInsanity · 14/06/2021 17:21

Change the sheets, flip the mattress, put anything you don’t want her to see in a box in the attic.

Whats the worst that can happen? She’s not going to shit on your sofa is she.
Be grateful for the free childcare ffs

sunshineandshowers21 · 14/06/2021 17:34

it’s a bit odd that she apparently hate her but are willing to pack your kid off to her for the weekend on multiple occasions. it’s a bit biting the hand that feeds you.

Thefaceofboe · 14/06/2021 17:55

Personally if you don’t want her in your house unsupervised, you shouldn’t be asking for to have the kids. She sound a nasty piece of work and I wouldn’t trust her

30degreesandmeltinghere · 14/06/2021 17:58

Just tell dh your legs will be clamped shut all week end at the thought of mil in your bed.
And you doubt they will change anytime soon on return as you will know she slept there.

Worriesome · 14/06/2021 17:58

@AintNobodyHereButUsChickens how long is the trip for? Sorry I haven’t read through all the replies so not sure if you’ve mentioned it x

HerMammy · 14/06/2021 18:04

You said DD has a room at her house so I’ll assume has ‘stuff’ there, easy enough for them to take some bits to manage a few days at granny’s.

KelleyHIJkL · 14/06/2021 18:06

I really don’t understand how you can happily leave your precious children with someone that you clearly despise, regardless of where they will be.

ScrumptiousBears · 14/06/2021 18:14

I rather not go away than have her in my house like that. She needs to be told her behaviour is unacceptable.

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