My MIL has folded all my thongs into a pile of teeny tiny triangles and I think it may be the straw that makes me lose my shit...

[Loveatthe5anddime]

Light hearted, kind off...

In-laws arrived on the 26th, they hired a cottage near by (their choice) but have so far spent all day every day with us...

MIL doesn’t really get the art of discussion and likes to speak about her childhood in monologue a LOT, quite often we can have good 20 minute stories where no one else is able to speak and with 3 DD’s it makes it tricky.

She also likes to re tell stories...

Mil “did I tell you about the time”

Every else “yes you told us about that”

Mil “retells the story which last 25 minutes”

Every story begins a very small throat clear and then a pursed lip pause for dramatic effect which makes me want to stick a knife in my eyeball!!

She is only late 50’s so can’t even blame it on being old and dithery...

Today she has take it upon herself to go into our washing basket in our bedroom,while we had nipped out, has washed all my delicates and I’ve came back to a thong tower, all folded into identical triangles...

Please tell me I’m not the only one on the edge with having relatives staying?!

The repetitive stories thing - it does really help (well, helps me) to think of them as memories being laid down to take forward for the next generations. And there’s a comfort in retelling tales of parents and grandparents who are sadly long gone. When literally everyone round the table knows about the time Granny had one too many port and lemons at Christmas and slid off the leather sofa, but the retelling is done with love and laughter. (That’s a made up example, but you get the gist).
So whenever older relatives start on with tales I’ve heard a hundred times before, I force myself to be patient and see it as a good thing. Which works most of the time - sometimes I’m sitting on my hands wishing they’d shut up 😂

This is the time when I'd be bringing out the sex toys!!
My inlaws use to call and take themselves round our house, even going into our room and "just looking out the wind" because it has a lovely view! Husband spoke with them because the fun box was coming out for them to see. I don't get embarrassed by stuff like that but they would!!

One day... We will all be the parents and mils that are being complained about.. When we are on grans net

@Lincolnlass

Yes you are being unreasonable. I would be grateful to anyone who was kind enough to wash and fold my laundry, even if they didn’t fold it my particular way. My DIL talks about nothing. In family groups every conversational starter from anyone is answered by “yes”, “no” or picking up her smart phone. Eventually we sit in silence having given up trying to talk to her. Then we go to another room to gossip and reminisce to our hearts content. As for homework - i would clean my daughters kitchen, or do my sisters washing. My DILs stuff I would not touch. Your MIL must like you. Pity it’s not reciprocated.

You may not realise this but going into someone's house and emptying the laundry basket/putting the washing without asking if that's okay is a massive invasion of privacy and massively overstepping the mark. Depending on the relationship, it is not necessarily viewed as helpful but being an interfering old bat.

There is no way in a million years I would do this to anyone let alone a DIL. You're very strange if you think this is acceptable behaviour.

Yes i am really 87 and i work hard at keeping my mind clear and currently i use an iPhone 3 iPads and a Toshiba notebook. I know more techie stuff that my younger son and i have installed Firesticks and Alexas in three rooms in this house and keep our network going. I read the Times, Telegraph and Spectator. I am dog mad and have 2 senior dogs to look after and i network dogs in need in Ohio ( we live in the Caribbean islands) so they are nearer than UK. You should try to keep your parents interested in the modern world. I may have some heart problems and live with one kifney but as long as my mind is clear and i can still lesrn i am content.

Mine would give everyone the impression of being helpful. Like spending ages ironing the few things thst had accumulated in the 24 hours after I had done a big pile. Or turning up when ds was a baby and deciding to take down and wash curtains ignoring the fact that I had a huge pile of baby clothes and bedding that I was trying to wash (ds was a puker).

Funniest feed EVER! 😂😂

I will not allow DH to give spare keys to MIL as the 3 times she insisted on having his keys while we were away she went through my washing, rearranged everything in my wardrobe, and hid my purse in the pan drawer 😬

Omg with the repetitive stories.

My MIL lives over the road so our lives are enmeshed. And tbf, she helps a lot with the kids. But christ the repetition.

Also - the stories don't balance. She says how she had 3 in nappies and it was hard etc. So when I did the sums I queried was eldest really in nappies age 4? No. Course not.

Or ages they went to school at, or any number of inane things. Why lie? 3 kids under 5 would be hard. Don't fake it. But every tale is tinged with such nonsense it's hard to take seriously. And if you call her out she just rambles on again. Monologue

She also loves a chance to 'give the place a clean' when she can. Despite her hygiene standards being awful 😖

But she does help with the kids

Can I just say you are my new favorite person?

I wish I had a mil to fold my knickers! My mother likes to spin a yarn which usually end in death or serious illness.

This thread is epic! Hilarious and heartwarming 🥰 my MIL doesn’t lift a finger in our house, but when we visit them at their villa abroad, I have to GUARD my dirty undies like a knicker ninja. First - and last - time she lay her hands on them was 2008, when I’d been dating her son for all of six months and came back from a day out to see all my tiny thongs flapping furiously in the wind.

My own mum still refers me to ‘those silly little things you call knickers’, even though I have worn mostly parachute pants since first child was born 4 years ago. She seemed genuinely concerned when I went to uni ‘up North’ that I’d catch a cold - or worse! - from not wearing ‘proper knickers’. She’ll talk the proverbial legs off a donkey regardless of who (if anyone/everyone) is there to listen!

I wish I had a mil to fold my knickers! My mother likes to spin a yarn which usually end in death or serious illness.

This is FIL's wife. We joke we've escaped if she doesn't mention who's died or been in hospital. She told us DH's aunt's cat had died complete with sound effects of a cat in pain. That was fun over tea and a Hobnob.

Why do people sit and listen for ages to people who monologue and talk 'at' them with repetitive stories? My FIL has a tendency to drone on but there's no way I'd sit there for 20-30 minutes at a time listening to him. I walk off and do something, or start a sub conversation with someone else in the room

All of you saying you would leave your sex toys out for MiL to find- what makes you think your Mil would either be shocked, or not know what they were?

My mother is that storyteller! It's mind numbing, she just cannot read the room. But we listen anyway as we don't live near her or my dad so it's not a regular occurrence. Myself and my dad escaped to the kitchen over Christmas the minute she started and left poor DH with her, he was not impressed and was exhausted after a couple of hours listening to her!! He says he will be wiser to my and my dad's antics next time.

My SIL minds our dog in days that we away from the house for more than a couple of hours. She does underwear and all. I'm just delighted she does it cos I've never asked her to. She has a unique way of folding the laundry in a manner that it does not need to be ironed. I can't replicate it, no matter how hard I try, I still have to iron

I haven't been able to wear a thong in 45 years, and would have been happy to have someone else wash, dry and fold them. Been doing my own laundry since age nine, and doing a motel's linens laundry since age 14. SOMEONE FOLD MY UNDIES, PLEASE! And my f'ing fitted damned sheets.

@MakingTheBestOfIt

The 25 minute retelling of old stories would drive me to the edge of reason, but… shortly after our first DC was born my MIL came to stay for a few nights, found our washing basket and washed, dried, folded and put away all our clothes. Knickers, pants, thongs and socks all folded and arranged in neat lines in the drawers like a Sock Shop display.

I liked it so much, I’m still folding them that way 15 years later.

Admit it. You like the triangular thong tower really

😭

@limitedperiodonly

Maybe she can't stand you but is too polite to say so does these dreadful things in the hope that you will stop inviting her round.

Thats very mean to say and has no facts as a basis for a massive assumption! :(

@WhoWasDat

When we moved back to UK, my MIL was a great help in setting up in new home. Her own home was always totally organised, clean, etc. It was like a permanent show house! So it was great to have her help :) On the negative side I always felt under pressure to do a tidy up before she'd arrive.

Once DH was away on business trip, and I had a sports accident that resulted in 3 day hospital stay. MIL came to rescue and helped out a lot. When I got home I found the fridge well stocked, new bed clothes, all the washing done, and my rechargeable vibrator plugged in and 100% charged ready to go. It's not phallic shape, so no idea if she knew what it was

She's definitely got pros and cons!! ;)

@ZeroFuchsGiven

Maybe wash your smalls a bit more often and not leave them long enough to make a tower. Sounds like she done you a favour tbh.

Oh give over 😂

Thong Tower 🤣. How do you even fold a thong!! It would easier folding an elastic band!!

My own mother does the story monologue thing, it’s just horrendous. It’s so bad that I just avoid spending too much time in her company. My step dad just eye rolls when she starts, and if you try and deal with it, she takes a huff and gets upset. My DH says her behaviour is called being a bore, he hates it too, he says it’s attention seeking and certainly it can cut across others conversation where her social skills are sadly lacking.

The thong tower made me smile, feels the lesser of the evils on the terrible monologues.

I can’t believe that Mail’s and Sil’d would enter your bedroom, let alone wash your sheets and smalls!!!
Mine would have got a bollocking from me if she tried that. She wouldn’t anyway as she’s a lazy selfish cow.😆