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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be upset with MIL advice needed

28 replies

MSDP · 09/10/2011 22:23

So this is my first time posting and am very unsure if I am overrecting or not.

Bit of background, my DP and I had a baby boy 5 months ago, my son is his second child. My DP's daughter is 5 years old and he has not been with her mother for the past 4 years, they have a relatively amicable relationship and the whole blended family thing seems to be working for us.

So, my MIL constantly calls me by my DP's first child's mothers name and I absolutely hate it. I understand that she is terrible with names and often calls people the wrong name but I hate being called the other woman's name. I don't want to make my MIL feel bad by having a go as she is a genuinely nice person and she feels embarrassed every time she does this but it is really starting to get to me. I'm not my DPs exes biggest fan and I think that is why it irritates me all the more but would I be unreasonable to tell my MIL how much I hate this one thing, especially when she is not being malicious just a bit... I don't know the word but definitely not trying to make me feel bad.

I guess I just hate the idea that I am interchangeable with his ex just because we are both the mothers of his children, I mean she never calls me my BILs girlfriends name.

Please don't flame me if I am being unreasonable I perfectly willing to accept that.

Oh and my DP has mentioned to his Mum how much he dislikes it as well but she just seems unable to break the habit.

OP posts:
FetchezLaVache · 09/10/2011 23:10

"if only I could pluck up the courage to call her by her ex husbands firsts wife's name...."

Do it!! That might help her understand how bloody annoying it is.

MSDP · 09/10/2011 23:37

Can you imagine, I would probably find a thread on here stating what spiteful DIL she has. And I have already committed the cardinal sin of not allowing her to make my baby's bottle with apple juice to make him sleep through the night Hmm

OP posts:
storytopper · 09/10/2011 23:43

When my DH was my BF, his mother called me by his ex-GF's name for months. The names weren't similar at all. It annoyed me and embarrassed him. I think it was partly a memory thing but I think she also quite enjoyed the upset it caused - a little "power trip" for her. We managed to cure her of that, but then she started calling me by a work colleague's name - I obviously wasn't significant enough to deserve a name of my own. I tried various strategies - calling her assorted made-up names and eventually I just ignored it.

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