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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not tell the in laws we are having a baby?!

29 replies

glossyflower · 28/08/2012 13:32

Ok, very very long story - my fiance has fallen out big time with his parents for something that sounds quite silly but has seriously affected us emotionally.

When we announced we were getting married, the mother in law told me we were not to invite a certain aunt. I just ignored it, and my fiance and I decided we were inviting whoever we wanted, no one can put demands on our wedding day.
The in laws and the aunt apparently fell out because the aunt organised a party the in laws could not attend and did not rearrange it. Well I say fell out, rather the in laws complained to everyone else but the aunt, so the aunt knew nothing of what she had done wrong.

A few months ago my fiance visited his parents, and they asked if this aunt was invited, he said she was. They said if the aunt was invited they, the in laws would not attend our wedding! His mother screamed and shouted at him, told hurtful things like I had been saying nasty things behind my fiances back and his father kicked him out the house.
What my fiance rightly pointed out that his father runs a family owned business alongside this aunt, and he is willing to do that in a professional manner, yet won't attend our wedding if the aunt is there.

Since then we have not been round to the house but his father has come round once and it seems they now want to come to the wedding but we have not sent them an invite...his father did not apologise but said if they are not invited, then my fiances grandparents would not come either..which sounded like he was trying to put a terrible guilt trip on us.
Despite this the grandparents who live abroad are very elderly and we knew could not make the trip anyway due to bad health.
The day after this visit, his father sent us a text to say he wanted clarification that I had asked would they attend if they were invited, however my fiance said they were not invited...I was exasperated as I had NOT said this at all!
His father actually said to me they didn't want to come to our wedding anyway!

Occasionally we'd received texts about some post being at their house, or to return some books, or did we want something they'd found in their house back, we just ignored these.

On my fiances birthday, they did not even send a happy birthday message to their own son! And they have had family celebrations that we have not been invited to.

Recently I had sent a letter to my grandparents in law who live abroad, I had written a letter that I understand they couldn't make the wedding but at some point afterwards, we would like to visit them.

The grandmother had been asking my fiance why the in laws were not invited to the wedding, and whatever it was we should forgive them. She did not know the reason why, and my fiance did not want to tell her because she would get upset and its been caused by her two children falling out.
Eventually my fiance told her by telephone what the falling out was about and she was very upset.

A few days later father in law telephoned me from a blocked number (which had never done before) and was rather short, asking me if my fiance knew I had written this letter, I was stunned, and felt his phone call was a little bit sneaky and the fact I had written a nice letter to his mother was none of his concern..I was confused as to what he actually wanted. I could hear my mother in law in the background too.
He said my fiance was refusing to talk to her, I said no, he had spoken to her on the telephone the other day, but for obvious reasons did not want to tell her and have her upset. Father in law didn't know that my fiance had spoken to her, and he was surprised to hear that from me, and he ended the conversation.
I was confused that if he wanted to know if my fiance knew I had sent a letter, why didn't they ask him directly...it seemed very contrived.

Later I then sent him a message to not contact me again, as it was very upsetting to have to explain myself to him, and his telephone call was unnecessary. I only want people in my life that love and care about us. In fact I felt like it was harassment especially since the number was blocked.
That was the last we heard from him.

There are other issues that we have had with the in laws which have upset us, but we have let go, but the ultimatums we had regarding our wedding day was the last straw.
I feel they are toxic people and they are very negative to be around, they are always talking about other people behind their backs, and causing arguments between people saying so and so said this about you etc...it's very playschool.

We get married this saturday. I recently found out I am 7 weeks pregnant. My fiance has explicitly told me not to speak his in laws and he does not want to tell them we are having a baby.

My feelings are the same, but are we being too harsh?

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
elizaregina · 28/08/2012 15:36

"You say you have toxic inlaws - well you also have a fiance who is happy to stand up to them, which is invaluable. It is a massive decision to cut your parents out of your life, and if your fiance has reached that point I'm sure its after years of hurt. I think you should support him - as you said, you only need people in your life that love and support you."

Totally agree with this, its ultimalty your Dh to be parents. I made a huge mistake right at the begining with my DH when i first met him of thinking his DP's were ok and reasonable and some how I could mend the rift etc...he wanted me to keep my distance but I was high handed and thought I could be a postive influence. I really really wish I had listened to him in the begining!

It would have saved me years of banging my head agasint wall, being treated badly - every event - xmas, babys baptism, our wedding ALWAYS being marred by thier cloud, always....babys birth etc...

The imp thing is though once you have a descion made to stand by it - or at least for time being.

As said before -if in laws really want a relationship they will make that happen.

NarkedRaspberry · 28/08/2012 17:54

They sound like the kind of people who could turn an molehill into the Himalayas. I think stepping out of the line of fire is the best you can do.

NarkedRaspberry · 28/08/2012 17:54

a

aamia · 28/08/2012 19:37

YANBU - but my parents were once in a similar-ish situation. Perhaps if I tell you what happened there, it might help you?

Basically, my dad's parents thought he was too young to get married (at 24!), and decided they didn't like my mum. They weren't very nice about it, and the upshot of the whole thing was that they refused to come to the wedding (despite being invited), or to condone the marriage in any way. My dad's brother convinced their dad to at least turn up to the service and sit at the back, which he did - but then left without speaking to anyone. Due to the whole acrimonious situation, my parents left the country as soon as my dad could arrange a job abroad. In the years that followed, due to things that were said etc, my dad had hardly any contact with his siblings or his parents. They DID tell them when I was born, and let them come see me a couple of times when I was small, then my dad and I would go to see them for a few hours once a year once I was old enough to be travelling all that way.

I grew up not knowing my cousins, aunts, uncles, or the grandparents on that side at all really. Despite having other relatives on my mum's side of the family, I really missed not knowing the others. At sixteen, soon after my grandmother on dad's side died, I felt really upset that I'd never known her and it was now too late. I wrote to my grandfather and asked to come visit so I could get to know him. I'm so so glad I did. All had been long ago and hadn't involved me anyway! We shared interests and I understood a bit more of where I'd come from. As an adult now, expecting my own child, I know I'll do all I can to ensure he knows his cousins etc.

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