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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Re OH's attitude to MIL, I need some outside perspective (sorry it's v v long)

110 replies

Bearmonkeysmum · 04/02/2013 22:47

Apologies for another MIL related threat but I have no one rl to talk to about this. Bit of backstory first to hopefully shed a bit more light on the situation.

My MIL is generally ok and although we are very different people we have always gotten on reasonably well. My OH is a but of a mummy's boy & has always said MIL comes first in his life until we have DCs when it will be me & them. Oh & mil always spent a lot of time together before we got together (tea together at least once a week, shopping etc) & since moving in together I have encouraged oh to sometimes go without me as I know how much mil likes this (we do go as a family too).

In the last 18 months we have gotten engaged, found out I was pg a few days after engagement & had our lovely ds. MIL is very funny about people finding out things before her, people being more involved in stuff than she is & not behaving in a way she sees as appropriate (although this wasn't apparent before all this). Oh supports this & is very funny about mil being equal in everything with my mum. Oh is very squeamish so I had said I wanted him in labour room & my mum on standby if he was struggling (not definitely in the room but just as backup for him). Initially he was fine but later said that my mum wasn't coming in if his couldn't. We had a massive row about it but eventually he saw my pov & was ok with it (mil not, overheard her moaning to him about it when she thought I wasn't in).

In the first 4mths of ds life it was like oh was logging every minute of time my mum spent with ds to make sure she wasn't getting more time than mil. Making lots of comments like your mums been 2x this week so mil will have to come 4x next week to make up (she was on holiday at the time & my mum had literally popped in with gifts from family abroad & a pint of milk). The keeping score thing has eased off a little since then but not much.

What has really brought it all to a head for me was christmas (I know it was a while back). I'm on smp& had saved money for Xmas gifts, so had a set budget for everyone. Oh then decides to spend more of his own money on mil (fair enough, his cash) & spent most of December going on about getting mil a special charm from the baby as he thinks as grandma she should get something nice. I said it was a lovely idea but that I couldn't afford to do anything similar for my mum although she would love something like that. Come Xmas day & after we've exchanged gifts, oh decides to make a big show oh giving mil her gift from ds (everyone else's gifts were labelled from us as a family) & really laying on thick how we thought she should get a special gift from the baby. My poor mum is sitting there smiling while mil & oh are in raptures. I could tell she was upset but she didn't say anything. I was very upset (still am tbh, hence posting here). Oh didn't get me anything from ds (I didn't expect anything) but when he saw that he realised he had stuff from ds, he quickly pointed to one of his presents to me (that I had already opened & he had said were from him) & said "oh btw, that was from ds".

Aibu to want to say actually your everything has to equal rule is bs & I'm really pissed off?

There are other things that have lead to me feeling like this but you would be losing days of your life reading them.

I love my oh, he is a great dad & fiancé but I can't shake the upset tat this causes me. I've got horrendous pmt at the moment & I don't think it's helping. I am probably overreacting here but because I'm so emotional about it all I don't feel like I can look at it objectively.

I would like your perspective please mners, I can't talk to oh as he always thinks I am attacking mil & won't listen.

Thanks & well done if you got this far.

X

OP posts:
manicbmc · 04/02/2013 22:52

Him doing that in front of your mother was incredibly brash and insensitive.

Tell him you'll be spending next Christmas with your ds and your mum (to make it equal)

What a load of old bollocks though. He needs a proper talk. He needs to back you up and show you some respect or you will come to resent him and his daft mother.

Katienana · 04/02/2013 22:53

Yanbu and I will be surprised if anyone says otherwise!

HollyBerryBush · 04/02/2013 22:55

Well, I'm in a somewhat daft mood this evening and I'm quite amazed you didn't bludgeon him with a turkey leg and possibly insert it where the sun won't shine.

Rules for the DH - YOU come first, then the children, then the mother. Simple enough to follow.

KeepingCalmAndPostingNicely · 04/02/2013 22:57

How old is DH? He sounds like he really needs to grow up. Maybe remind him that you and DS are, or should be, his primary concern now and that it's MIL's turn to take a back seat. If this was me and the behaviour went on like this it might be a dealbreaker for me.

Tortington · 04/02/2013 22:58

you need to grow a pair and tell him hes an utter twat.

if he wants your kid to see his mum becuase your saw your mum - tell him to fill his fucking boots and fuck off to his mums with the kid for a visit

you have a bath and leave them to it.

AKissIsNotAContract · 04/02/2013 22:59

You aren't over reacting. Aside from the weirdness with his mum, you are on mat leave after having his baby and he isn't sharing his money with you. He's a nob, send him back to his mums

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 04/02/2013 23:00

Oh Blimey. Inwould be aspissed off as you. Alarm bells would have been ringing for me at his statement about Mil coming first, before you had children. He is excessively focussed on himself and his family, with you sounding like the mother of his child, not an equal.

CaptainSweatPants · 04/02/2013 23:01

He needs to realise the three of you are a unit & mil needs to butt out!!

expatinscotland · 04/02/2013 23:01

Why are you living off your SMP?

What Custy said.

CloudsAndTrees · 04/02/2013 23:03

You are not over reacting.

I have sons and I'd be ashamed if they behaved like that, even as it would be me that's the object of their affection!

I actually couldn't find anything to be attracted to in a man like that. Are you sure you want to live your life with this man and be a mummy's boy's second best forever?

Andro · 04/02/2013 23:04

You need to talk to him, calmly and honestly. In fact, copy your opening post all the way to the end of the AIBU sentence and show it him - that ought to start the conversation...

Yellowtip · 04/02/2013 23:04

I feel very sorry for your poor mum.

forgetmenots · 04/02/2013 23:09

YANBU - MIL got special presents from your DS, and not only did he not think that was rude in front of your mum, he didn't think maybe you should be the one to get a special gift?

Twat.

Atavistic · 04/02/2013 23:10

Your OP makes for very depressing reading. I wonder how you can find a man with such mother issues, actually attractive. YANBU, but you are assisting the continuation of this craziness. You really need to tell these people how they can treat you. I have a feeling of impending doom. Sorry.

Nanny0gg · 04/02/2013 23:12

I love my oh, he is a great dad & fiancé

I'm sorry, but no, he's not.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 04/02/2013 23:12

Atavistic

I agree

hatgirl · 04/02/2013 23:12

I know you say you have no one in RL to talk to but I hope you let your mum know that what happened at Christmas was not your idea/ with your blessing.

I have a friend in a very similar situation but who recently got married - MIL was a complete nightmare trying to make the day about her and her son rather than the bride and got very precious about the fact she was equally important as the bride's mother. It was cringy to watch from an outside perspective. You need to nip this 'me me me' in the bud before any weddings/ future plans

Bearmonkeysmum · 04/02/2013 23:15

Thanks for the responses

Custardo - you are right, I absolutely do, he does go off with ds to mils (I encourage it) but less so lately as we are trying to get some semblance of a bed time routine going & mil is mostly only available in the evenings (she works ft & my mum is retired)

Keeping - he's 30, we both are.

AKiss - we do share money mostly but saved separately for Xmas as I have a really big family to buy for (my choice 10+ nieces & nephews) & he doesn't.

Expat - sorry I should have been clearer it's smp + savings, it's just that in order to stay off as long as poss with ds I have food/bill money etc plus a small slush available each month but not near enough to cover an extra (fairly expensive) gift to match mils outside my Xmas budget ( I hope that makes sense).

OP posts:
spiritedaway · 04/02/2013 23:16

Did you talk to your mum about it OP ?

whethergirl · 04/02/2013 23:16

Seriously, I could not put up with a minute of this kind of behavious, it would drive me insane. His perspective is so warped by his relationship with his mother that he actually thought it was unfair for your mum to come into the labour room, and not his mum?!!

If you don't set the boundaries now, it will just get more difficult to do so later on. Let him know you're not up for this kind of bullshit.

expatinscotland · 04/02/2013 23:17

Why are you using your savings and SMP to live when you live with him and just had a baby with him?

This guy's a twat.

Curtisbaby5wks4days · 04/02/2013 23:17

Yep, agree with all previous comments I'm afraid!! YANBU at all.

Big alarm bells ringing, speak up now before it gets any worse.

Bearmonkeysmum · 04/02/2013 23:22

Wow, I didn't expect so many responses.

Hatgirl - I did, she was ok about it but I feel terrible. Am currently hunting for a lovely birthday gift for her from ds.

In a way I understand why he is the way he is with mil a little. His dad was abusive to her & him when he was younger so he feels very protective towards her.

I am going to have a proper talk with him this week, you guys have given me the shove I needed.

OP posts:
KeepingCalmAndPostingNicely · 04/02/2013 23:22

I asked his age because I think that if you want to stick with this relationship you are now at the upper limit for changing his mindset. I agree with the poster who took issue with your statement that he's a good dad and a good fiancé. At the moment he is neither of those. Only you know if there is hope that he can/will change but start that process now. ASAP.
Good luck - I have an idea you're going to need it

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 04/02/2013 23:30

You should have equal spending money.

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