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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To advise you all to NEVER get tied into going somewhere every week. Forever.

340 replies

Compromisingannie · 10/08/2013 09:04

Nc for this.

Since my ds was born, nearly 4 years ago, he has gone to my PIL every single Sunday. Even when he was tiny and I was feeding I used to express for him and off dh would go for his allotted five hours.
There is no flexibility in this arrangement, the only Sundays missed have been if we are away. My family has to arrange any special meals ( for example my gran's 95th birthday) for a Saturday. It drives me MAD and many times I have asked dh to man up and speak to them about it. And to be honest he never has so it's as much his fault as theirs. But even he is getting a bit fed up of it now.

Next Sunday there is a special event on at our museum, with a battle reenactment and knights and jousting. Ds would love it. I told dh I was taking him to which he said "that won't go down well with PIL". I offered the following options

  1. I will take ds to knight thing early and dh can take him to PIL a little later than usual. Apparently not acceptable as they will miss out on allotted time.
  2. he takes ds before we go and comes back early and we will go to knight thing in afternoon. Not acceptable,see above.
  3. PIL can come with us to knight thing. Not acceptable as FIL likes to have home cooked Sunday lunch.
  4. I will take ds over sometime in the week. Not acceptable as the days I can do (three out of five) they can't.

The upshot is I am taking ds to the museum and they are cross.
I have told dh they'd better get used to it because when ds starts school there will be parties and play dates and he's not going every single Sunday for ever and ever.

I've put up with it until now but I think it's time to put my foot down. I completely understand they love ds and want to see him but they only live ten miles away and yet they never come here. We always have to go there. Usually I don't go actually, just dh and ds. I think once a fortnight is better once ds is at school. They could maybe pop over one evening in between if they want to see him. Aibu? I'm fed up with never being able to plan anything on a Sunday!

OP posts:
Compromisingannie · 10/08/2013 17:43

LaVolcan you are right.
I'm not good at standing up for myself, I tend to back down when pushed. But I have had enough. And really they are silly because if they'd been nicer and more flexible they'd have seen more of ds. As it is they will end up seeing less.

OP posts:
LaVolcan · 10/08/2013 17:45

My only other advice is dig yourself in for the long haul. It gets better after 20 years or so.

FrussoHathorAKADaisythecow · 10/08/2013 17:45

OP if they are the type of pils to blame you, they will do that whether it comes from you or DH.
But as you don't ever go on these Sunday visits, you have nothing to fear.

Compromisingannie · 10/08/2013 17:46

Argh. 20 years!

OP posts:
Treaguez · 10/08/2013 17:46

They will blame you. No matter what. Why have you written your dh off? Is he that passive?

Compromisingannie · 10/08/2013 17:48

I just don't think he will stand up to them.
He hasn't so far so I think I have to be prepared that that may not change.

OP posts:
Emilythornesbff · 10/08/2013 17:50

Yay. Well done.

expatinscotland · 10/08/2013 17:52

It's never too late to stop being a mug.

thebody · 10/08/2013 18:01

op what do your family think of your dh and in laws bullying you like this?? if you were my dd I would be involved I am afraid chik.

do you have sisters? brothers ? friends who can speak candidly to your dh and tell him he's a pathetic excuse for a husband and father?

ENormaSnob · 10/08/2013 18:28

Fgs, how can you even look at your pathetic dh? Let alone shag him.

MariaLuna · 10/08/2013 18:47

Good for you on the "small" victory about tomorrow.
Now let that be the way things are going to be in future.

Don't care about what your MIL will say. Has she ever had respect for what you think anyway? The not offering lunch and expecting you to organise a C-section to suit her is just awful.

You know, you really need to take this in hand now or your DS will end up the same kind of wuss as your DH. He is already being taught that other people's control freakery takes precedence over his own wishes (even if he can't verbalise it).

Inertia · 10/08/2013 18:56

Hell's bells, this is crazy.

The first time she told me i couldn't have any lunch i'd have taken my child and gone home for lunch.

YouStayClassySanDiego · 10/08/2013 19:05

I too was wondering what your parents view was about this dreadful set- up.

Stay determined and don't be intimidated by those arses!

YouStayClassySanDiego · 10/08/2013 19:12

I too was wondering what your parents view was about this dreadful set- up.

Stay determined and don't be intimidated by those arses!

pianodoodle · 10/08/2013 19:15

op what do your family think of your dh and in laws bullying you like this?? if you were my dd I would be involved I am afraid chik.

Yeah my mum would be on the phone too Angry

pommedechocolat · 10/08/2013 19:21

My dh is a wimp around his MIL too (although she's not as openly bonkers as this). BUT 3.5 years down the line he has started to stand up to her a bit. There's always hope!

ComtesseDeFrouFrou · 10/08/2013 19:27

OP I hadn't really twigged that MIL knew you were coming and still didn't make you any lunch, have I got that right Shock

I will watch this thread with interest. It speaks to all of my fears about my own MIL and the impending arrival of DC1. But my DH is an only.

Have a great day with your DS tomorrow.

HepsibarCrinkletoes · 10/08/2013 19:38

Jesus. Your PILs sound absolutely fucking dreadful people OP. bordering on evil frankly. I hope you have the most wonderful day next Sunday and please, please put your foot down.

Emilythornesbff · 10/08/2013 19:45

Where is this jousting fest? Shall we all go?
I quite like he sound of that.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/08/2013 19:58

Dear Compromisingannie's Husband,

You need to decide where your loyalties lie - your wife and son, or your parents. Actually it is pretty clear that you have absolutely no respect for your wife, or loyalty towards her. When your mother DELIBERATELY failed to give your wife a meal, you should have stood up for your wife, and told your mother that this was beyond rude, and you will not allow her to treat your wife and the mother of your child with such disrespect!

You should not be allowing everyone else to be held to ransom by your parents' unreasonable and inflexible demands to see your child without his mother even when he was a premature newborn (did you have NO care for your child's welfare?) - an elderly lady should not have to reschedule her 95th birthday party to fit in with your parents' inflexibility - and your wife SHOULD have had FOUR Mothers' Days where she has been the centre of attention - instead of which she has been sidelined and excluded on what should have been a special day for her because you put your parents and their demands first, second, third, and your wife's needs NOWHERE!

Do you want to be a grown up, with a family of your own, or do,you want to be a pampered princeling in your parents' home? I would like to think that you would want the first option, though history is not on the side of that assumption. Be that as it may, IF you want to be a man with a family of his own, you need to man up, grow a pair and start putting your family first. You are doing your son no favours, and you are risking your whole marriage if you carry on like this.

Stand up for your wife. Demand that your parents, and particularly your mother, treat her with respect - and if they don't, then you need to withdraw all but the most minimal of contact until they decide to behave decently.

Show your wife you love her, and are willing to put her and your son first.

Do it now, before it is too late.

Yours,
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

Crumbledwalnuts · 10/08/2013 20:18

I'm with enormasnob - wouldn't feel like it, couldn't indulge him.

thebody · 10/08/2013 20:19

fantastic as ever SDTG. so agree.

Darnley · 10/08/2013 20:19

As above...with knobs on.

LemonBreeland · 10/08/2013 20:20

I hope the knights day sets a precedent for the futre OP. I can't believe you have put up with it for this long tbh.

Mondayschild78 · 10/08/2013 20:38

Been following the thread with interest and agree whole heartedly with what everyone else says. I hope it has given you the motivation needed to really make a change and stand by it.

So has your DH told PIL that you are going to the Knight thing? What was their response?

Love the letter from SDTG too. Brilliant.