to not try to match mil's housewifey skills?

[froken]

Mil and fil are coming over tomorrow. Mil is very very house proud, she irons pillow cases socks and her house is immaculate. I on the otger hand am not a natural house wife, a kid person would say my house feels "lived in" an honest person would say it is scruffy/homely.

I was talking to dp and asked him if their home was ever messy when mil/fil had 4 small children? He answered "no. Never." very solemnly.

Mil asked me when ds was a newborn how I expected to have enough time to breastfeed him with all the extra washing? I told he I just had a policy of not buying things that were hard to washor needed ironing so the washing wasn't a big chore.

Should I dash round cleaning Windows and ironing sofa cushions tonight or just let her be shocked at my baby safe but no where near show home apartment?

I hate this idea that gets peddled about that you can't have a tidy house and babies/toddlers, that of you iron you aren't snuggling your babies or reading to them or letting them cook, or make mess, or going on trips.

Your MIL shouldn't compare your house to yours because it is yours and hers is hers, but it is possible to be tidy with children and have time to do other things. We had a tidy house before the children came along, everything had a place, that didn't change just because we had a child.

I iron bedding! My house is OK and relativly tidy, I think most people are like you Littlemisswise, I think the difference is, like with ops MIL and my MIL and some other MILS, they go on about it, talk about it.

My MIl definalty sees herself as superior to people who don't clean all the time.

BIG I think your right about cleaning when depressed.

I really love that poem, I read it at ds's naming ceremony, mil did a cat's bum face.

I think that mil also had a different parenting style, she told me she trained he babies to lie quietly alone and she didn't pick them up if they cried.

YANBU. Thing is, your house is probably clean anyway-she's just hardcore. I empathize/sympathize-my mum is the same!

I always say, you can't take it with you.

how can you breastfeed with all the extra washing. ..priceless!

Why is my MIL coming round to yours?
I never tidy up for anyone, it's a bit too Hyacinth for me.