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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu or is mil?

174 replies

CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 13:09

I work Fridays and Saturdays. I used to work every Saturday and Sunday, and dh looked after dd but we had very little family time, so I swapped, and Mil offered to have dd on a Friday. All good, except mil is a very nervous driver and lives 30 miles away, so I have to leave by 6.30, then drive back to work, which is 10 mins from my house, then back to collect dd. We usually get home around 7, dd is starving, it's a nightmare.

Dd started playschool every morning this week, she is 3, and used to attend two mornings per week. Her best friends gran (her parents are deceased) has offered to collect dd from school every Friday and keep her til I finish. In return I will have her dd on a Monday so she can go to a club associated with her hobby.

She lives in the next road, I have known her since the girls were 6 months old and trust her completely.

Mil has gone mental. Sad

She feels used, thinks I am being selfish and putting pressure on her to drive on the motorway, and am exposing dd to unhealthy living arrangements. (Apparently being bought up by dgp's is unnatural, and the woman's husband could be a paedophile)

So frustrated. This new arrangement would be so much easier, and mil is forever complaining that she is spending her retirement babysitting. (She has sils dd 2 days a week too)

Aibu to stick to my guns?

OP posts:
GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 04/09/2014 13:49

She sounds annoying. Why don't you reply saying "We'd love for you look after DD on Saturday evening. Changing the Friday arrangement is because there is a lot of driving involved for me after work which is inconvenient. Nothing to do with you being good enough to look after DD. Please don't take this personally it is a practical thing."

DuelingFanjo · 04/09/2014 13:50

"If I am not good enough to have dd on Fridays then I assume I am not good enough to have her Saturday either. Perhaps you could ask other lady instead"

WOW.

Leave it to DH. Has she sent this message to him too? If not, forward it to him and ask him to sort it out.

It may be that you will just have to sort out the childcare between yourselves and your DH will have to do without his lie-in.

The last message makes it clear that she wants to be in charge. Don't let her. You CANNOT allow her to dictate like this but you may have to make some changes yourself now.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 04/09/2014 13:50

not being good enough

Booboostoo · 04/09/2014 13:51

Wow your MIL sounds petulant and vindictive. I can see why she would be sad at the change but should be able to see the wider picture.

CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 13:52

She is a bit batshit, yes.

I think it's all kicked off because it's one less thing she can use as power over us, or at least dh.

She's been relatively normal recently, ever since dh told her if she ever tried to makes in choose between her and his family she wouldn't see his arse for dust.

He's going to love staying in on Saturday night. Sad

OP posts:
AngelinaCongleton · 04/09/2014 13:52

Yanbu!!!!!!!

cathpip · 04/09/2014 13:54

Cutting her nose off to spite her face, nice touch! How old is she now, 7 :). Sounds like your new arrangement will be forever thrown in your face, silly women.....

Justwhenyourthinkingthingsover · 04/09/2014 13:57

Cattheifkeith - love that name!
a) give the cat back to its rightful owner
b) then give your MIL to someone else
YANBU - she is Totally unreasonable!

Let your husband deal with her, withdraw, withdraw, withdraw...good luck!

FreeSpiritsBadAttitude · 04/09/2014 13:59

Goodness, she is spiteful!

Can you text back a breezy, vague "OK, don't worry then. Have a good weekend."

nilbyname · 04/09/2014 14:03

She's a poisonous witch and I would call her bloody bluff!

Outrageous behaviours on her part.

Be firm, polite and upfront. yAnbu

Pickledradish · 04/09/2014 14:03

You'll be saving money on petrol...save up for an occasional babysitter!

MommyBird · 04/09/2014 14:03

"Ok, No problem..thats a good idea. Thanks MIL. Have a lovely Saturday :)"

Sit back and watch.

123rd · 04/09/2014 14:04

What does your MIL think was going to when your DD starts school? She wouldn't be able to have her then

CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 14:04

Justwhen. Said cat is now deceased, but if she wasn't there is no way she would have been going back to the kitten factory. Wink

Doubt anyone else would want mil...

OP posts:
CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 14:06

Pickled, it's not paying for a babysitter that's a problem, the issue is that dh almost never gets a weekend night off.

I think this is the 3rd Saturday this year he doesn't have a gig. Well he did have one, but the event has been cancelled.

OP posts:
ToffeeWhirl · 04/09/2014 14:06

It would annoy her even more if you texted back, "Other lady has said yes to babysitting Saturday, so no worries."

She's a nasty piece of work and I'm sorry you're lumbered with her. And your DH, for that matter.

CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 14:07

Toffee you genius! I am going to send it...

Actually perhaps not, it will only escalate. Hmm

OP posts:
MommyBird · 04/09/2014 14:08

PLEASE do what Toffee said!!

CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 14:08

I'm not lumbered with dh, he's lovely, honestly!Smile

OP posts:
Eva50 · 04/09/2014 14:08

Message her back saying "Ok, your son will be disappointed but I will make it up to him with a romantic night in Wink Wink."

MommyBird · 04/09/2014 14:09

And if it does...

"Well..MIL suggested it?"

nilbyname · 04/09/2014 14:09

Please don't play games with her, just take the high road.

CatThiefKeith · 04/09/2014 14:09

I really want to, but at the risk of sounding shallow I really would like a night out on Saturday. Blush

OP posts:
GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 04/09/2014 14:10

You actually ask the other lady and then send Toffee's reply. If not do it anyway ;)

pluCaChange · 04/09/2014 14:12

The trouble is that she was actually imposing on you, with the fiction that she was doing you a favour. Untangling that without being blunt and offending her even more means you will have to lay that question aside (no matter how much she begs to dwell on it), and do the broken-record technique about how DD is suffering from all the driving - whether it is YOU or MIL if MIL actually did any driving. She simply lives too far away.

Also, "sorry you feel like that", "we thought it would ease matters for you", "DD is benefiting from not being in the car so much", etc.