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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be weirded out that my NC mother has taken over my baby's grave?

19 replies

BubbleGirl01 · 06/04/2015 23:14

I live about 4 hours drive from my baby DD's grave. She died at birth 14 years ago. We used to live in the area she's buried in but had to move for work about 8 years ago. We make a trip down there every year at around the time of her birth/death to visit her grave and tidy it up with our other 4 DC as a way of keeping her integrated into our family.

My mother used to live in the area as well (not for the past 5 years) and always made a point of tending her grave, sending me texts with pictures of what she had done, which was not well received I have to say as these pictures would just pop up at random times and I used to find it upsetting and told her so but she could not understand why! She also completely took over the funeral, choosing the flowers, insisting a priest came and spouted from the bible about god's mysterious way etc causing me enormous upset and my then 4 year old DD still remembers the argument she had with me about it, chose the burial plot which I did not want as it's right next to a turning area of the road and the headstone has been damaged by reversing cars, and even put the burial plot in my stepfather's name so I have no 'ownership' over it anyway! DH and I were an utter mess in the aftermath of DD's birth and DH had never arranged a funeral anyway, so at the time it was all a blur.

We have now been NC for almost 2 years due to various issues which arose when I confronted her about my abusive childhood. She cut me off and at the time I told her that she shouldn't bother contacting my DC until she had worked out the issues I had with me. I was then told in a long email how much hurt I had caused her depriving her of her grandchildren and how when they reach their milestones and she's not there, I had only myself to blame. I later relented a few months later due to guilt and sent her an email telling her I would enable a relationship between her and my DC, without me being involved (don't quite know how I would do that when she insisted she would never speak to me again!) but she never responded and that was a year ago. DD also sent Christmas cards to my whole family (everybody has cut me out at this point out of loyalty to mother), and she also never responded to DD even though DD gave her personal mobile number for her to contact her on.

Anyway last year we noticed someone had dug all over the plot and planted flowers there and I was a bit perturbed as to why my mother (I know it was her) had done this as she insisted I was not part of the family and she was not bothered about contact with her living grandchildren who she had a relationship with for 16 years Hmm.

Today, we have been again, expecting the grave to be very overgrown with plans to weed, plant and scrub the headstone and find it all done. Flowers I had not chosen all over the grave, not a weed in sight, headstone like new. My mother has basically taken ownership of my daughter's grave. I wanted to do it, not her. I did think of ripping all the flowers out and planting my own but couldn't bring myself to disturb it.

AIBU to wonder what point she is trying to make and to be bloody furious about it?

OP posts:
TheCatsFlaps · 06/04/2015 23:19

YANBU. I would be fuming. Whilst she has no right to do what she has been doing, I don't know if you can put yourself through an emotional grinder like this, much less achieve anything through it. She is emotionally abusing you with this, although I am at a loss as to what to suggest. Sorry you are going through this.

Pipbin · 06/04/2015 23:28

Can you get another family member to act as an intermediary and explain to her why you don't want her doing this? If you talk to her directly it may get over heated on both sides.
You may need to compromise a little, allow her to leave flowers etc.

Sorry for your loss.

Salmotrutta · 06/04/2015 23:29

Do you definitely know that it was your mother OP?

Is there any chance that the weeding and general maintenance was done by cemetery staff?

Most graves are weeded and grass cut etc. (by cemetery staff) to keep them tidy around these parts and relatives just add bunches of flowers.

CountingThePennies · 06/04/2015 23:35

I think yabu

Its 4 hours away and your only going once a year.

The grave would look a right state if left that long.

Its nice someone is taking the time and effort to keep it nice

Dr0pThePirate · 06/04/2015 23:49

OP

I know this isn't what you've asked about but I thought I'd post this link here to www.tendagrave.org

They can help you tend your daughter's grave from afar which might help you feel moire in control of what is happening to it when you can't be there.
Flowers

DowntownFunk · 06/04/2015 23:59

Harsh counting and uncalled for.

Tiredmumno1 · 07/04/2015 00:07

I do not think YABU, could you speak to the cemetery/church directly and explain the situation, just to try and get some advice on how you can become the legal owners, what an awful situation you are in, I can totally understand why you are upset.

Of course you can do a grave that is low maintenance, so that you are of piece of mind that it still looks ok when you are not around.

My MIL goes to our sons grave in between us going just to lay flowers and remove any old ones, and just to make sure everything is still there. Which we are fine with.

In your situation though I really would try and get advice, even if it means taking legal action. I am so sorry you are feeling like this and really hope you can try and resolve it.

BubbleGirl01 · 07/04/2015 01:02

Thank you. This has steeled me into sorting out the ownership. I saw today that other parents who had died after their DC had been interred with them and that is what I would probably like for myself (and DH)when the time comes which I would not be able to do without asking permission from my stepfather and I will have to ask him to transfer it to me which will be very difficult and in all likelihood he will refuse. I can't quite believe I am in this situation Sad.

I will look into tendagrave thanks Pirate.

We only visit the grave once a year as tbh it's not a place I like to visit as I have no good memories of my DD2. The ones I do have are of the nightmare of a traumatic birth and holding her while she died and afterwards. We go mainly for DD1's benefit as she was 4 then and knows that she should have had a sister and wants to mark her existence. I also don't want it to be something we have kept hidden from our 3 younger DC.

I think I know my mother's motives and they are not just to 'keep it nice'. She know's how to get to me and for my DC to see that she is tending their sister's grave (a child she never had any relationship with) whilst not even sending them so much as a Christmas card, just to get back at me, has left me shaking with anger. I would rather it was covered with weeds so we could put it right ourselves.

Salmon The cemetary staff cut grass around it only.

Pipbin no family as intermediary. None of them speak to me.

OP posts:
PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 07/04/2015 01:10

You need to take ownership of the grave. I completely understand that at the time it was easier.

I wouldn't know how to react to this, you know your family and I suspect that this is a way to control you.

Madmum24 · 07/04/2015 09:16

Sorry for your loss OP.

The ownership issue would bother me a lot more than the grave being tended to.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 07/04/2015 09:22

How awful OP, I can't even begin to imagine how crushed you must feel.

Where to begin though if Stepfather is going to be a twat about doing the right thing?

Tellhimyournamepike · 07/04/2015 09:36

sorry for your loss OP.
I would suggest speaking to the funeral directors (if you had one) in the first instance, they may be able to help with documents as there will be a grave deed. Sounds like it will be in your stepfathers possession but they may be able to help.
Re: your mother planting flowers etc, I don't know what to say/suggest to that, but it's your baby's resting place and the thought of all the anger/upset etc over her space is not conducive to her resting in peace, which is truely sad, she doesn't deserve that. Xx

SquinkiesRule · 07/04/2015 10:14

Could you buy a plot and have your baby moved closer to you in a plot that you will own with your Dh so you can ll be buried there?

Thymeout · 07/04/2015 10:35

Are you absolutely sure it's your mother tending the grave?

I know a family who visit their son's grave every week and also tend the child's grave next to it. They weed it and plant any bedding plants they have left over. They didn't like it looking as if the child had been forgotten.

ActingBusy · 07/04/2015 10:46

I've started tidying and tending to the grave next to my nans as it's only visited once a year (on the anniversary) and to be totally honest it looked a right mess most of the time.

I agree you need to sort out the ownership issue but I'm not sure you can really stop someone (anyone!) making the grave look tidy.

LittleBairn · 07/04/2015 11:44

YANBU I would go ballistic at anyone who interfered with my DC graves.
My understanding is if you have bought the grave you have ownership of it therefore she is not entitled to interfer with it.
I would call the organisation responsible for the cemetery and speak with them about it they might be able to give advice.
A worker at our cemetery interfered (trying to be helpful not realising how upsetting it would be to families) with some of the baby graves the local authority who looks after it took it very seriously.

mrsmeerkat · 07/04/2015 11:51

I have no advice but so sorry you are going through all of this Flowers it's isn't fair after losing your little one.

Hope you get good advice.

nemo81 · 07/04/2015 12:54

My mother sounds exactly like yours. I have been NC with her for a while and the rest of the family has swallowed her lies and disowned me and my kids too!

I would not be happy if she went to my son's grave and tended to it either just to spite me. Although no chance of that as she doesn't care about her dead grandson, only uses his death to her advantage when she wants the sympathy vote.

I have no idea what to suggest though as you can't stop her going to your daughter's grave but if you ask her not to it will probably cause more rows. Hard one.

Elisheva · 07/04/2015 13:09

Why don't you buy a new grave plot near to where you live now and have your daughter transferred?

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