A bit of back story. MIL gave up work 18 months(ish) ago. Financially she doesn't need to work anymore, she's in her 60's and she decided the time was right to step back. She also said that she wanted to be able to help myself and DH with the care of our 2 boys and enable me to return to work. Our eldest son is at school full time and our youngest son goes to playgroup two mornings a week.
DH works full time, as he always has done. I, up until three months ago, was working on a relief basis and was able to have flexibility where required. In early November, I decided I ought to take up a permanent contract (working a rolling rota, 3 days on and 6 days off) in order to secure myself a guaranteed monthly income. Before discussing the decision with my employers, I made sure everybody in the family who would be affected was happy. They all supported me.
Fast forward to now. MIL called me last week to tell me she had been approached by a previous employer about a job. She told me that she had made it clear from the outset that she was only interested if the job was part time and if she could have a certain amount of flexibility because of her commitments with her grandchildren. We actually had quite a long chat about everything, during which she told me if they wanted her to work more than three days a week she would tell them it had been nice speaking to them, and that would be the end of it. She said that helping us out with the boys was her priority.
Her interview happened on Tuesday. She called me today to say she had been offered the job on a full-time basis (for three months initially, but with the potential for longer) and when I stumbled over my response she immediately became defensive and started asking if/why I thought it would be a problem. She then told me she would happily pay for any additional childcare fees we would accrue as a result of her going back to work.
Immediately after speaking with her I was quite upset because I felt let down, but when I spoke to DH about it he brushed it off and told me I was making a fuss about nothing and said it would all work itself out.
My dad is retired through ill-health and consequently isn't always up to looking after the boys. My mum is still in full time employment.
If my MIL does return to work as intended, the only person we will be able to fall back on is my dad, but given that he has regular hospital appointments there will be days where he is not available.
I'm well aware that ultimately the buck stops with me. The children are, and always will be, my priority. On top of that, I am extremely grateful to my MIL for all she has done for us so far with regards to the children. But I cannot help but feel let down over this. AIBU, as DH tells me I am?