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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is MIL showing signs of jealousy

125 replies

Jasperkiss5 · 16/06/2016 22:27

MIL hasn't always had a regard for me, often treats me like the oven that cooked the bun. There is history but I want opinions on this situation alone.

Daughter goes to her 1 day a week. She has everything you could imagine at her house for my daughter, decorated room, heaps of toys etc, I send her with a coat but then see pictures on Facebook with her wearing a completely different coat that she's been and bought to keep at hers, even though I take her round wearing a coat already; just feel I need to mention that. Anyway my daughter has a comforter a little bunny with a blanket on it that she's had since she was born. She adores it, face lights up when she sees it, she naps with it, sleeps at night with and even takes it to nursery. The other week mil announced to us, but by talking to my DD that 'nannys got her own comforter for you at her house'. I thought that was odd as she knows we always send her with the one she's had since she was tiny, she also knows we have 3 identical to it in case it gets lost.

Each time I drop her off with it and collect her the comforter is always shoved right at the bottom of the bag. When I dropped her off on Monday she said oh she won't need that, she's got one here. I said but she likes it and takes it everywhere with her. She said she also likes nannys one and sleeps with that. I said do you allow her to have her own one when she's here and she said yes but I also give her my one. This is bullshit because it's never out when she is collected and she's out pictures on Facebook of my DD asleep with the comforter she bought.

My problem is- why did she feel the need to go and buy her own version. No one else I know would think to do that! Why not just let her have her comforter that she adores, why force your own on her. What would u feel?

OP posts:
VioletBam · 17/06/2016 02:15

Nana I'm not a MIL hater. I've always loved mine...she's wonderful. Regularly has my DC for weekends....that's because they love her too and everyone benefits.

But the OP's MIL sounds weird at best. So before you tar everyone with the same brush, think again.

TattyCat · 17/06/2016 03:05

Has anyone asked the 1 year old what she wants? Does she actually cry for the "right" comforter or doesn't she much care? Does she scream in the presence of her GM and appear distressed?

A lot of weight being given to a baby who may not need a 'security blanket' anyway. This is more to do with the adults in her life who haven't yet managed to grow up.

TattyCat · 17/06/2016 03:07

Has anyone asked the 1 year old what she wants? Yes, I know she's 1, before anyone wastes energy on this unnecessary question...

Buttock · 17/06/2016 03:28

God almighty...do I dread becoming a MIL!

My ds had his muslin cloths and still has one at night; he's 4. He doesn't sleep without it and Used to smell it when he was about 1/2 to make sure it was "his". He's grown out of the smelling now.

Your dd is obviously sleeping just fine without her actual comforter so nanny's comforter is also fulfilling the Job. Your dd isn't dependent on her comforter like my ds was at that age; believe me, I know how hard it is to get a child to sleep when they are screaming for their cloth and they're all in the wash! I don't get where the jealousy part comes from either. All I read from your posts is a nanny who loves her grandchild.

Unless you tell us the backstory I think you're being over protective and have an issue with her. What has she done in the past?

GirlSailor · 17/06/2016 04:35

A friend of mine had a similar thing with her gp when she was a kid. She mentioned getting into the clothes they had for her like we all did it and everyone was confused. Then she explained and said 'actually it's really weird when I say it out loud'.

Isn't the point of a comforter that it goes with the child so there's a bit of home with them?

My MIL has different tastes to me 'ooh you are funny, I'd have never thought of putting her in that - takes all sorts I guess' was her response to DD in a baby grow in a primary rather than pastel colour. It was a blue baby grow, not fishnets and suspenders! But at least she gives me the clothes she's bought so DD gets some use out of them.

Janecc · 17/06/2016 05:42

Her behaviour does seem controlling. I wouldn't be comfortable that my dds wishes seemed to be brushed aside. I would be wondering if she wasn't shutting the door and telling DD "let's get rid of this smelly thing and have nannys one. Ahh that's better".

DeathStare · 17/06/2016 06:00

Is your DD happy with her? It may be a bit odd but as long as your DD isn't upset does it really matter?

mumto1babyboy · 17/06/2016 06:24

It's down right wierd and controlling.. You need go speak to her!!

mumto1babyboy · 17/06/2016 06:29

NanaNina- you've just publicly put that a MIL feels the same Euphoria as the mother does when she gives birth to her baby!! It's people like you that piss people off about MILs!! How can u even compare that feeling.

WalkingZed · 17/06/2016 06:30

Weird

When my MIL used to look after my first dc, one day a week, she would throw out the food I'd left for him and cook her own lunch.

She even brought her own saucepans to cook this food in.

BertrandRussell · 17/06/2016 06:34

"NanaNina- you've just publicly put that a MIL feels the same Euphoria as the mother does when she gives birth to her baby!! It's people like you that piss people off about MILs!! How can u even compare that feeling."

She didn't. Read the bloody post.

BertrandRussell · 17/06/2016 06:41

If my mother and my mother in law had not been fizzing with excitement and joy about the birth of my babies, and hadn't wanted to shower them with love and care and presents I would have been sooo pissed off!

shovetheholly · 17/06/2016 06:41

I would be slightly irritated by that behaviour too. I'm sure it's not damaging your DD or anything, but there are supportive ways of doing childcare and there are ways that set up some kind of very strange rivalry. This sounds like the latter.

I suspect that it's part and parcel of a much wider set of behaviours towards you, however. If you feel constantly judged and demeaned by a person, you're likely to read the fact that they treat your child in this way as a criticism. That's because it comes packaged with a whole load of other criticisms. This is what some people who don't have dysfunctional family relationships sometimes struggle to understand.

I think I would suck it up for the sake of the care for your DD and free childcare! But I think I might also be seeking reinforcement from my DH and perhaps from other sources if my self-esteem were starting to take a hit from it. Flowers for you - I know what it's like to be constantly bossed and criticised and it can actually be far more undermining than people realise!!

exLtEveDallas · 17/06/2016 06:41

My concern would be that actually the baby isnt happy with a different comforter, and rather than 'sleeping fine with MILs' she's screaming the house down before falling into a post-cry sleep. How would OP know? She isn't there.

It baby is fine - great, no problem. It's a 'different house, different rules' thing. But MIL seems pretty dismissive of OPs feelings which doesn't bode well.

Walkacrossthesand · 17/06/2016 06:46

Bertrandrussell - yes she did!
' But the whole business of giving birth to your own baby is re-enacted when you hold your grandchild for the first time (especially your first!) and you feel the euphoria and unconditional love for this baby in a white babygrow! '

CPtart · 17/06/2016 06:49

If it's that big a problem (and it would bug me too!) stick your money where your mouth is and find a nursery or cm for her.

mumto1babyboy · 17/06/2016 06:49

BertandRussel lmaooooo u read the post! HmmGrinGrin

BertrandRussell · 17/06/2016 06:50

No. That means that when you hold your grandchild you relive the moment of your own child's birth. Which I can well believe. Can't you? Or are you of the grandparents, particularly paternal grandparents, should only have pre-approved feelings way of thinking?

mumto1babyboy · 17/06/2016 06:51

Bee in your bonnet

Walkacrossthesand · 17/06/2016 06:53

My thought exactly, Dallas -if DD is totally attached to her comforter, there would surely have been at the very least a period of distress while MIL introduced her own - but MILs need to enforce her wishes over-rode this, and of course she's not going to tell DIL this.
Either that, or the baby's attachment to comforter isn't that strong anyway!

Walkacrossthesand · 17/06/2016 06:56

Be reminded of, yes - but feel the same feeling? I don't imagine so - it's not your baby, and that I think is the core difference between GPs sensitive to this, and those who risk riding roughshod over the feelings and vulnerabilities of new parents.

BrandNewAndImproved · 17/06/2016 06:59

I read threads like this and wonder what the fuss is about.

My dnan has everything for my dc at her house. They both have their own room, own bedding, bookshelves, desk, toys, clothes, pyjamas, toothbrushes, coats, art stuff and sweetly my nan has gone through her photos with them so they have photos of me in their rooms. I didn't get annoyed or feel she was jealous, I thought it was lovely for my dc to have another place they belonged.

I loved not having to pack a bag when they used to stay overnight once a week. They'd been staying since babies and it's only because my nan got ill it stopped. My dnan would pick them up from school, have them overnight and send them back to school in the set of uniform she kept there and clean underwear. It was great.

Subsequently I'm crap at packing bags and forget the basics if they stay with my mum so they end up wearing my brothers old tshirts as pyjamas and she's had to buy toothbrushes a few times. Crap daughter

SanityClause · 17/06/2016 07:01

I'm not sure about MIL, but I would definitely say that you are showing signs of jealousy.

Here's the thing. Your DC do form close relationships with other people. Sometimes you won't like those other people. That can be hard, but it's part of life.

If you trust her enough to look after your DD once a week, then you have to trust her not to allow her to lie screaming for her comforter, each time she has a nap. (I'm guessing she doesn't, or you'd notice that she hadn't napped, when you picked her up.)

My own MIL is a very difficult person, and resents any influence that she perceives I may have over her son. So I do understand that MIL/DIL relationships are not always great.

I know you've mentioned a back story, so maybe it's just that you're fixating on the wrong thing here. But seriously, where's the harm in her having a different comforter for your DD to the one you use?

BrandNewAndImproved · 17/06/2016 07:06

I agree it sounds like your the one who feels jealous.

WeekendAway · 17/06/2016 07:10

The point is she specifically bought her own version and doesn't allow her to keep her own one with her, which I don't understand.

  1. You don't know that for sure. You've asked her if she gives it to her and she's said yes.

  2. If your DD really needs or wants a very specific comforter then she will cream and wail until she gets it. If she's happy to sleep with the one her Nanny gave her when she's there then what does it really matter? I doubt your MIL is getting a great big kick out of deliberately upsetting your DD and making it difficult for her to settle. Confused

  3. You sound like you have real control issues and are determined to make problems where no problems exist. So long as your DD is loved and adequately cared for, does any of this petty stuff really matter?

Let your MIL do it her way and be grateful and gracious for the help, or
If you really don't like the way your MIL cares for your DD (which is presumably free childcare?) then by all means stop the arrangement and pay for a childminder.

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