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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to just tell the truth?

15 replies

teaandakitkat · 16/07/2017 11:02

Sorry, this is a total rant, I have reached the end of my patience.

So my dh's family have this thing of not telling dh mum things that are happening, to 'protect' her from stress and upset. Dh is also really disorganised and hates making plans till the last minute. I know they think it's me who is reluctant to make plans with them but it's really not.

Dmil is in hospital having a hip replacement. Unfortunately dfil switched off the freezer and everything is ruined because he didn't notice. Dh didn't want to tell dmil. But he did tell everyone else. There was a crowd of us in visiting yesterday and there was some whispering when she went to the toilet about what to do with the freezer. She came back and it was obvious that something was going on. But no-one would tell her. It was ridiculous. So I told her. "Sorry, your freezer got switched off by mistake. Don't worry, we've cleaned it all up, saved what we can, and we'll get some shopping in to stock it up for you getting home". She wasnt upset at all. No drama. But dh and his sister are pissed off because they didn't want her to know. So instead we were all to sit awkwardly around while mil asked what we were all talking about that stopped so suddenly when she came in the room?

Then dmil has been asking about Christmas plans since June. We are going away, we do this fairly often. I have already booked for my parents to join us. Dh won't commit to asking his parents. I don't know why. So today while in the hospital room with no escape dmil asks "so we assume you're going away this Christmas since you haven't gone the past 2 years. YOUR parents will be going too I assume? You always make arrangements for THEM in plenty of time". I hate how they think it's me who is not wanting to include them. I've been the fall guy for this kind of thing for years. So I said "Yes, we are booked to go away and I have booked for my parents. I asked dh if we should book for you too and he said no it's too soon to think about it, he will think about it nearer the time".
I shouldn't have said it but I am just so sick of it. We were all in this small overheated hospital room and all his family were thinking I was horrible while he just sat there and said nothing.

And finally, while I'm getting it all off my chest in one go, dh's 18 yr old son dropped out of first year of uni back in December. But we haven't told dh's parents. Instead we all go along with this ridiculous pretence that he's still there. At hospital visiting we all sat in the room while he made up stories about his exams. I didn't tell the truth here, it's definitely not my place, as soon as he started talking about his fabricated exams I left the room to go for a walk.

Honestly the whole thing is just ridiculous. She's a perfectly competent, rational adult yet we all have to lie to 'protect' her. She knows something is not right with the college story, that's why I left the room because I don't know what I would say if she'd asked me outright. That is really not my story to tell, but I would find it so hard to lie to a direct question. I usually just say "oh I'm not sure, check with dh, he'll know."

AIBU in just wanting to tell the truth?
Dh and his sister are both annoyed with me about the freezer, dh is annoyed about Christmas, and also that he tho is my leaving the room made dss's lies about uni look suspicious. They are fucking suspicious! She knows they are suspicious. What are they going to do, fake graduation photos in 2 years time? Seriously?

Oh good, I feel better now I've shared all that.

OP posts:
AlpacaLypse · 16/07/2017 11:07

What about dfil in all of this? The only mention you've made of him is that he turned the freezer off. Is he unwell and is that why your DH and his siblings are so protective of their mother?

RiverTam · 16/07/2017 11:11

It sounds like they all treat her as some precious delicate ornament that can't be allowed to exist in the real world with its ups and downs. Why? Were they brought up like this, did FIL insist that she should never be bothered with anything negative?

Given that, generally speaking, men die before women, it's doing her an immense disservice. Or do they want her to be helpless so they can feel important looking after her?

It all sounds very odd.

HipsterHunter · 16/07/2017 11:12

That is so strange. Is there some back story to why they treat her like a child?

teaandakitkat · 16/07/2017 11:14

He's an academic who mainly sits in his study writing papers about some obscure science thing. They have 9 grandchildren, sometimes I'm not even sure he's bothered to learn all their names tbh.

Dh is just an anything for an easy life kind of person. If he can avoid a difficult topic he will. If he can put off a complicated talk about logistics he will. Usually I just make all the plans but I kind of need to know that he wants his parents there at Christmas before I make arrangements for them.

Dh and his sister have this weird sort of competitive 'who knows best what mum needs and who can look after her best thing going on.

Honestly, they're just weird the whole lot of them.

OP posts:
Inertia · 16/07/2017 11:16

Crikey, I don't know how or why you've put up with carrying the can for your DH for so long ! I certainly wouldn't be covering up any of that- if DH doesn't like it he change the way he behaves.

ememem84 · 16/07/2017 11:18

Hate hate hate this. I'm a much prefer to get everything out in the open because if we don't and someone finds out last minute it'll be even worse kindnof person.

With one exception. Mil. We don't tell her anything until after the event. That way she can't nag about us not doing something/making the wrong decision etc.

Sparkletastic · 16/07/2017 11:22

That's incredibly dysfunctional. I couldn't go along with it. Surely MIL would be far more upset at being lied to than knowing the truth about these situations?

CoughLaughFart · 16/07/2017 11:48

My family used to do this. Years back my mother kept it from our extended family for months that I'd lost my job. I had to make false conversation about work every time I saw them.

In the end my parents kept something huge from me and my sister. It all came out and was much worse because of the lies. I was pretty clear after that that the whole 'we didn't want to worry you' thing had to stop.

Incitatis · 16/07/2017 12:43

We had this with mil, although she's dead now.

Nothing unpleasant was ever allowed to be talked about and she was protected and mollycoddled at every turn. It was clear she was becoming frail and unable to manage in her home, but neither dh or sil seemed able to discuss the situation like adults with her. No planning or anything. She had a fall, ended up in hospital and then had to go into a home. She didn't like that and acted up constantly until she died two years later.

She was definitely treated like a precious ornament and couldn't make an adult decision. It was annoying because if she didn't like the decisions that were made on her behalf, she'd react in a passive aggressive way and we'd all end up feeling guilty.

Janek · 16/07/2017 13:24

OP i think your answers are perfect. I honestly don't know what else you could have said.

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 16/07/2017 13:29

I can see how that's annoying. FWIW, I would have kept out of Freezergate, as it wasn't affecting the wider family. Christmas though, if DH wasn't go to say it was him who was faffling about not making decisons, fair play to you. She was making a passive-aggressive dig. You don't have to swallow that down.

clumsyduck · 16/07/2017 13:34

Your not unreasonable at all think you handled all that great

Going forward I would definitely keep making it clear that things like the "Christmas holiday invites " are slow in coming forward due to dh and not you

Mumzypopz · 16/07/2017 15:40

"Honestly they are just weird the whole lot of them"....
I just love that phrase. Resonates a lot with me.

Justhadmyhaircut · 16/07/2017 15:46

Sounds like you are the only one living in the real grown up world. . Keep at it op!!

houseinamess · 16/07/2017 15:49

I think this would be intolerable for any normal person. Don't play along with it and perhaps they will learn that the roof doesn't fall in on them if they are truthful. There must be some back story here.

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