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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH dislikes DM and is rude to her

174 replies

whattodo9 · 23/08/2017 17:13

I've never posted before but am really sad about the situation at home. My DH used to get along so well with my DM until my DS was born 5 years ago. Suddenly, DH became resentful of my DM , saying that she tries to interfere and feels she has a say in how our son is raised, is manipulative and plays on my emotions. DM helps with childcare as we both work full time so she was looking after DS 3 days per week at our house and now he is at school, she does the school run and collects him 3 times per week. I understand that this might be too much for DH as he feels that he lacks privacy in our house and she is there too much but she has done us a massive favour over the years looking after DS ( at our mutual request)and so of course she is close to DS . DH gets upset if she makes any small comment or suggestion regarding our son ( which is rare, she never imposes her view) and I try to tell him that most grandparents do make comments now and again. if you don't like it just ignore it, don't get upset. She does not spoil our son but if they have a day out and she buys him a small present, my DH gets upset and says she should ask permission before buying a toy. Recently he became upset as he was telling our son off during diner and my DM said ( "just let the child eat then you can tell him off"), he shouted at her about telling him what to do in his own house and stormed out and he now wants nothing to do with her. The next day he completely ignored her and she was in tears because she felt so uncomfortable. Since then he has literally said "Hi" and "bye" to her. He says he does not like her and has nothing to say to her. If he sees her in public, he will not speak to her and will make an effort to speak to strangers instead. I have told him how much this is upsetting me and every argument we have is usually because of discussions based on his behaviour to my DM ( this is just the latest incident in a string of unpleasant situations over the years). His parents are not alive, we see his siblings very rarely and he never knew his grandparents. I try to tell myself he does not know any better but I am very close to my DM , she is the only close family I have apart from my DH and DS so this rift is really upsetting me. I always thought that when I married someone, they would treat my DM like part of the family but he really makes his dislike known. She is single and DS is her only grandchild so she does dote on him. The worst part is that my DM continues to be so nice to him, cooking meals for him, asking me about his wellbeing, babysitting for us if we have a date night etc. without realising what a di*k he is being. I obviously do not tell her all he says as I don't want to upset her. I feel he is happy to take advantage of her helping with childcare when it suits him but he treats her worse than you would treat a stranger. Is this normal? We've been together for 15 years so I know how stubborn he is, no matter how much I speak to him about this, once he makes up his mind, he does not change. I was raised to treat everyone who comes to your house well and to be polite , speak to them and be civil. He believes it is his house and he does not need to say hello or make any conversation if she is there as he sees her so often. It's so awkward and really making me dislike him and affecting our relationship although he does not realise this. I am always so nice to his family and cannot comprehend how someone can behave so disrespectfully to his elder and also someone who has not done anything to him and has only tried to help him whenever he needed it. She has treated him like a son and he just shows such disrespect, it makes me cringe. Just wanted to get some opinions. Apologies for the long post, it's been building up for a while.

OP posts:
WombOfOnesOwn · 24/08/2017 16:57

He's not just being cruel to your DM, that bit about interfering with your DS's dinner is straight out of the child abuser playbook. Stay with him, and you'll see.

timeisnotaline · 24/08/2017 17:16

You can't give it a few months, it's so horrible to your dm! You need need need to say this doesn't work for me. He should do one of the pick ups instead so he is put out by the result of his rudeness.

Summerswallow · 24/08/2017 17:21

You say your mum doesn't normally interfere or say anything to him- he had twice told off his child so he couldn't eat, I wonder if that once it slipped out as she felt she just had to say something. Heck- she then paid the price with the storming out and now punishing. Your son will know if he defies dad, that's what happens.

Sorry- this is all wrong.

You can't wait months to sort this- you need to start your son on after-school club or being cared for by your mum at her house, and have a frank chat with your husband, it's not ok for her to be treated like this- and for your son to see it. Unless the poor woman is doing holiday care...

DamnSummerCold · 24/08/2017 17:31

I was a bit 50/50 on this, till I read 'he said he has no problem with DM looking after DS, he just does not feel the need to speak to her or have anything to do with her.'

Thats just nasty.
Whats he going to say when your DC starts to notice how mean he is to Granma?

Nanny0gg · 24/08/2017 18:33

How is he with colleagues? How is he with friends - or your friends? Does you have mutual friends?

He sounds really awful. What if he starts ignoring your DS when he doesn't behave as he would like him to?

DamnDeDoubtanceIsSpartacus · 24/08/2017 18:39

what he has told you what he is like.

Your son will pick up on this. Your dh is not a good man.

Aeroflotgirl · 24/08/2017 18:53

No nice person would behave like this, and treat somebody like dirt on his shoe.

Aeroflotgirl · 24/08/2017 18:54

for no good reason.

user1499333856 · 24/08/2017 19:04

FWIW, I could be your DH OP, I have some similar grumbles but I wouldn't dare treat my MIL like this. My DH wouldn't stand for it and I am not a rude bully,

I think you have two problems. One is your husband's behaviour and the other is your DM'd over involvement. But that's not her fault.

Pillowaddict · 24/08/2017 19:07

To be honest you are also taking advantage of your dm currently, letting your dh treat her this way is beyond unfair. Your ds is bound to be picking up on this and what if he starts modelling his father's behaviour - is she then expected to care for a child who ignores and disrespects her? I know it's not your fault he does this, but you are now responsible for how you manage this. Either end the childcare arrangements and make a point of spending lovely time together with your mum and ds excluding your dh, or tell your husband to apologise to your mum. Or leave him. Do something!

MargaretTwatyer · 24/08/2017 19:09

Sorry, but I disagree the fact he is happy for GM to look after DC means he is not allowed to be unhappy about his MIL being a third wheel. The alternative would be that he forbade MIL from caring for him. Which from a MN POV would be even worse. It's a situation where he can't win as far as MN is concerned.

MIL has him over a barrel. If he says she can't care for DS he's a bastard. If he says it's okay he has to be so eternally grateful he has to put up with her round at his house all the time undermining him and causing problems.

I agree with the OP that her DM doing childcare from her own home is probably better. But I think that in this case telling DM not to criticise and to back off a bit would probably be constructive too.

IAmBreakmasterCylinder · 24/08/2017 19:19

She has picked your DS up from school and looked after him and your DH has nothing to say to her?

If he feels she is good enough to look after DS then he should make an effort to be civil and chat for a few minutes.

This all sounds incredibly hard for you OP. As you say, family occasions are going to be awful. And ultimately your DS will start to pick up on this as he gets older which will be hard for him too.

Aeroflotgirl · 24/08/2017 19:24

I cannot believe that people are agreeing to his rude and disrespectful behaviour. Sorry there is no reason for him to behave like that towards op DM, especially somebody who is looking after his son and saving them money.

mickeysminnie · 24/08/2017 19:26

Is your husband rude to wait staff, neighbours?? Because I do not for one second believe that a fully functioning adult sees nothing wrong with how he treats your mum.
Find alternative child care for your child! Organize it and then TELL him this is what is happening.
His reaction will tell you all you want to know.
And I don't doubt it will be a huge relief to your mum not to have to put up with his shit!

kateandme · 24/08/2017 21:44

I worry ur dc will soon pick up and act as cruelly as daddie.he will.how horrid if he treats gran the same and then others cuz dad does...

kateandme · 24/08/2017 21:55

Plus mil is not undermining drs .all grandparent our parents give a little advice,opinion,gosh its taught us to be better parents at some points and at others we do it our own way and its just grandma being a parent.it doesn't just switch off fr them.its not always interfering just different parenting.as long as she never pushes it

CorbynsBumFlannel · 24/08/2017 22:23

Might just be me but I'd be pissed off if my dh started undermining me while I was in the middle of disciplining one of the dc for their bad behaviour and he is their parent! I wouldn't do it to him either. There's a time and a place. If you disagree with the way a parent is disciplining you should discuss it privately (obviously unless it is dangerous or something). The mil undermining the dh in front of his ds is basically telling the ds to carry on what he's doing and making dh's life harder.
As for saying that he is still happy for mil to look after ds I don't see the issue. If she undermines him regularly it's probably better that she has time with her dgc when the dh is not there. If your dm isn't happy to do childcare then she needs to say something. If she is then it's surely better that the dh isn't insisting that doesn't happen?
If the mil irritates the dh I don't think he needs to be any more than civil.
It is clear that the ops loyalties lie with the dm and she is minimising her interfering imo.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 08:52

Corbyn he is not being civil. Yes I woukd side with my DM in these circumstances, if he cannot be polite and afford his MIL the minimum curtesy, being rude and unpleasent. He sounds nasty and controlling actually!

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 09:10

Op mum shod also detatch herself from op h, and start treating him like he treats her. No she shod have not interferred when he was discipline his son, that would have annoyed me, but to treat her in such a horrid manner is disgraceful!

CorbynsBumFlannel · 25/08/2017 09:11

He says 'hi' and 'bye' to her. If he dislikes because she overrules him in front of his child her why does he need to do more than that?
I suspect there would be a very different thread typed by the dh here! The op is painting a picture of her almost saintly dm being treated awfully bit she certainly isn't behaving like someone who seems remotely intimidated by the dh.

seven201 · 25/08/2017 09:27

I would hate it if my in-laws were around so much and I would have been pissed off at the "just let him have dinner first" type comment. But... this is why we pay for nursery and I would not have spoken back at that comment, I would have been furious on the inside though! Your dh is being a twat. Maybe some form of couples counselling? Or changing childcare arrangements, but that won't improve his twat attitude.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 10:06

If he sees her in public, he will not speak to her and will make an effort to speak to strangers instead

On the occasional time she arrives 5 or 10 minutes early he complains that she is too early. I asked him "should she stand on the street and wait for 5 mins before coming in?

After this last incident, I spoke to DH again and suggested we look at alternatives ( we previously looked for after school carers or for me to work PT) and he said he has no problem with DM looking after DS, he just does not feel the need to speak to her or have anything to do with her. He felt she was too dramatic to be in tears after he ignored her , she felt intimidated by him walking around the room like she did not exist

Sorry he just sounds like a thoroughly nasty and unpleasent individual. He is happy for op mother to look after his child, buts want nothing to do with her, wants his cake and eat it, seems.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 10:06

If he feels like that, he should pay for nursery, as your mother looking after your son in her house, is not going to be a suitable arrangement.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 10:07

Mabey see your mum, at her house, instead of coming over to you.

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