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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Fallen out with MIL so thinking I might be UR

145 replies

PretendTeaPot · 24/10/2017 11:13

Had a big falling out with my MIL and wonder if I need some perspective.

DD is 2.4, but developmentally closer to 15/16 months, she's speech delayed, has hearing problems, eye sight problems, is asthmatic and has hip problems. She has at least 1 appointment a fortnight for something or other.

DH is flakey at best, a lazy sod at worst. He forgets everything including his own head if it isn't screwed on from what time his shift starts at work to picking DD up from Nursery, and everything in between. He's so unorganized that he never leaves time to have a shower when getting ready for work and is often late anyway, I'm constantly surprised he hasn't been sacked - he must be a good worker in other areas that they can overlook his consistent lateness.

I also work 3 days a week, manage to get myself and DD ready in plenty of time in the mornings, get DD to Nursery in time for breakfast there and get to work usually with 5 minutes or so to spare so I can make myself a cup of tea and start the day relaxed - I've been late once when there was a big accident on the main A road through my town but the two other women who live in my town were also late due to that so no-one got into trouble.

I had got into the habit of reminding, cajoling and even waking DH up to get him to where he needed to be on time. As well as getting myself and DD ready, getting DD to her appointments,shopping for and feeding us all, getting the cat fed, litter changed etc reminding DH to do the two housework jobs he has to do (clean the bathroom once a week (not the toilet as I do that everyday, just the bath and sink) and mop the kitchen floor once a week), reminding him to text his family to see DD. It was like having a teenager and a toddler at the same time.

In June I went to the doctors as I've not been feeling well; my blood pressure is through the roof, my heartrate is consistently high, and I've been suffering with headaches. The doctor has sent me for further testing but is 90% sure I'm doing too much and need to slow down.

So I stopped, stop reminding DH to do anything, told him I'm ask him once a week to text his mum to ask if she wants DD, and if he forgets or doesn't do it and she doesn't ask him then she won't see DD. I stopped getting him up, stopped doing things for him, and would just leave his meal in the microwave to heat up later if he wanted it, of course I still remind about housework as that affects us all. And I actually feel better since doing it.

And MILs shouted at me on Sunday as she hasn't seen DD since before my doctors appointment in June as DH says he'll text her later and forgets. He's been late for work 2-3 times a week since I stopped, and has not attended a single appointment of DDs as I give him the letters but don't remind him anymore so he can rearrange he schedule so he can attend.

MIL says that being married is like this and I need to do more for DH, she says I should of realised that men never grow up. She said it's my job not hers or DHs to make sure DD sees both sets of grandparents she sees my mum a few times a month as my mum will contact me and offer to have DD for a couple of hours for me. I also speak to my mum at least once a week. I also need to remember that DH works and his home life should be as stress free as possible. Apparently if I can't manage everything I should quit work (I work to cover nursery fees plus a tiny bit of spending money that's it - I also work for my own sanity as a life spent ferrying a child back and forth to hospital is boring, time consuming and means I don't have many friends plus her hip condition means we have to be careful what groups I take her too as if she hurts herself she can end up at A+E) and keep DD at home with me.

I'm just wondering whether IABU? And I do need to start doing things for DH again?

OP posts:
diddl · 24/10/2017 11:30

I consider that I do a lot for my husband & kids.

But to the level of carrying adults-no.

thelastredwinegum · 24/10/2017 11:31

Fuck that, assuming he's a fully grown adult he needs to take responsibility for himself.

CotswoldStrife · 24/10/2017 11:32

I don't think YABU, but why hasn't your MIL seen your DD since June? How close does your MIL live, could she (like your mum) take your DD for a couple of hours? Or do you have to take your DD there rather than your MIL come over? I'm just wondering, it's not a criticism but as your MIL is so upset about it I'm mystified wondering why she hasn't tackled it earlier than this?!

Glumglowworm · 24/10/2017 11:32

Sounds like she's the reason DH is so bloody useless!

Yanbu

You married and had a child with a grown adult, not a teenager. Yes everyone has strengths and weaknesses and some people aren't as organised as others. But it sounds like he makes no effort because all his life he's been taught that it's expected that he's useless because he's a man and that his wife should do everything.

You're right to stop reminding him. If she thinks he shouldn't have to remember diddums then she should be the one reminding him. His work will begin disciplinary procedures over his lateness which will either force him to improve or he'll lose his job (which in no way would be your fault, whatever he and his mother would claim).

thelastredwinegum · 24/10/2017 11:32

Or you could always set up a reward chart for him, he's acting like a small child so treat him like one Grin

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 24/10/2017 11:34

He wasn't actually like this until we got married strangely enough.

So he can do it for himself, just chooses not to. He's a lazy shit on top of being a man-child. Could NOT put up with that. Kick him up the arse, or at least do not revert back to doing everything for him. Your choice if you want to stay married to him, but I couldn't.

Travis1 · 24/10/2017 11:34

Tell her to fuck off. Can see where your DH gets his attitude from anyway.

FizzyGreenWater · 24/10/2017 11:34

'Would you like him back? I think it might prove easier for everyone.'

BewareOfDragons · 24/10/2017 11:35

I would be sooo tempted to have spat back: "You raised a useless man-child, and hold misogynistic views about men and women's 'responsibilities'. No way. I'm certainly not going to be organizing time for you to try to instill the same crappy values in my DD. You can work that out with the lazy, useless son you raised."

SlothMama · 24/10/2017 11:36

She needs to realise it's not the 1940s your partner is an adult and should be capable of looking after himself. She's at fault for babying him so much and if she choses to care for her husband like a child then that's her decision.

livefornaps · 24/10/2017 11:38

Hoho - what???

I'd tell the pair of them to sod off.

Seriously OP - they both sound just awful!

PretendTeaPot · 24/10/2017 11:38

MIL doesn't live far away, about 20 minutes walk (can be done in 5 in the car) but she refuses to walk (as she doesn't drive) to collect DD, says we live too far away so it's just something else for me to do dropping DD off. She was having her for an hour a couple of times a week but it got too much. If DH texts her she will agree to meet halfway but not if I do the arranging Hmm

OP posts:
CauliflowerSqueeze · 24/10/2017 11:38

YADNBU

Tell MIL that her irritation needs to be redirected at her son.

And if he wasn’t like this before you got married then he is choosing to behave like an arse.

museumum · 24/10/2017 11:38

You can tell both your DH and MIL that if he wants mothering then he can go back to live with his mother.
A wife is not a mother, you don't have any obligation to mother him, he's a full grown adult. You're doing the right thing doing as you are now and he can choose to stay or go. Don't waver, don't let them grind you down, their way is not normal in this day and age.

CauliflowerSqueeze · 24/10/2017 11:39

Do NOT do any more arranging. Ffs.

We are all behind you. Flowers

PretendTeaPot · 24/10/2017 11:39

My MILs not even that old, she definitely wasn't alive in trhe 1940s or 50s!

OP posts:
Bucketsandspoons · 24/10/2017 11:39

Of course YANBU, your MiL's gender stereotypes aren't your problem. Your DH is unfortunately!

When you say he wasn't like this until he married, you've hit the nail on the head. He is perfectly competent, he is just programmed that these things are the responsibility of the woman in his life, not his. Which in a way means MiL succeeded in raising him to see these things as beneath him.

The first thing I'd do is have a serious talk with him about these beliefs, does he consciously believe in them and does he realise he's signalling that he's better than you when he 'forgets' and leaves you to run after him. I certainly wouldn't be doing things for him. I'd also be very clear with MiL that the 50s are over, and it hasn't helped dh to be raised in these beliefs, and be very clear that you will not be acting as his personal assistant. If she wants to get her son to be less lazy then she can tell him off.

I really don't understand why mothers raise sons like this, it's a very selfish thing to do to meet personal needs for being the one they're dependent on. In fact they're sentencing them to either a struggle to change or unhappy and unsuccessful relationships with their partners and children. I also don't understand why intelligent boys and men keep falling for it.

Softkitty2 · 24/10/2017 11:40

Yes dh problem. For your own health if taking a step back is what is needed then do it.

Tell your dh he needs to grow up.

amusedbush · 24/10/2017 11:40

He wasn't actually like this until we got married strangely enough.

Well, my first question was if he had something genuinely wrong with him that affects memory (B12 deficiency, thyroid issue) but clearly he's just a dick.

I know posts on MN only show a snapshot of a situation but if it really is as bad as you say, he must have a solid gold cock for you to put up with it. I genuinely would have left.

His mother created this monster so she can help fix it!

44PumpLane · 24/10/2017 11:41

YANBU this sounds like a ridiculous scenario.

If your MIL was so desperate to see her grandchild I'm assuming she could have texted or called you and asked to see her. Or even rung your husband to ask to see her Grandchild.

My DH is similar to yours in that sometimes he will sleep in and be late for things (I'll suddenly realise that he said he had an appointment at 9 and it's 8:40 and I've not heard him surface). If I go wake him up he gets all annoyed that I've only just woken him up and not woken him earlier- he gets short shrift from me. I tell him he's an adult and if he can't figure out how to work a bloody alarm clock then he needs to have a word with himself!

FizzyGreenWater · 24/10/2017 11:41

Actually if you do want to split, that might be the easiest way to do it - stop making his life easy, just STOP facilitating him - tell him you want to split and point out that there's a comfy bed and washing and food on tap back in the 1950s at his Mum's.

Keep it up long enough and I bet he flounces off there. She seems like she wouldn't mind that, you'd get him out of your hair and could eventually move on with your life - she'd take over responsibility for contact (if he moved out solo, he probably wouldn't bother with your child after a while) so as long as the boundaries were firm you'd probably be on to a winner.

musicform · 24/10/2017 11:44

My response to her would be that its always the parents to blame... if she couldnt raise a responsible lad she cant just expect you to take over. Sounds like you saw the good side until you were well and truly hooked (married). As you say, as long as it doesnt affect you or your child personally, let him fail on his own. Tell her that if she wants to see your daughter, you also have a phone...

cordeliavorkosigan · 24/10/2017 11:44

yep, sounds like he needs to move back in with his mum. leaves you in a bit of tough situation though since no doubt he'd lose his job and not pay anything towards your dd...
do you think he'd go to counselling or otherwise be convinced that he should become an adult? if he knew he'd end up kicked out of his family life for example?

LoveDeathPrizes · 24/10/2017 11:45

Jesus it's not hard to tell where he's hit his entitlement from. He's a bastard did not making any kind of effort when yours my health is at risk and she's a pit of internalised misogyny. And you're a bloody saint.

Sunshinegirl82 · 24/10/2017 11:46

Sounds like you want out OP and I don't blame you. Setting yourself up would be a hassle in the short term but once it's done I think things would be a lot easier.

Assuming your DH had contact you'd get some time off, you wouldn't have a lazy man child under your feet all the time creating work and you'd never have to deal with you MIL again.

Worth some serious thought I reckon.

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