I love my MIL.

[IlovemyMIL]

There's a tonne of threads on here bashing MILs (often quite rightly so) but I just wanted to share a positive MIL (well more PIL) story.

Pil visited from overseas last weekend. DD (3) caught chicken pox and had to stay off nursery this week. It would have been really difficult for DH and I to organise childcare between ourselves as we both work FT but we would have scraped through... just. We've recently moved to a new city and started new jobs. We don't know anyone so don't have any family or friend support network.

PIL immediately offered to stay until Thursday. They looked after DD during the day, got up with her (literally got to her room before we did!), cleaned the house, cooked dinner, went shopping etc and FIL fixed lots of things around the house. MIL has cleaned and organised messy kitchen drawers from when we moved in (I know most people find that annoying but honestly I was glad of the bloody help). She also did laundry and some bedtimes.

They've been absolutely bloody wonderful even when they couldn't fly home on Thursday because of the snow and it's still touch and go if they can fly back on Monday. It's a cultural thing but they like to be really busy and have literally thrown themselves to do things and told us to enjoy family time without stress.

Today I'm feeling the heart warming fuzziness of just how awesome they've been this week and just how much we really needed the support. I've told them but they're too bloody modest to take the compliment. We have got some thank you gifts but I don't think they do it justice.

Feel free to add to the MIL/PIL love.

What a lovely post! Thank you for sharing. My PIL are great, but not quite as great as my own mum and step dad in law (it feels like my PIL are being polite and nice because they have to (this might be my weird hang up, so don't feel evil towards them), whereas my own mum and step dad in law genuinely take it all as part of their responsibilities and because they love us, of course). My mum and I have had our own ups and downs, but if I needed them they both would be here like a shot. It is the best feeling, to know that someone has your back no matter what the relation. Enjoy it, make use of it, don't take it for granted and give them a treat in return (we find that vouchers for a night out with their favourite quisine works well). How lovely, that you made the effort to post, make sure they know how you value them.

I love my PIL too (technically my boyfriend's parents as we're not married)

They have been incredibly supportive and kind to me despite me barely speaking a word of their language.

While I was visiting last week my FIL called for his doctor friend and arranged all the necessary medication when I had a dreadful throat infection and couldn't afford to pay to see one. My MIL has made all my favourite meals, knitted matching hats and scarves for me and my daughter, and sent me home with jars of cherry jam and the hot spicy sauce she knows I love.

I love my foreign family

I love my PIL. They are super supportive and loads of fun.

They do all sorts of things that I could choose to take offense at. But why would I? (Noone is perfect!) They are generous and kind and have always made me feel welcome and loved.

I couldn’t wish for lovlier PILs: they are wonderful & kind. Whenever we pitch up, the champagne flutes are being chilled & the champagne on ice. Great conversation, always fun & great with DD. We’ve only locked horns a couple of times, due to BIL and his wife. They understandably are desperate for their grandchildren to have a relationship but due to our relationship with BIL it is impossible. Other than that, they are wonderful.

YABU OP, get off mumsnet! Do you not know this is a site for people who hate MIL???

I love my PiL and my FIL is sadly dying at the moment and I am in bits

Thank you for this thread. I have 4 sons and it has made me happy.

Do you know what most of the time my pils are pretty great too. We have had a run in or two ( see cutting toddlers hair thread!) but they do some childcare and babysitting a bit of gardening and diy and mil bakes me a cake weekly and does a spot of ironing best of all they really play with my children and they love them to bits

Wow! I love the responses to this post. It might be the sauvingon blanc from Iceland or all the good feels, but I'm feeling super fuzzy right now. I'm posting as I'm concocting a dinner for us all. I bought MIL a scarf from Next I knew she'd like and FIL a wooden frame (this is a man who would be happy with a car magazine as a present) because they took such a lovely picture of DD and FIL this week and they should really frame it.

They do all sorts of things that I could choose to take offense at. But why would I? (Noone is perfect!) @WineGummyBear - this. Nailed it. We have locked horns in past but more because we didn't understand each other's cultural differences.

The poster who suggested writing a letter. I will next week, they'll love that.

The relationship they have with DD is wonderful. DD was sick this afternoon and was just snuggling up to MIL whilst watching TV. Sad to say but DD is a bit afraid of my parents after my Mum pinned her down for a nappy change and left red finger marks on her ribs from where she'd grabbed dd . Since then DD has always been a bit off with her. My parents are jealous a bit but PILs just shower so much love and want to help so much, it's easy. There's no atmosphere.

Anyway I digress, keep the positive posts coming because good PILs don't get enough attention here!

I have 2 ex MIL's who I love so much!
ExMIL 1- I I still go out for meals, go down on a weekend and have food and wine and stay the night, and talk too and see several times a week in
ExMIL 2- is there if I need amth

Posted too soon-
ExMIL2- is there if I need anything. I don't have a good relationship with my dm, and the kindest thing she does (apart from lend money, cook food and look after my son), is hold me tight when I cry about my mum.

Actually exMIL 1 holds me too when I cry.

My in-laws are amazing - great company, thoroughly lovely kind people. MIL in particular comes quite a distance to visit on a regular basis and every time she stays over she offers to babysit so DH and I can have an evening out (we can't afford to but hey )

SIL is wonderful, her husband and kids are lovely, I get on well with DHs various aunts, uncles and cousins - they're just a lovely family.

i adored my pil. they taught me to unconditionally value all your children/grandkids equally.
they were eccentric and dotty too

I love mine too! And FIL!

Literally both fabulous people who live just round the corner!

The only thing they have ever done to annoy me is when I was on maternity leave she would say occasionally 'only 4 months left til your back to work' etc but that's the most annoying thing she's ever done in many years!

My MIL is awesome. Genuinely one of my best friends and has welcomed me with open arms since day one. (Perhaps it would be different if my own mum was alive but I don't question it because I adore her) we've even gone away together. Possibly helps that in some respects DH & DFIL are quite similar and she can moan to me about him in a way she can't to her daughters. Plus she utterly adores my ds and is a wonderful GM

My PIL know we don't have much spare cash so give us money every year for a holiday 😍

Lovely post OP! My PIL are amazing - we've been living with them for the last 3 years whilst we save to buy a house (we now have enough so can move out this summer!) and we have never fallen out in all that time. They cook for us, FIL has been clearing my car of snow all week before I go to work... they've really welcomed me to the family and I honestly feel they care for me as much as they do their son.

@Fluffyears then why are you in the phone ? Lol

I love my MIL, one of the kindest, funniest and caring people I know. Me and DH been through a lot together over 25 years and she has always been there for both of us.

MIL is lovely and was very patient and understanding when I went loopy when the kids were small. They came here for Christmas and were lovely guests and did lots with the kids (MIL went down the flumes at the swimming pool with the DDs, this is a woman in her 80s!).

DMum is a lovely MIL to SIL (SIL gets on better with Mum than her own mother) and is a fantastic granny to their kids.

I love my PIL. My Mum sadly died a couple of years before my DS was born and it has been hugely important to me to have a Mum figure in my life. She’s helpful but not intrusive and very sensible and laid back. Lives 3 hours away but comes to visit once a month, I look forward to her company and also her taking dS in the morning so we can have a lie-in.

FIL is Norwegian and hilarious, very wicked sense of humour. My dad is also dead so, again, so glad D has a lovely Grandad. I can see in both of them exactly why my DH turned out as the man I love.

Sadly I think they’d have got on like a house on fire with my own parents.

What a lovely, lovely thread!

I love mine too. Sadly, my MIL is now in a nursing home and doesn’t know us but we had a great relationship, and I’ve grown closer to FIL due to her illness.

They’ve never interfered, but have supported from the sidelines. Very much the kind of people who don’t get involved but will do anything for you once you ask. It’s a nice balance.

I’m very lucky to have the ILs I do.

Just as an example, my car has broken down and is beyond repair so I need a new(ish) one. FIL texted last night to say he’s happy to extend an interest-free loan and let him know how much to transfer and when.

I’m fortunate that I don’t need it, but lovely to have had the offer, knowing it was made willingly, and without strings.