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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want MIL living with us part time?

419 replies

powderbluegecko · 06/03/2018 18:03

Have name changed for this as DH knows my usual one and he might be annoyed about me posting this. Although if he reads this he'll know who it's about. Anyway..

I don't like my MIL at all, mainly because she is dishonest and manipulative with a massive victim complex. I had no contact with her for a few years after her and BIL1 stole from us but recently saw her at a family wedding. DH didn't go NC, he spoke to them occasionally on the phone. BIL has since found God and is apparently a reformed character. He's at least apologised and paid us back, she has never said anything. I don't want anymore trouble so agreed with DH to put it behind us. I thought this meant that if I saw her I would be polite, nothing more. We don't live near her and she has never shown any interest in our DD(4).

MIL lives with BIL1 in a rented flat, her and FIL separated 5 years ago. She owns a house that used to be rented out but has now been empty for several years and needs some work done to it.

Last night DH told me that BIL1 is getting married soon and decided he doesn't want her living with him anymore. He never really did but felt forced into it. They, along with BIL2 offered to pay for her house to be sorted so she can live there but she refused and said she wont live by herself. She wanted to get back with FIL, but he said no. She has now decided that she will live part time with each of her 3 sons, spending a week in each house. They agreed to this. BIL1 has not asked his fiance, BIL2 did not ask SIL (her and MIL detest each other) and DH did not ask me, he just told me that this is how it is, and it's not a big deal. He says I need to be the bigger person and that even if she's awful she's still his mum. He said she's old (she's actually 59) and she's ill (made up heart condition).

I've been completely blindsided by this, whenever there was problems in the past he was always on my side. She is the kind of person that could cause trouble in an empty room, she thrives on drama and has always played her sons off against each other. She tried to do it with me and SIL too. I cant cope with her mood swings, lies and attention seeking and don't want her around DD. She lived with us for a month before I went NC with her and it was probably the worst month of my life. DH says she'll be better now and I need to be positive. I just want to run away. I don't think this is fair at all and I'm horrified that he's just burying his head in the sand. He works very long hours and I'm a SAHM. It'll be me that's with her all the time, she barely goes out, and doesn't know anyone where we live to visit or anything. AIBU?

OP posts:
sexnotgender · 06/03/2018 18:05

YANBU, honestly I’d be tempted to say if she moves in you’ll move out.

Achafi · 06/03/2018 18:06

YANBU. Your home should be your safe sanctuary and your dh should respect that. Sounds like he needs to discuss decisions that impact on you with you. Good luck.

TheHodgeoftheHedge · 06/03/2018 18:07

Hell the fuck no.

ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets · 06/03/2018 18:07

Jesus Christ on a bike.

You need to tell him that if this arrangement goes ahead it'll be the end of your marriage.
Be it now, 3 months or a year, your marriage will end because of this woman and the way way DH lets her treat you.

PotteringAlong · 06/03/2018 18:08

No, you’re not at all. Just say no

TroubledLichen · 06/03/2018 18:09

Hell no! Change the locks and don’t give you DH a key until he agrees this is a terrible idea. And the lack of communication here is shocking, your DH should never have agreed to this without discussing it with you. Although I suspect he didn’t because he knew there’s no way you’d go along with this. Still awful form from him though. Do not back down!

AuntFidgetWonkhamStrongNajork · 06/03/2018 18:09

Hell to the No. I'd start getting my ducks in a row. Show your DH the figures. He can pay X amount towards a B&B for her for "his" week, or he can pay legal fees and child maintenance. Or he can actually man up and tell her to bugger off back to her own house. Either way she and you are not going to be living together.

DancingLedge · 06/03/2018 18:09

Tell him you're moving someone in, and you'll let him know more about it once it's all arranged.

Fugitivefrombrusstice · 06/03/2018 18:09

I love my MIL and she's a sweetheart but even so I would hate to have her live with us for any length of time, let alone one week out of every three. YADNBU. Tell your DH that it's your home as much as his and you won't allow it - hopefully he will realise he can't just impose it on you!

TopsyDidIt · 06/03/2018 18:09

No, no, no.

I adore DH and have been with him many years, but he knows if he ever suggested his mother living with us I would leave him.

We have a 5 day limit on visitors, his mother stay 3-4 days (we live in a different country), that's more than enough.

Poshindevon · 06/03/2018 18:10

You are not being unreasonable.I would be furious to put it mildly.
Why cant her house be sold so that she can buy a flat or live in a retirement village? 59 is definately not old.
Can you and SILs make stand together and refuse to go along with this scheme?

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 06/03/2018 18:10

No is a complete sentence. If she moved in, I’d move out.

Do you speak to the other wives? How do they feel?

GreenTulips · 06/03/2018 18:10

Tell him to sort MIL house

You and DD move into it, DH can have MIL full time

Job done

GabriellaMontez · 06/03/2018 18:10

I love my mum. And I wouldNT have her live with me.
NO.

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 06/03/2018 18:10

No. Tell your dh he tells her no, or you'll pack his bags and he can move into her old house with her and you will call a divorce lawyer.

SundaySalon · 06/03/2018 18:11

No no no! That’s awful, he can’t agree to such a huge commitment without asking you. God OP, if my DH did this I would be sending him to live with her and I really love my MIL.

Willswife · 06/03/2018 18:12

I think it's disgraceful and disrespectful that he said yes without speaking to you first.

Considering the history I'm amazed he thinks it's an acceptable idea.

It's not a plan that's going to work anyway, how on earth can you spend years living in 2 different places for a week at a time? It's daft.

Sausagerollers · 06/03/2018 18:12

You have to go with the "she moves in, I move out" approach as he needs to realise how unacceptable this is.

Alternatively, are you heading back to work any time soon, so you'll be out of the house more? If so, tell your husband he'll have to become a SAHD and you'll be the one out working long hours whilst he's at home managing her.

Snausage · 06/03/2018 18:13

Oh, OP, you poor thing! That your husband has dictated something like this to you says a lot. If I were in your shoes I'd be telling him in no uncertain terms that it was not going to happen. Ever.

pompomcat · 06/03/2018 18:14

@powderbluegecko that's awful. YADDDDDNBU. He cannot just impose that on you-you need to be able to feel safe and happy at home.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 06/03/2018 18:18

No - if they are all committed to the idea then she keeps her own flat and they take turns to go there. I imagine that the novelty of looking after her will wear thin very quickly. You get a week in charge of the remote control. If he works very long hours you will be used to managing dd in the week alone and 1 in 3 weekends the two of you have a girls weekend.

LeighaJ · 06/03/2018 18:18

You've come to the right place OP.

+1 on the "Hell the fuck no."

MyKingdomForBrie · 06/03/2018 18:19

Definitely a deal breaker for me. How dare he be so utterly selfish and dismissive of you. That’s divorce worthy if he forces it.

S0ph1a · 06/03/2018 18:21

Shouldwestay has the best idea . Genuis .

Garmadonsmum · 06/03/2018 18:22

No. Plus, she will need her own room kept in every house she stays in.
You could have 30 years of this given her age. She's only 59 - she could get a new partner if she doesn't want to live alone, or a lodger even.

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