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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Feeling sad about comment from mother

107 replies

Mouse007 · 06/07/2018 21:00

Not really an AIBU, more just a vent...

My mother is highly critical of me, has never said she's proud of me, and whenever I have done something good she finds a way to make me feel bad. I was always top of the class at school, never in any trouble, highly successful career, mortgage paid off at 30 in one of the best places in the country, lovely husband, yet she's so sad and disappointed at how my life has turned out. She's always telling me what my physical faults are, how I could dress better, and how she's sad that I'm not pretty. All my choices are criticised e.g. she will ask me what vegetables I ate for dinner, and if I say eg green beans and cauliflower then she will say she's disappointed that I didn't eat green leafy vegetables because they are healthier.

It was my MIL's funeral 2 weeks ago, her death is devastating for me as I love her so very much. Today she told me that I shouldn't wear the type of dress that I wore to the funeral, because it makes me look "like a bottle" i.e. shapeless (bear in mind I'm 18 weeks pregnant). I told her that my FIL said I look nice, and she said DF was sad about the way I looked. I just don't understand why someone would say something so hurtful.

OP posts:
DamsonGin · 09/07/2018 17:19

I think you will be happier without them in your life but I'm sorry it's ended up like this Flowers

ciderhouserules · 09/07/2018 17:38

There's a chance that they might be nice to my child - quite honestly, with people like this, they may very well be 'nice' to your child, as a way of getting to you more! IE your child may be beautiful/clever/funny/confident which you weren't.

Or they may find fault with everything your child does, or says, or wants.

Either way, it's going to get to you. And the child really doesn't need someone like that in his/her life.

I'm NC with my toxic father nearly 30 years. he's never even seen my beautiful dc. And never will. His loss. But I know that he would never say a nice, or even halfway decent thing about me, their mother. So why would i expose my kids to that?

Stay strong.

Gettingbackonmyfeet · 09/07/2018 17:41

OP the chance is minimal they will be nice to any grandchild....probably while they are a baby yes but as soon as they start to speak and have their own opinions she will most definately attempt to crush them

There is no genuine good will to help from them she is not remotely saying it for positive benefit

She enjoys the feeling of crushing you...whether she admits it or not

Birdsgottafly · 09/07/2018 18:00

My biggest regret was not going NC before my eldest DD had formed a relationship with my Mother.

What I did do was challenge every nasty comment and make her reason it out, to show her how abnormal what she was saying was. She did go through the "I just won't speak", woe-is-me act, but I used to just tell her that it was probably best that she didn't, if she couldn't say anything nice.

It did eventually stop, unless we were somewhere that she knew I wouldn't pick her up on it.

longwayoff · 09/07/2018 18:35

Birds is right. Dont indulge the old bat, she gets immense satisfaction from it and makes her feel better about herself. A few tastes of her own medicine will make her think. Dont argue with her just turn all nasties back onto her. Don't feel sorry for her, she doesnt feel sorry for you.

Caroelle · 09/07/2018 23:12

Mouse 007, we didn’t tell my parents for nearly a year. They still don’t have a phone number to contact us or an email address and I have changed employer. They don’t know that I am in contact with my sister. I feel safer that way, if there is an emergency they can get the police to track me down.

Jamiefraserskilt · 10/07/2018 00:57

Mouse, the relationship between you and your mother is on her terms. It always was and it always will be. There is nothing all you can do to change this or her. If you were my daughter I would be so proud. You have achieved so much despite her not due to her. It is time for you to accept she will never change...ever. You can grieve for the relationship you wished you had or that you see others have with their mothers, that is natural. However, be happy and confident with your lot. Once you accept the relationship for what it is (and no one says you have to like her) you can move on. If she starts, stop her dead and respond with " after putting up with xxx years of your critical and hurtful comments, I am no longer interested in your opinion" and speak to someone else as if you are dismissing her or you could say "if you haven't anything nice to say then say nothing as you are boring me with your negative comments now".
If she gets a response, it feeds her jealousy and she will stoke and stoke until you explode then point out your hysterical behaviour. The other way is to hold her eye just a fraction longer than her comment, take a deep breath and open a conversation with someone else like df or dh. Do not let her do this to another generation. Minimise contact completely.
I have a "d"f that did this for years and years. He no longer controls me. I could never be disrespectful to him and let it carry on until it was pointed out to me that he showed no respect for me and if we didn't share genes, he would not be in my life.

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