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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be worried about MIL after vodka in DD's juice?

264 replies

libbylove · 25/10/2018 18:07

A couple of weekends ago we had Sunday lunch with my in-laws. My mother in law had some juice in a lemonade bottle that she told me she'd made herself. She gave me a glass and told me it wasn't alcoholic. I double checked this and she swore blind that it was just juice. It tasted just like juice, nothing strange about it - and it was like 11am so I didn't think any more about it.

Later on during the meal my 3.5 year old daughter needed a drink so I asked my mother in law what to give her. She said anything on the kitchen counter would do so I poured my daughter a cup of the juice and thought no more about it.

Two hours or so later my mother in law was a bottle or so deep in white wine. I was having a joke with someone and she pointed at me and accused me of being drunk. I replied that there was no way I could be drunk because I'd only been drinking the juice she made.

She then chose to reveal that this "juice" was made from 50% tropical J2O and 50% neat vodka. She'd given it to me mixed with flat lemonade, but I'd given it to my toddler as was. And I had no idea how much my daughter had drunk. My father in law said her cup was full when he cleared the table - but I'd only filled it 2/3rds full so that didn't add up. Meanwhile my mother in law's reaction was "well, you gave it to her." as if I know it had vodka in it!

The whole next day my daughter was down in the dumps, didn't eat, had a headache, was dizzy and was generally too ill to go to nursery. My husband was at work so when I told her she'd been ill all day (despite the fact she'd been up three times in the night and uncharacteristically wet herself twice the day of the juice) he alternately said it was down to her recent injections/me overreacting. I had to flat out accuse him if gaslighting me before he accepted that maybe the whole situation was not ideal.

The in-laws have previous - when DD was barely walking they took her out and got her badly burned with splinters in her feet from walking on a pier with little/no sunscreen. She nearly ended up in a burns unit, and me and my husband had to hold her down as a doctor pulled out a dozen or so large splinters.

My husband has now started arranging for my daughter to stay with them for a few days. I'm not sure what to say about this - he wants me to have the conversation with them because it's me that's unhappy, but I almost need a script or something. Do I say they can't look after her? Do I say they need to take better care? Or am I, as my husband thinks, overreacting?

OP posts:
lostfrequencies · 25/10/2018 21:31

Yes AnyFucker, it is, isn't it.

Jengnr · 25/10/2018 21:33

Spiking drinks is low. Really fucking low.

Spiking a child is despicable.

This woman did both of those things. Then she blamed you. And your husband cares more about her than he does about his daughter or his wife.

Grim.

Dontfeellikeaskeleton · 25/10/2018 21:35

Er, I'd be saying no?

HavelockVetinari · 25/10/2018 21:36

In her short little life of only 3 years she’s been burnt to the point of being hospitalised and drank an unknown amount of vodka with no medical attention afterwards

^ this. Grow a fucking backbone and tell your H your DD needs to stay away from these toxic people.

Nanny0gg · 25/10/2018 21:40

I'm finding it difficult to believe that your 3 and half year old was sick, you knew she had mistakenly drunk vodka yet you didn't take her to A&E or seek medical advice. You're almost as irresponsible as your mother in law.

Indeed.

On present evidence I wouldn't leave a goldfish with any of you.

SassyTheVampireSlayer · 25/10/2018 21:46

Nope...still not Friday... but there's been some interesting threads tonight Confused

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 25/10/2018 21:49

Eh? I'm mightily confused here.

MIL offered you fruit juice and specified she'd made it herself from mixed berries (though it was actually J2O or something). You asked if it was alcoholic and were told it was not. But in fact it was 50% vodka. Despite not drinking often you didn't taste the alcohol or notice yourself getting drunk.

You gave some to your daughter who drank it without complaint. You found out it was 50% vodka but didn't seek medical advice, even when she was seemingly hungover. And your husband is totally blasé about it all.

Bizarre. 

Feelings · 25/10/2018 21:52

Your MIL sabotaged your drink. She didn't tell you she'd put alcohol in and sabotaged your drink. She cannot stand there and claim it's all your fault that you gave your child the drink that SHE made.

Laksaf · 25/10/2018 21:59

Your MIL is at fault (and vile) for the alcohol but you are failing your daughter if you allow her to stay with these people or spend time with them unsupervised.

agnurse · 25/10/2018 22:02

It doesn't matter if MIL "drinks to cope" or just drinks because that's what she wants to do.

If she is drinking alcohol as a coping mechanism she's not safe to have around a child.

Your thread suggests that MIL may have an alcohol problem. That makes her REALLY unsafe to have around a child.

DH may benefit from going to Al-Anon or Adult Children of Alcoholics.

dadshere · 25/10/2018 22:04

If someone had given me vodka hidden in a drink and then expressely denied it, they would NEVER EVER have any kind of contact with my child, or me for that matter.

BMW6 · 25/10/2018 22:07

Vodka may not have a taste, but you would certainly feel the "kick" of that much alcohol......

If your DH thinks this is not an issue, tell him to ring Social Services and ask them what they think.

Believeitornot · 25/10/2018 22:10

I’m sorry but why do you need a script for keeping your child away from people that give your toddler alcohol and make her suffer severe burns?

What the actual fuck?

It’s easy.

“No. You’re not looking after my daughter”

“No dh your mother is not looking after our child”

end of story

Believeitornot · 25/10/2018 22:11

My husband is concerned that if he tells his folks DD can't stay with them alone any more, they'll be so incredibly upset they'll never want to see us again

Is your dh on crack?

And that’s a bonus if they don’t want to see you again.

libbylove · 25/10/2018 22:11

@hepzibar What does "reverse" mean?

Everyone else - my best friend has also recommended couples counseling and we're going to go. Thank you for your advice.

I know my daughter has been treated badly but to clarify she wasn't hospitalised for her sunburn, as it didn't blister - we gave her aftersun after getting immediate professional medical care. I didn't take her to A&E after the vodka but I did get advice from my mother who was a health visitor for 30 years. Had I known about the risk of blood sugar issues I would have gone straight to A&E.

I have issues asserting myself with my in-laws who have very strong personalities, and I hate conflict. I'm working on this. Don't worry, my daughter won't be left alone with them any time soon.

I want to reassure anyone worrying about my daughter that she is a very happy, clever little girl who goes to an outstanding nursery who have excellent, rigorous safeguarding procedures.

OP posts:
Missingstreetlife · 25/10/2018 22:11

This is a safeguarding issue, if social services get hold of it they would be making sure you can protect your child. Please call nspcc for advice.
Parents have to protect children all the time, your gut feeling was correct. You don't need to have a big showdown, just state your position and reasons, and stick to it. Good luck, if you can't manage it talk to your gp, child's nursery or health visitor to support you.

Tidy2018 · 25/10/2018 22:12

Surely Severe sunburn would have been reported to Social Services? Where I live, this certainly is the case.

Aintnothingbutaheartache · 25/10/2018 22:15

Just read through all of this and to be honest am fucking flabbergasted.
Op would you do yourself a favour and look at the FACTS here?
Your 3 1/2 yo old child could have died because of stupid bloody ignorant behaviour by a close relative.
The fact that everyone around you is telling you that you are overreacting means that you are surrounded by a hideous mess of humanity.
Stop worrying about what people think of you or your actions.
Look after your child

MrsJane · 25/10/2018 22:15

Wow, I wouldn't let my dd anywhere near them! Disgusting behaviour!

You don't spike people's drinks, for a million and one reasons. Totally unacceptable.

The sunburn, splinters, alcohol poisoning, dismissing medical treatment regarding your dd... unforgivable.

Why is your DH so blasé about it all? Very unsettling. I'd be questioning his judgement on all matters from now on. Bizarre behaviour.

Thehop · 25/10/2018 22:16

You mist find the strength to stand up for your dd OP.

These people are dangerous and negligent. They may profess to love your dd, but they can’t lool after her and lee her safe. They could have KILLED her.

If nursery new this, and that you had left her in their care, you would have ss involvement and risk her being taken into care.

They can’t have her unsupervised AT ALL

Thehop · 25/10/2018 22:17

Oh god I’m sorry about the spelling and typos, phone is on it’s way out

MamaLovesMango · 25/10/2018 22:18

You’re still not getting it.

Your issues are not your daughters problem and she should NEVER be left in the care of them, or possibly even your DH, again. You keep putting yours and your DHs needs above your daughter’s.

Great that the nursery has good safeguarding procedures. Hopefully, that’ll mean they’ll pick up on any more idiocy like this and do the right thing.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 25/10/2018 22:20

she is a very happy, clever little girl who goes to an outstanding nursery who have excellent, rigorous safeguarding procedures

Phew! 

Stillme1 · 25/10/2018 22:21

I have checked into this tonight. Apparently spiking a drink can earn you up to 10 years in prison. Probably spiking a child would attract a higher sentence. Time PILs and H had a short sharp shock to ensure your DD's safety and well being.

68Anon · 25/10/2018 22:22

I want to reassure anyone worrying about my daughter that she is a very happy, clever little girl who goes to an outstanding nursery who have excellent, rigorous safeguarding procedures

Pity her parents and grandparents don't have excellent, rigorous safeguarding procedures.