Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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:
QueenOfCatan · 26/10/2018 06:51

Please tell her wonderful nursery about these incidents then. And then tell them that your husband wants to leave them alone with these people and you are going to agree to not hurt their feelings. Hopefully they'll do the right bloody thing and tell social services that your poor daughters parents cannot safeguard her properly. Your mother being an ex hv makes this all the more terrifying!

Vivaldi1678 · 26/10/2018 07:11

If this thread is genuine you all sound bonkers and I wouldn't leave my puppy with any of you, let alone a child.

TheSerenDipitY · 26/10/2018 07:24

she secretly gave you alcohol, you in turn gave it to your child.. thats pretty bad, even before your child was given any... what if you had thought shit i need to go get something from the shop down the road and jumped in the car??? all cause she thought it would be funny to get you drunk.... real funny when your child needs a new liver or even funnier when you drink drive and kill someone ( maybe even your husband and child)... MIL is a cunt pure and simple

sonandhelpneeded · 26/10/2018 07:33

So you had 50% OJ and 50% vodka and didn't taste the alcohol?

To be honest, if this happened then it's at best bizarre and at worst indicates mental health illness!

PaintingOwls · 26/10/2018 07:35

sonandhelpneeded she'd mixed it with lemonade, so it was 50% lemonade, 25% vodka and 25% OJ.

panago · 26/10/2018 07:39

How can a 3.5year old be "down in the dumps"?

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

 and this makes you a great parent because??

abbsisspartacus · 26/10/2018 07:44

Ummm am I the only one who would have called the police? She fucking spiked you and your daughter she could have done serious damage and your child was ill after this drink? I would have gone to the Drs too

trulybadlydeeply · 26/10/2018 07:51

What your MIL did to you was unforgivable, who was driving home that day? Did she check first who was driving, and what if that had changed? The consequences don't beat thinking about.

Likewise, the fact that alcohol was not clearly identified in her house and you ended up giving it to your DD is equally unforgivable. She should have been mortified to hear this had happened, yet she wasngr.

As for the burns and splinters, what were they thinking???

If you allow them unsupervised contact you are putting your DD at significant risk of harm. If there is another incident and it is reported to SS, they will look at whether you and your DH were aware of potential risks, and if so, what you did to minimise these risks. If you willingly send her to stay with them, then you are knowingly putting her at risk of harm, and SS will be very concerned. You need to decide what your priorities are here.

Zoflorabore · 26/10/2018 08:01

I'm hoping that this thread isn't true but sadly I think it is.

By not seeking medical attention for your little girl you are just as bad as the in laws.
You didn't want her taken away? What if she had GOD FORBID choked in her sleep by vomiting or something else horrific?? How would you explain that away?

You and your husband are a disgrace.
More worried about upsetting the bloody applecart. This isn't one of those funny family situations that gets told at future weddings.... remember the time when...

If you don't understand the gravity of the situation then you need help yourself.

mama1DC · 26/10/2018 08:14

Oh that's just great. I'm so glad your DH thinks it's acceptable your MIL lied about alcohol and then didn't even bother telling you when you asked what DD could have! Hope he doesn't mind his daughter being taken into care if she ends up in hospital because of your MIL, idiot....

0ccamsRazor · 26/10/2018 08:16

Op your dd has an underdeveloped liver, the liver is not able to process alcohol properly until that person reaches physical maturity. The alcohol that your very young dd has ingested could effect her liver and you would be none the wiser, she should have been taken to a&e to make sure that there has not been any long term damage.

It is neglect to not take her to be seen by medical professionals.

UnknownStuntman · 26/10/2018 08:21

The child should be removed from your care and placed with a loving, responsible family who can and will take care of her.

I hope someone in RL reports you to social services.

BitOutOfPractice · 26/10/2018 08:22

I'd go as far as to say that if I knew you in RL and knew what had happened here, I would report you to SS if you let your MiL look after your DD again

Bonesy1 · 26/10/2018 08:27

If you let your daughter go to your in laws unsupervised you will be knowingly putting her at risk. If she comes to harm it will be you the doctors report to children’s services, it will be you they investigate

Feb2018mumma · 26/10/2018 08:28

This is horrendous! Not only your daughter but you! She knew she was spiking your drink even if she didn't know she spiked your baby? What if you were early pregnant and not telling people? She can say she didn't know about your daughter but she definitely knew she was tricking you into having alcohol. This so so horrendous and disgusting. The fact your husband doesn't care is crazy? She got your child drunk? I'm so confused! Why does he not think it's his problem? What if you drove home?!?! These are all things to bring up 1. I could have driven your grandchild drunk and lost my license 2. I could have been pregnant! 100 percent she will say she didn't know about grand daughter having any so stick to how she tricked you when you bring it up! I am so angry for you, hope your little girl is okay :(

0ccamsRazor · 26/10/2018 08:34

Op how do you feel reading all of these replies?

libbylove · 26/10/2018 08:45

@occamsrazor How I feel? I feel like the worst mother in the world and am contemplating reporting myself to social services. I have been crying all night. I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me.

OP posts:
LittleLionMansMummy · 26/10/2018 08:46

Op had said she won't be allowing her dd to be looked after by mil any time soon. The husband is the problem since he can't see why op and people on this thread are so upset and is making her out to be over-reacting. Something he's clearly learned from his parents.

Op, your husband needs to know that if his parents are allowed to look after your dd again and she comes to serious harm, social services will become involved and I'm afraid that you and your husband will be culpable for allowing her neglect. So please don't let him make you doubt yourself. It really is that serious.

It's not couple's counselling you need. Your husband needs parenting classes and a wake up call. And I'm afraid you need to find your self belief and get angry about this: they could have killed her. Let that sink in. Lots of people don't like conflict, but your child is the one person in life you'd die for.

You are right. They are wrong. And your husband is enabling, indeed is complicit in, his mother's actions.

Jimjamjong · 26/10/2018 08:47

YANBU and it sounds like everyone is always undermining you. You need strict boundaries to protect your child and yourself, it's not OK to lie about what is in your drink.
I think you might get some good info on that website:
outofthefog.website/
Good luck OP.

Jimjamjong · 26/10/2018 08:47

It's not you OP, it's them. You are perfectly fine.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 26/10/2018 08:50

Weird thread all round. I'm confused about the mixed berries business Confused

I'm also confused why MIL swore blind there was no alcohol in the drink she'd made up too. I mean if I'd made up some juice and put it in a bottle, I'd just say have some juice to whoever wanted it. Sounds like there's a family problem with booze here. Also you should have taken DD to be checked over if this is real of course

Myusername101z · 26/10/2018 08:53

It makes me laugh on these posts when people reply “if this is true”Hmm .... I would be very angry OP , you have two very good reasons there to argue for no unsupervised visits

3luckystars · 26/10/2018 08:55

She spiked your drink and your toddler drank vodka because of her stupidity.

No way would I ever allow my child be alone with her and your husband is a problem here also. A big one.

I would not split up with him yet because he might take the child to his parents house during his time with her. Be very careful. Make sure your child is not left alone with her and trust your instincts.

RoboticSealpup · 26/10/2018 09:05

The alcohol that your very young dd has ingested could effect her liver and you would be none the wiser.

I'm sorry but I think this is true.

Calmingvibrations · 26/10/2018 09:06

I think you should call SS - I think you need support from outside people / organisation to throw some reality into the situation.

Your husband needs something or someone to hammer home how awful this is. Clearly you’re not that person as he’s not listening to you.

I also think you need some of your own counselling to help with your confidence. You are your child’s only advocate - you need to do right by her.

I am the least confrontational person ever (always think of something to say days after an event!) but if someone, anyone (and I mean anyone DP included) harmed my child like that, there would be hell to pay.

It’s like you think you need their agreement in order to act.

Swipe left for the next trending thread