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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU: Can't forgive husband

547 replies

shoeshoebadoo · 05/04/2019 11:23

My DH booked a big holiday for this year for me and our 2 DC. Then my mum also booked to go to the same place along with my sister and brother - without telling me first. My mum's logic was that she would be able to help us out with childcare and at the same time we could get the big family holiday she's always dreamed of since my Dad passed away in a horrific incident many years ago. Not the greatest logic but her heart was in the right place.

My DH kicked off big time and changed the dates of our holiday even though it was unlikely, due to the nature of the type of holiday it was, that we would spend loads of time together anyway. He paid for it as I'm not earning much at the moment so he saw it as his right to change the dates. My mum was gutted and crying that she'd caused this issue.

I was really upset with him that he couldn't just go with the flow and let us have this holiday together. I understand his point of view but my family aren't monsters and we all get on well. My mum literally does everything for us, she babysits at the drop of a hat, dotes on our children, is always there for me and needs as much family support as she can get as she's still grieving.

I now feel that if anything was to happen to my mum in the coming years and I missed out on this last big family holiday together I don't think I will ever be able to forgive him. AIBU???

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 05/04/2019 11:53

Yabu, your mother clearly should have asked you and he's right to be annoyed

BeefTomato · 05/04/2019 11:54

Your Mum shouldn't have booked herself onto the same holiday as you without asking. I suspect that she didn't ask because she knew that your DH wouldn't like it. "It's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission." It just didn't work this time.

I suggest that you cheer her up by planning an actual big family holiday next year, if that's something you fancy!

Escherichiacoli · 05/04/2019 11:55

Jeez, he's really dropped a hand grenade in the room there hasn't he. What a plonker. I don't like the way he feels his decision takes precedent because he is the breadwinner. That attitude doesn't wear well with me.

user1483387154 · 05/04/2019 11:56

I'm with your husband on this one

Thebatmother · 05/04/2019 11:56

I am there for my DD, drop everything to help out and dote on my GC but would I make the unilateral decision to book my holiday in the same place at the same time so I could help out - absolutely not. I would go along to help with looking after the children so DD&DSIL had more time for themselves but ONLY if I were asked to go. I know your DM is grieving and am very sorry for your loss, but that was presumptuous on her part imo.

shoeshoebadoo · 05/04/2019 11:57

You are all right of course - my mum was a mental booking the holiday at the same time without telling us first and I was really cross with her at first. I feel very stuck in the middle and that everyone was making decisions without telling me - DH booking the holiday and then changing it without telling me and then DM wading in!! It's a mess really and I should probably just let it all go and get the **ck over it.

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 05/04/2019 11:57

Wow. This is a mess of things going on, isn't it? I have so many questions raised by your first post!

"My DH booked a big holiday for this year for me and our 2 DC."
Am I reading the implication right, that this is a special holiday, out of the ordinary for you? And also, why do you express it as being for you and the DC, not 'us and our DC'?

"Then my mum also booked to go to the same place along with my sister and brother - without telling me first."
Why do you think she didn't tell you? Oh, because she knew this was not what your husband wanted, didn't she? But she thought she'd get her own way if she handed you a fait accompli. Has she done this before? Sounds like she might have done.

"My mum's logic was that she would be able to help us out with childcare and at the same time we could get the big family holiday she's always dreamed of since my Dad passed away in a horrific incident many years ago. Not the greatest logic but her heart was in the right place."
So what she wants overrules everyone else? Like your DH? And you? And your dad passed away 'many years ago' - how long has she been harbouring this dream? And how often is the 'horrific incident' aired as a sort of trump card to get her own way? (I'll come back to guilting people later.)

"My DH kicked off big time and changed the dates of our holiday even though it was unlikely, due to the nature of the type of holiday it was, that we would spend loads of time together anyway."
Him kicking off was not a surprise. It's a pretty natural response to being railroaded, and having your holiday hijacked definitely counts as railroading. How much time you'd have spent in their company is irrelevant, they're there.

"He paid for it as I'm not earning much at the moment so he saw it as his right to change the dates."
There's a possible can of worms there that I'll leave for the moment, but it bespeaks attitudes you and he both hold.

"My mum was gutted and crying that she'd caused this issue."
Or was she 'frustrated and angry crying' at not getting her own way? And yes, she did indeed cause this issue with her underhanded attempt at hijacking.

"I was really upset with him that he couldn't just go with the flow and let us have this holiday together."
So you were fine with the hijack?

"I understand his point of view but my family aren't monsters and we all get on well."
They don't have to be monsters to not want them on your holiday. Your hyperbole is interesting.

"My mum literally does everything for us, she babysits at the drop of a hat, dotes on our children, is always there for me and needs as much family support as she can get as she's still grieving."
Aaaand, we're back to the guilting of people!

"I now feel that if anything was to happen to my mum in the coming years and I missed out on this last big family holiday together I don't think I will ever be able to forgive him. AIBU???"
Guilt, guilt, guilt (sang to the tune of Spam). Guilt that you're feeling and guilt that you're trying to lay on your husband.

So my BIG question is, is guilt like a currency in your family? Is it how people are controlled and manipulated?

And just in case you're in any doubt, YABU with your 'can't forgive' grandstanding.

Tinkety · 05/04/2019 11:58

since my Dad passed away in a horrific incident many years ago

I’m very sorry to hear about your Dad OP & I know everyone grieves at their own pace & of course you need to support your DM but if it truly was “many years ago” then maybe your DH is just craving a bit of space from her, especially if she is heavily involved in your day to day life.

I would hazard a guess that this isn’t the first time your DM as done something like this - albeit on a smaller scale - and your DH has finally cracked because it’s the last straw.

I’m with your DH on this & the fact that you’re framing him as “the bad guy” makes me think that you don’t have healthy boundaries with your family.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 05/04/2019 11:58

He was wrong to make the decision to change without discussing it with you first and then justifying it by saying he paid for it. However I dont blame him for wanting it changed. A holiday was booked for you him and dc, then without warning it got turned into an extended family holiday. That was something that should have been discussed and agreed on by all parties involved. If you and your DM feel ypu must have a big family holiday then you need to firstly discuss with your DH if he is happy with this. Maybe he wants to spend his annual leave with you and his DCs. Maybe a family weekend away would be better?

SEsofty · 05/04/2019 11:58

I would be furious if my anyone tried to crash my longed for holiday.

I’m not surprised that he changed the dates. If he wanted to go on holiday with your family then that is what you’d have done before booking.

Your mum has absolutely, completely crossed a line and by changing the date demonstrates that her behaviour is unacceptable

Thebatmother · 05/04/2019 11:59

Also if a big family holiday is important then that should be discussed and arranged as a separate trip, not trying to make an already booked holiday for your family into something it was never planned to be.

FriarTuck · 05/04/2019 11:59

Seeing as the OP's mum is still grieving, I think she should get some leeway.
Yes but OP did say it happened 'many years ago'. I'm not saying that DM shouldn't still be grieving, obviously, but there has to be a point at which you can't keep using it as an excuse for being needy and I wonder whether (and I could easily be wrong) maybe DM is using it as a reason for being so involved with everything, possibly because she doesn't like being on her own without her husband? They could have had a big family holiday in one of the 'many' previous years, but DM waits until he's booked this one and then books them on it too. It just sounds a bit manipulative.

SirVixofVixHall · 05/04/2019 11:59

Yes of course your Mum should have asked, but under the circs I think your DH really over reacted by then huffily changing the dates, now the whole holiday will be under a cloud. He could have expressed his annoyance, but then gone along with it, given that you as a family have gone through what sounds like an extremely traumatic death of your Dad, and your Mum is loving and helps you a lot.

Why didn’t your Mum think to ask ? Did she think it was a nice surprise and that you would be pleased ?
I would be annoyed if my MIL did this, because she is quite bossy and controlling. There is a big difference between that and a kindly meant mis-step which this sounds like. Does your DH not like your Mum ?

QuickThinkOfAName · 05/04/2019 12:00

Your mum was out of order. Who the hell invites themselves on someone else’s holiday? I’ve seen plenty of threads on here with mil tagging along and they were all rightly slammed.

Frankly I’m with your dh. You say about the money you don’t have a say. Is that your opinion or does he control your finances? If it’s just this one occasion where he hasn’t asked you (I don’t blame him your reaction isnt great) then I wouldn’t be worried. If there’s more to it then you have a problem.

0hT00dles · 05/04/2019 12:00

I agree with your DH here although he went about it badly. I had an aunt crash our first family holiday as a four for 2 weeks and she then invited my uncle out as well. It’s caused rifts as my uncle wanted to use us for babysitting and wasn’t staying beside us. We got out for 1 meal as a family of four and my uncle turned up at the restaurant with a face like thunder.

I’m booking all my holidays and not telling anyone now.

GreatDuckCookery · 05/04/2019 12:00

How long ago did you lose your dad OP?

extremehydration · 05/04/2019 12:01

It's a mess really and I should probably just let it all go and get the ck over it

It sounds like an ongoing issue rather than a one-off incident though. This really all needs sorting. Good boundaries and consideration are needed on all sides.

saraclara · 05/04/2019 12:01

I would be absolutely livid if my (much loved) inlaws had booked themselves on our holiday without telling us.
I'm sorry, but it's astonishingly bad behaviour on your mother's part. What was she thinking?

Your husband's high handedness in unilaterally changing the dates, si of course, wrong. But I totally understand his fury.

FriarTuck · 05/04/2019 12:01

Splendid post from WhereYouLeftIt

Disfordarkchocolate · 05/04/2019 12:03

I'm with your husband but it doesn't sound like your Mum was doing with the intent of hurting you all.

As she has wanted this for a long time plan something for next year. It may be better to do a long weekend because not every family can holiday together.

hemingwayy · 05/04/2019 12:03

A bit shortsighted from your dh given everything your mum does to help.

MadameDD · 05/04/2019 12:03

Never been on holiday with my PIL. DH never been on holiday with mine either!

However, I think my DM and her PIL and my DStepdad and his PIL both wouldn't have liked going on holiday with the other - fine for DM to go to see PIL in another country - but she got 'criticism' due to not being the correct religion, marrying later etc... I think they both would have sucked this up but would have been 'irked'.

My DB has no choice but to go on holiday with his inlaws because his FIL is disabled and so the adult children help his DW with his care when on holiday - but this is always agreed between the family.

onionchucker · 05/04/2019 12:05

If I was your DH I would also be furious that my MIL had gatecrashed the family holiday with BIL and SIL without even discussing this with anyone.
It sounds like your DM is used to getting her own way and guilt-tripping you.
DH should have discussed changing the date with. Him saying he earns the money etc is outrageous. Is he always like this?

And YABU for saying you'd never be able to forgive yourself if something happened to your Mum and you had missed out on the last family holiday because of this. It wasn't a big family holiday with your Mum and DB and DS - it was a family holiday for you, your DH and the DC. If you wanted a holiday with DM, DB and DS you should have arranged to do something separately - next year for example.

The whole thing sounds like a right mess with an interfering DM and a pain in the arse DH who thinks that because he earns more he is the boss of everyone.

hemingwayy · 05/04/2019 12:05

Unless it's the holiday of a lifetime I'm not sure I would care. Plenty more holidays to have alone.

extremehydration · 05/04/2019 12:05

Even though your Mum offers to help, she does this of her own volition. It doesn't buy her the right crash your holidays without asking. If she feels that way, then it means her help is conditional.