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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be totally fed up with ILs

6 replies

fourseatsandasteeringwheel · 18/10/2019 18:24

First time poster long time lurker

SIL1 has 2 DC...one is similar age to DS and birthdays are 6 days apart. All 4 DC get on great. SIL and her DP are lovely.

SIL2 also has 2 DC....less contact for various reasons.

Last year BIL got birthday present for DD (1) and nothing for DS (10) later in the year. DH queried this and was told it was because DS doesn't like them (partly true he's scared of BIL). DH wasn't happy and basically said that we can't make them buy for both kids but we can refuse gifts for DD if won't treat both DC the same.

Then SIL2 last year said she'd posted gift but we never received it and had no form for being unfair to kids so we said nothing. She has done the same thing this year but this time claimed had passed to MIL to give to DS.

There is a long history between us I should mention. Also worth mentioning that while DH has brought DS up he is not his biological father. DS has no contact with biological parent. Both DH and DS view one another as parent/child and have done for many, many years. DS chose to take DH's name. None of DS's or our more recent friends know DH isn't his biological dad. They just never mention it.

DH decided that he didn't want to buy for SIL2 DC because of her. While we understand it's not the children's fault we don't see why DS should receive this treatment either.

Today was SIL2 DC birthday. All hell has let loose.

MIL gone mad at DH for not getting gift claiming different scenario as SIL2 can't always afford gifts. DH said fine if that's the case but don't buy for either.

I know she got for DN when it was his birthday 6 days after DS birthday.

AIBU to think that you either buy for both or neither but not to single one out.

MIL reckons DS only a child so won't even notice and that DH is making his own problems. DH has said related to BIL and SIL2 not accepting DS as his son. MIL says this isn't the case.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 18/10/2019 18:27

I'd wash my hands of the lot of them. A bunch of unhinged drama queens.

Hotsummerplease · 18/10/2019 18:30

We carried on buying for family who suddenly stopped buying for our DC, but after a while being the 'bigger person' loses its appeal. Sod it. Def stop buying all round. It will simplify things. They sound like hard work and not kind to your DS.

gabsdot45 · 18/10/2019 18:49

None of my siblings buy birthday presents for my kids. No falling out of anything, they just don't.
I do buy for my niblings because I love them. It has nothing to do with the adults.
If you like your niblings then get them presents.

Ragwort · 18/10/2019 18:51

Just agree not to buy presents, far easier all round.

Quitedrab · 18/10/2019 18:56

Just ask them not to buy presents for your DD to make it fair. Get presents for their kids if you want, otherwise not. The retaliation thing seems a bit precious to me though.

Soubriquet · 18/10/2019 19:02

Nope.

I’m with you.

I used to buy my niece and nephew stuff every year.

My sister wouldn’t for my two.

In the end, after my dd asked why auntie didn’t buy them anything when we bought cousins, I thought sod it. No more

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