Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be offended by this present from DP's mother?

89 replies

ShouldIBeOffended · 24/03/2020 12:45

Before I start, yes I know this is not a serious problem in relation to coronavirus. I have been self isolating due to family having symptoms for the last 2 weeks and I really want to talk about something other than coronavirus so sorry if you think this is a first world problem.

I have been with DP 3 years. I do art and sell my work online. DP's mother has hated me since we got together. She thinks I'm not good enough for him because I've been married before and am divorced.

But anyway, it was my birthday the other day, and his mother sent me a £1.50 kids watercolour set from Hobbycraft. Literally said £1.50 on the front. And it was definitely for me as it said so on the card. Obviously I know she didn't have to get me a present but I feel like this is a definite snub. DP says she means well. AIBU to be slightly offended and wish she hadn't sent anything at all?

OP posts:
Babdoc · 24/03/2020 14:32

OP, bless you for a lovely bit of normality amongst all the virus hysteria - I had a nice chuckle reading all the suggestions on here.
On a serious note though, as PPs have said, you have a potential DP problem. He needs to be loyal to his wife, not his mother. It doesn’t take a genius to foresee trouble ahead if he tries to keep a foot in each camp. And MIL will manipulate him like crazy, given half a chance.

zombieapocalypseisnigh · 24/03/2020 14:37

You have a DP problem: she did NOT mean well.

What a cow.

Postmanbear · 24/03/2020 14:43

She hates you and is trying to upset you so the only way you ‘win’ is by pretending to love the present.

BritishHorrorStory · 24/03/2020 14:44

OP, PLEASE don’t give it to your niece as a gift, you simply can’t. Do what a PP said and draw her and gift it to her at Christmas. Something like this

To be offended by this present from DP's mother?
MitziK · 24/03/2020 14:48

I wouldn't expect somebody who didn't know much about Art to be aware of differences in paint quality - same way somebody who knows nothing about cooking beyond stabbing a plastic film and microwaving for 90 seconds is likely to know there's a difference between a roast chicken and a slow roasted Bresse chicken - or that there's miles between a pair of trainers down the market and a proper pair of motion control running shoes following professional gait analysis and custom orthotics if their idea of good footwear is that they are sold in a box rather than a plastic bag.

Think of her as not knowing the difference and vaguely trying to get something she thought you would need, not as deliberately knowing how to make you feel shit about your hobby/business/whatever it is.

Might not be true, but it would give you the ability to smile sweetly and say 'thank you for trying so hard. It was very thoughtful, especially for somebody who doesn't have artistic abilities of their own'.

Holothane · 24/03/2020 14:53

Return it at Christmas watch her face drop.

copycopypaste · 24/03/2020 14:58

Give it back to her for Christmas. Say you used the one she gave you and had so much fun, you thought she would like it too. 🤣

This! Brilliant

Arealmanithink · 24/03/2020 15:04

TBH take it for what's it's worth. You didn't expect anything, she sent you something, accept, smile and chalk it up to "this is how it is" and move on. That's the way to look after yourself.

Whoareyoudududu · 24/03/2020 15:05

I’d either return it to her at Christmas or at least buy something equally crap with the cheap price sticker on it for her.

BabyItsAWildWorld · 24/03/2020 15:11

She may hate you.

Or she may be a bit bonkers and generally weirdly frugal in her present giving.

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 24/03/2020 15:15

She sounds like my SIL. The last present I received from her was a copy of Kerry katona’s biography with the £1 sticker still on it. They are not poor.

We don’t see them anymore....

CoolcoolcoolcoolcoolNoDoubt · 24/03/2020 15:28

Holy shit this is breathtaking

billy1966 · 24/03/2020 15:28

Honestly OP, I would be having a good hard look at your partner....because his ascertain that she meant well is bullshit and I wouldn't be one bit impressed with him trying to gaslight me otherwise....twat.

recycledbottle · 24/03/2020 15:29

Ha ha, this made me laugh. My MIL is the Queen of passive aggressive gifts. Try laugh it off

Windyatthebeach · 24/03/2020 15:35

Paint her as a Mrs Potato Head and thats her Christmas gift sorted....

Standrewsschool · 24/03/2020 15:40

I can’t actually pay see a kids paint set on Hobbycraft website for £1.50, so was it clearance stock! She must know you would use professional paint!

Dieu · 24/03/2020 15:40

Send the message: 'thanks for the paint set, but I've given it to my little niece. Being only 4, she doesn't mind cheap watercolours. As an artist though, I find them damn near impossible to work with!'

YouDoYou18 · 24/03/2020 15:51

I’m so sorry but I did laugh a little bit, honestly that’s one hell of a present! I’m with everyone else, regift it! Paint it and give it to her, maybe even add your own price sticker Grin

annamie · 24/03/2020 16:46

@BritishHorrorStory

OP, PLEASE don’t give it to your niece as a gift, you simply can’t.

I don’t think OP is giving it as a gift as such, just giving it away to her niece. There’s no harm in that.

romany4 · 24/03/2020 17:16

Definitely regift it back to her on her birthday or at Christmas.

I feel your pain. My MIL has never thought me good enough for DH. I've never forgotten her first Christmas present to me. A pair of pig slippers that oinked. That's it.
From then on, DH has been responsible for her presents and cards at birthdays and Christmas. I refuse to have anything to do with her

FizzyGreenWater · 24/03/2020 17:48

Haha. What a twat your MIL is.

But seriously. She does not mean well, and it's so obvious that you really do need to sit your DP down and have a little chat.

And this is what the chat should be. Very nicely and with lots of smiling, tell your DP that firstly, if he wants you to respect him and think of him as a good, functional partner and adult, he needs to stop patronising you - as well as making himself look stupid - by defending his rude, childish mother in such a ridiculous way when her actions are so overt. It doesn't make you think oh well maybe he's right - it makes you think that he is either deluded, spineless and afraid of his mother, or (worst of all) ok with her snubbing you and is letting you know that when push comes to (ridiclous, petty, laughable) shove - he will defend her over you.

And that is important. A nasty snubbing present is one thing - she has shown that she's unpleasant, but she can be avoided, and you no longer wish to have a relationship with her anyway (more on that later). However, his response alarms you. If he's going to stick up for her when she attacks you then your relationship will not last. Bottom line. Smile smile. No, it can't be ignored. It's not about a present, it's about his loyalty to you, your relationship, and boundaries around how he's prepared to sit back and let people treat you badly.

Which side of the fence does he want to be on? Answer needed.

Secondly. After three years, there's something he needs to know. You don't need or want to have a relationship with someone who dislikes you, be it MIL or anyone else. She's got the right to dislike you, too - childish and nasty though it is when you've done nothing to upset her. However. He needs to know that NOBODY who treats you badly will be tolerated as part of your life and family - again, MIL or not. So, he needs to understand right now that for example, if she keeps up her behaviour, what IS going to happen is that should you two marry and start a family, MIL will not be welcome to be a part of it. No, don't say 'but she's my mother' - if she were a good mother and therefore a potentially good granny, none of this would be happening, because she would be supporting his choices in life/relationships, and not treating his partner like shit. So, just to let him know (big smile!) - if we ever have children your mother will be lucky to see them once in a blue moon, and more likely she won't have contact at all because I will not have a toxic witch filling my babies' head with negative shit about their mother. Just so you know. She WILL see the consequences of her behaviour.

So. To summarise. Stop with the shit about your mother meaning well. It's making me respect you less. We both know she hates me because she's a nasty twat, own it, it needs acknowledging or it will wreck our relationship. Secondly, know now that I'm fine with her hating me, up to her, but if she thinks she gets to turn round the second I give birth and be right in there with my baby she will feel my foot right up her nasty fucking arse. Ok?

Big, huge smile to finish!

Yester · 24/03/2020 17:50

I want to see the portrait so badly...

OneFootintheRave · 24/03/2020 18:00

Come on OP. Get some mileage out of this. Paint her a portrait like this and that's Christmas sorted. Neither she nor your (coward) husband can object and you can smile inside at your secret gift plan for the next 9 months Grin

To be offended by this present from DP's mother?
EKGEMS · 24/03/2020 18:01

So your partner is just another spineless man who lets his mommy treat his life partner like shit? Hell no draw a line in the sand and stand up for yourself

Swipe left for the next trending thread