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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want my in-laws to enjoy my kids.

136 replies

Pancakebreakiii · 16/08/2020 09:51

I know I’m being spiteful and petty and I feel like telling my kids how they really are - but I won’t as they are young and I wouldn’t mess with their heads like that.

But I’m just so fucked off now as I feel like they have ‘won’ especially mil.

When I joined the family Sil was just divorcing Bil. Mil and Sil didn’t speak, Sil accused mil of bullying her. At that point mil was very nice to me although I was always aware that she could turn quite quickly. Every one has to dance to her tune and if not there would be actual slamming doors, shouting ( in my house) tears ect..

Mil actually paid the divorce settlement for bil - she brought the cheque to my house to show me. It was quite hefty but she said it was the price she paid for two grandkids. I’ve been there when she has asked her other grandkids ‘who do you live most, your mum or dad’ which made them really uncomfortable. She’s fucking rotten.

When I was pregnant she really bullied me, to the point I was going to leave dh. She was really unpleasant. Eg. She would let herself in to my house early in the morning whilst I was still in bed, come in to my bedroom and demand ( it was demand because the way she spoke to me was so hostile) to know where dh, Demanding to be at the birth as she was at her other grandkids, dh was so fucking flimsy about it and only stuck up for me when I actually packed a bag to leave. She went apocalyptic and left the country for a month when I was due. She sent me horrible text messages when she got drunk saying i was a ‘fucking cunt‘ I was ‘bullshit’ on the last one I told her to fuck off and never come to my house again. This caused bil to get on the phone and have a go at dh. Dh pretended he didn’t have a clue what was going - even though he was lay beside me when I started getting the messages.

From then we was excluded from family gatherings even though I’d done nothing to the wider family and was always nice and helpful. If dh was invited by himself - he went . I once bumped in to aunty once and whilst having a nice chat she said ‘your the black sheep of the family like me’ . I’d not actually said or done anything to these people for them to view me like this. Dh was quite low contact at this time. Although on occasion he would take the kids to see Mil and Bill and they showered them with gifts and the kids loved it.

Tbh it started to rot our relationship, other stuff happened unrelated and after ten years It called it a day. Since dh has become very close to his family. Seeing them most weekends and taking the kids. Kids talk about them all the time and I feel like I’m on the out side of my own family.

Mil posted a picture last night that my friend sent to me of my two kids sat on her knee with mil smiling smug and it’s give me the rage. Her other grandkids were stood round her too. She’s seen both her Dils off, had her boys back and is now enjoying our kids.

I don’t want them near her but now I feel like the unreasonable one Sad

OP posts:
GrumpyHoonMain · 16/08/2020 19:26

@Pancakebreakiii

I know I’m being spiteful and petty and I feel like telling my kids how they really are - but I won’t as they are young and I wouldn’t mess with their heads like that.

But I’m just so fucked off now as I feel like they have ‘won’ especially mil.

When I joined the family Sil was just divorcing Bil. Mil and Sil didn’t speak, Sil accused mil of bullying her. At that point mil was very nice to me although I was always aware that she could turn quite quickly. Every one has to dance to her tune and if not there would be actual slamming doors, shouting ( in my house) tears ect..

Mil actually paid the divorce settlement for bil - she brought the cheque to my house to show me. It was quite hefty but she said it was the price she paid for two grandkids. I’ve been there when she has asked her other grandkids ‘who do you live most, your mum or dad’ which made them really uncomfortable. She’s fucking rotten.

When I was pregnant she really bullied me, to the point I was going to leave dh. She was really unpleasant. Eg. She would let herself in to my house early in the morning whilst I was still in bed, come in to my bedroom and demand ( it was demand because the way she spoke to me was so hostile) to know where dh, Demanding to be at the birth as she was at her other grandkids, dh was so fucking flimsy about it and only stuck up for me when I actually packed a bag to leave. She went apocalyptic and left the country for a month when I was due. She sent me horrible text messages when she got drunk saying i was a ‘fucking cunt‘ I was ‘bullshit’ on the last one I told her to fuck off and never come to my house again. This caused bil to get on the phone and have a go at dh. Dh pretended he didn’t have a clue what was going - even though he was lay beside me when I started getting the messages.

From then we was excluded from family gatherings even though I’d done nothing to the wider family and was always nice and helpful. If dh was invited by himself - he went . I once bumped in to aunty once and whilst having a nice chat she said ‘your the black sheep of the family like me’ . I’d not actually said or done anything to these people for them to view me like this. Dh was quite low contact at this time. Although on occasion he would take the kids to see Mil and Bill and they showered them with gifts and the kids loved it.

Tbh it started to rot our relationship, other stuff happened unrelated and after ten years It called it a day. Since dh has become very close to his family. Seeing them most weekends and taking the kids. Kids talk about them all the time and I feel like I’m on the out side of my own family.

Mil posted a picture last night that my friend sent to me of my two kids sat on her knee with mil smiling smug and it’s give me the rage. Her other grandkids were stood round her too. She’s seen both her Dils off, had her boys back and is now enjoying our kids.

I don’t want them near her but now I feel like the unreasonable one Sad

You and your DH have split up so it’s nothing to do with you how he chooses to spend time with the kids. Focus on moving on.
YardleyX · 16/08/2020 19:34

I have a similar situation with my in-laws.

I would also like to divorce my dh, but I know this is exactly what would happen if we split.

I’d rather stay stuck in my marriage then let my MIL anywhere near my children.

Grapewrath · 16/08/2020 19:36

Meeting up with SIL is a good way to encourage positive relationships with all family members and highlight to MIL that everyone is capable of forming their independent relationships and opinions.

MomOfTwoGirls2 · 16/08/2020 23:06

I would safeguard your children by just reminding them from time to time that granny was horrible to you

^ this

Even to your younger one. The children should be aware of it, so if Granny is undermining or bitching about you, they already know that Granny is not nice to you, and it is her that is the problem.

Alwaysinpain · 17/08/2020 11:45

@GrumpyHoonMain Of course it's something to do with her! He's taking the children to spend time with a VIOLENT & emotionally abusive person Hmm

You'd be up in arms at OP for even considering allowing it, if it was her FIL.

IndiaPlace · 17/08/2020 14:05

*IndiaPlace
KEEP THOSE CHILDREN AWAY FROM HER!!!! Supervised access for DH until you can trust him to keep her away from them

Absolutely no legal stance to support this. DH is also their parent and gets to make the decision about who his children have contact with. (Unless he has really serious safeguarding issues, which haven't been mentioned).
Are you joking?! The man is taking his children to be around a PHYSICALLY & emotionally abusive woman

Would be different if it was the FIL wouldn't it? You'd be up in arms, flaming OP for even considering allowing her ExDH to do so*

Always...I don't understand your FIL comment?

Are you joking?! The man is taking his children to be around a PHYSICALLY & emotionally abusive woman
But you would have to prove this to a court ( no easy task), it can't be just 'hearsay' ...and the court would also rule that dad is a fit parent (unless the OP can also prove he isn't) who is responsible to make decisions around who his children see during his contact.

I've been there...so similar examples around my DC's safety when my EXH would leave our young DC's with his DM rather than look after them himself and have to miss a night out....
Meeting with my barrister: DC's are being left with their 89 year old grandma, overnight, by their father. Grandma has told me she is unable to look after them all at once and for two and three nights at a time ( but is too scared to upset her son by telling him this). She says she can't watch them especially at bath time and struggles to carry the two LO's down the stairs. DC's say they run up and down the stairs and then outside when it's dark.
Me: I'm worried something might happen to them or that their grandma might fall whilst they are alone with her
Barrister: Their father is the responsible adult during his weekends with them, have you any proof that he is less than responsible ( ie a court order) he will and can make the appropriate decisions to safeguard his children during his contact. If you are worried about grandma falling please ensure your eldest knows how to use the phone and has a number to call for help.

Proving someone is not a responsible adult is not easy and would have cost a fortune. Money as a SP that I just didn't have.

Alwaysinpain · 17/08/2020 19:52

@IndiaPlace

*IndiaPlace KEEP THOSE CHILDREN AWAY FROM HER!!!! Supervised access for DH until you can trust him to keep her away from them

Absolutely no legal stance to support this. DH is also their parent and gets to make the decision about who his children have contact with. (Unless he has really serious safeguarding issues, which haven't been mentioned).
Are you joking?! The man is taking his children to be around a PHYSICALLY & emotionally abusive woman

Would be different if it was the FIL wouldn't it? You'd be up in arms, flaming OP for even considering allowing her ExDH to do so*

Always...I don't understand your FIL comment?

Are you joking?! The man is taking his children to be around a PHYSICALLY & emotionally abusive woman
But you would have to prove this to a court ( no easy task), it can't be just 'hearsay' ...and the court would also rule that dad is a fit parent (unless the OP can also prove he isn't) who is responsible to make decisions around who his children see during his contact.

I've been there...so similar examples around my DC's safety when my EXH would leave our young DC's with his DM rather than look after them himself and have to miss a night out....
Meeting with my barrister: DC's are being left with their 89 year old grandma, overnight, by their father. Grandma has told me she is unable to look after them all at once and for two and three nights at a time ( but is too scared to upset her son by telling him this). She says she can't watch them especially at bath time and struggles to carry the two LO's down the stairs. DC's say they run up and down the stairs and then outside when it's dark.
Me: I'm worried something might happen to them or that their grandma might fall whilst they are alone with her
Barrister: Their father is the responsible adult during his weekends with them, have you any proof that he is less than responsible ( ie a court order) he will and can make the appropriate decisions to safeguard his children during his contact. If you are worried about grandma falling please ensure your eldest knows how to use the phone and has a number to call for help.

Proving someone is not a responsible adult is not easy and would have cost a fortune. Money as a SP that I just didn't have.

No you don't have to prove it to the courts, it doesn't work like that. It is not a criminal court! They don't dole out punishments to naughty mothers! Mother has witnessed her MIL being violent & abusive. Asks Ex to not take kids to see MIL and he refuses so she says his contact must be supervised until he can agree. Mother is putting kids safety first and is NOT refusing access to the other parent. That's all Courts care about. The CAFCASS Officer who the Judge will appoint will be interested and will simply see a mother putting their child's wellbeing and safety first. I do know what I'm talking about!

How can you not understand my FIL comment?! I'm saying, if MIL was a male family member, everyone would be criticising OP for even considering having her kids have access. But because she's female, it's a totally different response!! Hmm

Alwaysinpain · 17/08/2020 19:57

India, In your situation you raised it as an issue to a Barrister. This assumes you want to refuse the father contact. I am not suggesting OP should refuse contact, just that it is supervised until he proves he can put the children first.

I agree that if she refused contact completely then the courts would look upon her dimly, but it wouldn't affect the outcome of any case. Not unless she breached an order!

I'm going to presume in your case that you already had a court order in place? That's different. Once an order is in place then it becomes entirely discussed within court. Prior to an order, a mother supervising contact for safety concerns, is not an issue

Thisseatisnotavailable · 17/08/2020 20:55

I totally agree with YgritteSnow. I wish someone had told me the truth about what a nasty woman my grandmother was so I'd not wasted so many years and so much energy on her. She finally showed her true colours to me when I was 18, then I spent years blaming myself, until I found out the full truth about her.

I've not seen the woman now in over 20 years, she doesn't even know the name of my dh or dc. It still makes me sad sometimes but she is who she is and I'm not willing to give her anymore head space than necessary and she'll certainly never meet my dc.

Keep it factual and age appropriate but don't stay silent.

Raeburn · 17/08/2020 22:27

Always

No, no court order in place.

No, no wish to stop EXH having contact with his children.

My wish was to ensure that our children were safe when in the overnight care of grandma. The barrister advised was a judgement that my EXH is fit to make, unless I could prove otherwise.

ILoveFood87 · 17/08/2020 22:33

Why would you let your children around someone that speaks to you like that. Grandmother or not. YANBU OP I'd have pretended she didnt exist.

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