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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MIL asking for thanks

541 replies

Sookiestackhouse5 · 10/10/2020 18:41

It was dd’s birthday last week. She received a voucher from PIL.
6 days later my DH has a strained conversation on the phone with MIL where she points out that she hasn’t been thanked for the voucher. She started going on about her generation & so on, making it clear she thinks it’s rude to not yet have had a thank you.
Let me add some context here as well. It’s been a very difficult few months for us. Dd developed (out of the blue) a medical/ mental health issue that has taken some adjusting to, & has understandably caused some significant stress. She has gone from being completely normal to now being classed as special educational needs at school.
A month after that happened my DH was taken into hospital for urgent surgery to treat a progressive condition he has. He has recovered well & gone back to work but is unable to drive at present so I am chauffeuring him about, as well as the dcs and working myself. Plus I’m worrying about the progression of his condition which is happening faster than we anticipated.
We both work quite stressful jobs.
What I’m saying here is that we feel like we have a lot on our plate, & are juggling a lot a balls.

I’m annoyed that after only 6 days we are being told off for not giving thanks yet. It’s not that I’m not grateful, just with everything else going on we hadn’t gotten round to her spending the voucher & saying thank you.
AIBU to be so annoyed??

OP posts:
phoenixrosehere · 14/10/2020 10:41

I am surprised you have written such a long diatribe on Mumsnet when 2 lines to your PIL would have prevented it being posted.

Can you read? Her husband told her about his mum calling about it so she didn’t know about it whatsoever until then and she posted on mumsnet afterwards about it. She also stated that this was out of the ordinary. The time it took you to type your comment could have been used to actually read all of OP’s comments, but hey ho.

IndieRo · 14/10/2020 10:56

YABU. I always encourage my children to send a text or make a phone call when they receive a gift. It's good manners and respectful. How would you have felt if PIL didn't bother to get a gift for DD.

Suzi888 · 14/10/2020 11:01

I am surprised you have written such a long diatribe on Mumsnet when 2 lines to your PIL would have prevented it being posted.

^^ THIS
“Can you read? Her husband told her about his mum calling about it so she didn’t know about it whatsoever until then and she posted on mumsnet afterwards about it. (When she found time?!) She also stated that this was out of the ordinary. The time it took you to type your comment could have been used to actually read all of OP’s comments, but hey ho.” But she STILL found the time to write an essay on here.
Does it matter when?! Confused She still found time to post on here!!!!! That’s the point! Flipping eck so, so rude!

TerribleLizard · 14/10/2020 12:05

Why would OP be the one thanking anyone, though? If I upset my parents by forgetting to say thank you, I’ve still forgotten even if my partner sends thanks himself. MIL complained to her son directly, not OP. How would her getting involved do anything?

Mittens030869 · 14/10/2020 12:54

The crux here is that the OP is upset about her MIL complaining to her DS about not saying 'thank you' soon enough, when he's in a bad place. Whether the OP should or shouldn't have dealt with it is immaterial really.

She's only been involved because her DH complained to her.

I've been unwell for some time, with PTSD, CFS and long Covid. But I always thank my DM, DSis or friends for presents to me or to my DDs. If I was late for any reason it would be my fault, not my DH's, he has enough to think about. Being unwell doesn't mean I'm unable to say thank you to people.

I've never played any part in my DH or DDs sending cards to my in-laws either, I live it entirely to my DH.

SleepingStandingUp · 14/10/2020 13:02

@WeeWelshWoman

If you haven't had a chance to spend it, then it seems odd to have said thanks already. YANBU. If it was a gift not a voucher, then you call when you get it.
The chicken IS the gift. The recipient then spends it or saves it. If I bright you a present of day a book, would you honestly not thank me until you had used it?? That's bizarre. You say thanks when you recurve a gift, not then you use it
Mittens030869 · 14/10/2020 13:09

But it's the OP's DH who forgot to thank his mum or remind his DD to do so. Why should it be the OP's responsibility? Her MIL should cut them all some slack under the circumstances.

It's also odd that the MIL is more concerned about manners than the fact that her DS and DGD have serious health issues right now.

Yes, there should have been a thank you. But sometimes there are extenuating circumstances.

SleepingStandingUp · 14/10/2020 13:15

@WeeWelshWoman

If you haven't had a chance to spend it, then it seems odd to have said thanks already. YANBU. If it was a gift not a voucher, then you call when you get it.

The voucher IS the gift. The recipient then spends it or saves it.
If I brought you a present of say a book, would you honestly not thank me until you had used it?? That's bizarre. You say thanks when you recieve a gift, not when you use it

TerribleLizard · 14/10/2020 13:40

The chicken IS the gift.

I love autocorrect

phoenixrosehere · 14/10/2020 15:13

Does it matter when?! confused She still found time to post on here!!!!! That’s the point! Flipping eck so, so rude!

Yes it does. It also wasn’t her responsibility to thank his mum and as she said once again it was out of the ordinary for them. Still think MIl should have considered the circumstances or even check to see if things are all right than giving her son who is going through something a stupid lecture over not having his daughter who is also going through something thank you for a gift. Their current issues are WAY more important than a late thank you.

rookiemere · 14/10/2020 15:19

I definitely would have said thank you for a chicken Grin

phoenixrosehere · 14/10/2020 15:25

Does it matter when?! confused She still found time to post on here!!!!! That’s the point! Flipping eck so, so rude!

Plus, if said thank you was so important, MIL could have called her granddaughter on her birthday and said “Happy Birthday, I hope you have a great day and you like your gift” and she would have gotten her thanks then. She found the time to call and complain but not to call her granddaughter at all to say Happy Birthday.

JustDavesWife · 14/10/2020 16:35

Pisses me off when people don’t say thank you for presents. I don’t want gushing thanks and paragraphs of text just a quick one liner “thanks so much for the .... dd loved it”!

I’ve got a friend whose kids I buy for and it can take weeks before I get a thank you and sometimes it never happens!

TerribleLizard · 14/10/2020 16:47

The problem for MIL now, is she has sort of soured the gift a bit. I’m sure she will always be thanked promptly in future, but now she won’t know if thanks are given genuinely, or out of fear she’ll complain.

OP says it was a one off slip of her husband’s mind, while he is under a lot of stress. Even in normal circumstances someone can get interrupted, and forget they haven’t completed a task.

Why did MIL immediately jump to it being some sort of sleight against her? Is she always oversensitive? Either way her insecurities are her own, and she had a choice to see it as her son being rude and thoughtless, or a trivial mistake while he is having a tough time.

Felifox · 14/10/2020 17:03

I think you need to tell MIL that normally dh would have made sure dd had contacted them. Be honest about dh's health, dd's diagnosis and the extra driving are all making it hard for you as a family.

ohnomesandwiches · 14/10/2020 17:11

@Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel

Another wifework post. and if these people posting have sons. We can see what kind of men they will turn out to be eh.

Oh do fuck off, if everyone else is " too sick" that leaves OP. You clearly think raising DC to have no manners is ok. Marvelous.

Telling someone to fuck off in a post complaining about raising folk to have no manners.

Class.

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