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AIBU?

DP, his mother, and money

143 replies

Janesandian · 30/11/2020 23:52

I have posted about DP and his family, especially his mother before under another name. I have to be careful as she may be on here, no idea! The general consensus was that DP belonged on the Stately Homes thread. When he read the thread he kept saying “omg mum does this” “this is what she says” and was quite sad but felt validated. He still seems to be vying for her attention though. I think she fits the NPD description well.

Anyway, the problem. DP has two siblings (the golden child, older), Amy, and (the baby, younger) Connor. Amy got married in 2017 and his mum gave them £10k towards it. She says it’s £6k but the maths is easy. All along she said how she would give us the same.
We then got engaged, she reiterated about giving us the money. Once when DP was alone with her she went on about how my parents should give us money as they are lying about their wealth (I grew up in poverty but they refuse to believe this - my parents are disabled, she has commented that they fake it).

As the wedding was a way away we didn’t really ask for the money and DP felt very awkward. Time and time again she’d bring it up. We now need it. DP has asked for it numerous times.

It also turns out that Connor, who is no where near getting engaged, got given his wedding money lump sum without asking. They said he shouldn’t be penalised if he doesn’t want to get married. He’s been with a girl 6 years but they don’t approve of her because of her job (classical music related - she is very intelligent but the industry isn’t high paying) and because she’s “fat”. (They have literally said this)

They just don’t seem to be giving the money. I wouldn’t normally care as it’s their money. But they have really made it a thing that they will give it but we’ve mentioned it a few times outright and she’s said to me “let us know when you want the money” so I said “can we have it now please? The deposits are all due” and she never sent it. DP just got a text saying they get paid on X date so can have it then, she said the same thing last month. His parents are wealthy and they just spent £20k on plastic surgery - again, their money, their choice, but they aren’t hard up.

Is this when DP needs to call it a day? We are hosting them for Xmas and I’m dreading the sarcasm and arguments as his mum says something provocative (last time I saw her she turned to me out the blue and said “your friends baby is so ugly isn’t he”). She comments on our finances all the time (“can you afford that”).

Both his siblings are higher earners, we are probably least well off although still doing okay.

Help?

OP posts:
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billybagpuss · 01/01/2021 22:20

I agree with holding on to the money for a while, you will be. A position of strength then if they demand it back.

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Tiktaktoe · 01/01/2021 22:17

I know you're upset but I really think you need to take a deep breath and unclench. You are in the middle of drama, wait for a few days so you can calm down and think rationally.
If you want to go low contact, go low contact. But returning gifts/not sending gifts is bound to escalate things.
For your partners sake you need to dial back on the drama rather than ramp it up.

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katy1213 · 01/01/2021 21:46

So you don't want anything to do with them - but you're happy to keep their money. Not every impressive, is it?

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RandomMess · 01/01/2021 21:42

Hang on to the money in case they start demanding it back.

Going LC is pretty easy IME you just send Birthday/Mother's Day/Christmas cards and nothing else.

If the phone let it go to voicemail, delay before reply to texts etc just late it fade out.

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StrippedFridge · 01/01/2021 21:38

I have advice on going low contact. I did it with my mother and her extended family. It has gone well for a good 15 years now and it went OK for ten years before that. I have seen other people make a terrible job of it.

Announce nothing to anyone about being low contact. Total silence about what you are doing deliberately on purpose.

Initiate nothing. I send a birthday and a Christmas card to my mother. That is all I do from nowhere. If she messages me I usually respond, with something vaguely pleasant but boring and lacking in substance. If she sends me a crazy message I ignore it. If she claims someone is ill or dying or blah blah blah I respond minimally: "that's a shame". (If it were (a) true and (b) about someone I care about, then I will hear the truth through some other route like the person themselves).

Flying monkeys were a problem for a few years. I learned to never ever discuss my mother with them. I shut them down quite rudely if they attempt to raise any issue about her. I don't do it in a drama way. I just respond in vague bored sounding non-word noises like "uh-huh" and "oh, really". If demands of action are made I always respond laconically "I'll think about it". As in all areas of life I use as required my key phrase "If you must have an answer now then the answer is no."

If anyone asks why I am not talking to mum I say that it's just that she and I are both very busy.

Busy. Oh so busy.

I have learned to bin letters unopened. They are always insane vicious rants. DH used to read them for me and tell me if there was anything I needed to know. There never was. Anything that seemed important usually turned out to be a lie.

Phone calls get the bored vague grey rock treatment.

I am a boring drama free zone. So very dull. No rewards from baiting me. No emotional punchbag rewards. Certainly no money, appeasement gifts or chasing for attention. No Look at me mummy, see how high I can jump!

Many people have been told I am the wicked witch of the north. Meh. If they believe it I don't give a shit. I have even grown to embrace and enjoy that I know I am seen as something of a supervillain amongst certain loony drama loving family members due to my resistance to their poison.

Remember you cannot loudly enforcd low contact. That is impossible. Instead know that there is no contact. Might have watched The Matrix earlier

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80sColourfulChristmas · 01/01/2021 01:14

I wouldn't be able to give the cash away to a charity, but then I'm a broke-as-a-joke widow! Grin
Honestly, I'd cut her off completely now.... It's one thing after another and ultimately they're not being parents to your DP so why remain in contact? She's pulling you down and biting at you both Wine

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Janesandian · 01/01/2021 00:42

Today we received a big box filled with our Xmas gifts. I received a candle and DP got a shirt. His label didn’t say “from mum and dad” it said their names “from Tasha and Liam”. That was odd. No birthday card but his birthday present was inside (this was meant to be his Xmas present as the mum messaged me about whether he’d like it, I had said no, but she got it anyway). We haven’t heard from any other family. They sent the box on a 24 hour special service after they received an email which confirmed our Xmas present (they wanted a donation in their name) we also got them gifts for the day to open but these are still with us.

I am going to return the sibling gifts as I don’t see the point now. I will still send his niece’s present though as she isn’t part of it and I’d feel bad.

It is now DP’s birthday. We haven’t heard any New Years related things and since it’s only just gone midnight we will wait to see if they wish him a happy birthday.

He is certain he will go low contact. I got a surprise bonus from work which more than covers our wedding (small anyway). We will not send the money back as we think that it could be used against us, so have put it into savings and we are thinking of donating to a charity we both support.

Any tips for going low contact? (DP is writing this thread with me btw he just doesn’t use MN)

OP posts:
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nanamelon · 31/12/2020 16:48

I wouldn’t use the money from someone who insulted my parents.

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Gensola · 31/12/2020 10:28

I’d return the money because it will drive her mad Grin and then go NC

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TheVamoosh · 31/12/2020 09:59

I still send her texts, cards, little gifts when I see something she likes.

I'm sorry, but this makes you a hypocrite, and I imagine she absolutely thrives on the fact that you're making all the effort whole she treats you like crap in return.

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Valkadin · 31/12/2020 09:21

I would not keep the money and would cut contact but thats me and I know I tend to dance to a different tune. My Mother played favourites. Myself and one other sister out of the six of us refused to play her games once we had left home. When she died she left everything to her favourite child.

If he thinks he can make his Mother treat him the same he is totally misguided as are you. I am glad I didn’t spend decades behaving like my siblings. They suffered immeasurably when she died because they could never make her love them as much and they knew their chance was over. Accepting you cannot change anyone but only your responses to their behaviour is the best advice I can give.

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anotherBadAvatar · 31/12/2020 09:07

Return the money. My MIL gave SIL lots of ££ towards her wedding, and every time they fall out, she creates drama and demands the money back. We declined any help to pay for our wedding and it drives her mad she doesn’t have the same hold over us.

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AlwaysCheddar · 31/12/2020 08:35

Keep the money. Distance yourself massively. Let dh deal with them.

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billybagpuss · 31/12/2020 08:26

Keep the money, stay LC, enjoy your obligation free new year. When is your wedding? Are they likely to ask for it back?

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Cherrysoup · 31/12/2020 00:39

Keep the money. I think you’re ‘owed’ it after all their shit. However, I would encourage your DP to keep very low contact now, his parents deserve nothing from you and please don’t revert to getting her presents etc. I guarantee she is the driving force and the dad is a weak enabler who follows her lead like a sheep.

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Zanina · 31/12/2020 00:37

She doesn't like you because she senses a threat. The threat is she cannot control her son like she used to because you're on his life. All this is to put a stop to your wedding. I think it would be good to have a safe distance, especially before kids come into the mix

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StrippedFridge · 31/12/2020 00:01

MIL is a master at the drama! She should write for Eastenders. She gave the money, thus ending some drama but then created a row that resulted in low contact and put you two in agonies over whether to return the money or not. Utter evil genius.

Keep the money because the others got money too. I would not taint the wedding with it though. I'd put it away for a rainy day or buy something else big with it like a kitchen.

DP needs to go proper no contact. No more messaging, no being open with his pain (they get off on it). Wait silently for their apology. It could be months. The distance will help him heal.

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Chloemol · 30/12/2020 23:15

Keep the money and just await contact from them, then decide what you want to do

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cherish123 · 30/12/2020 23:00

Frustrating but really need to leave boyfriend and his mum to sort out. I would be annoyed too. Maybe she will give in the end.

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heatered · 30/12/2020 22:56

Believe me you will feel so much better paying for your own wedding. You mother in law to be won't be able to Lord it over your big day or brag about what she paid for. Own it. She will hate it 🤣

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rookiemere · 30/12/2020 22:48

Hell no - keep the money.

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HappyNewVaccine · 30/12/2020 22:47

These are my family! Disentangle yourselves now before it's too late! Hand the money back and do a small lovely wedding to which they are not invited.

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RandomMess · 30/12/2020 22:46

Keep the money the others will get more in the future and your DP won't.

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44PumpLane · 30/12/2020 22:43

Keep the money, it's the LEAST they can do!!!

And maintain the no contact.... Best of both worlds!!!

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LaurieFairyCake · 30/12/2020 22:37

What was the excuse for going to hers Confused

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