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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To step back from helping DM

150 replies

NeedaKitKat · 03/03/2021 11:38

I'm really frustrated and have no one to offload or seek advice from.....I'll try not to waffle.

My DM is selling her house and relocating to my city. I've dealt with her house sale and as it's a private sale, I've also done the role of the estate agents, dealing with the buyers etc, as well as handling all the legal side of things. During this time I suffered a second trimester loss of our first child after many years of struggling to conceive. The sale has dragged on and I've followed it through to what will be completion very soon. Also arranged removals, storage etc.
At the same time I've been on endless property viewings in the last 5months to find her a home here. Had found one, but structural survey came back with major issues and we had to pull out. Waste of time and money. Was back on the hunt come January and last month found a property that was well below budget but needs work doing. DM is notoriously fussy and uncompromising with her expectations- not willing to downsize, wants a downstairs WC/shower room, wants a garage, a big kitchen etc. It's been really difficult in her budget.

DH has been amazingly helpful despite a very full on work schedule and has really given his all. He offered to manage the project whilst DM lives with us (as her house will have sold). DM was reassured and seemingly happy with this. Also, she almost expected to stay with us as if that should be a given, even though I offered to find her a rental. Anyway, she was shown the house online and street view because of lockdown etc. She agreed that with the renovation project she'll at least get all the things she wants in a house. So for last 6 weeks I've been engaged with solicitors, estate agent, builders and painters sorting things out with this purchase.

In the midst of all of this Ive been dealing with my own grief and was at the point of contemplating adoption and by some miracle I happen to find out I'm pregnant. It's been really tough managing my anxiety with this pregnancy but thankfully things are moving in the right direction. I've just hit my second trimester.

In the last few days I find that she's driven by the house with my DSis and had a look from the outside. She has now decided she doesn't like the look of the house and said the street was narrow and the area is "dirty". She doesn't know the area at all. I don't agree with any of her comments.

AIBU in simply backing off and not being involved in anything further to do with her house buy?

I feel belittled, my judgement undermined, and our time and effort unvalued. Now she'll be moving out in a few weeks with nowhere to buy and living at ours for ? amount of time. I'm feel let down and just simply used. We don't have the best of relationships as it is, it's taken a lot of maturity from me to let things go as she's my "mother" but it's getting harder and harder to convince myself of this.
Sorry about the long post.

OP posts:
NeedaKitKat · 03/03/2021 13:24

Does sound very familiar @Scarby9, glad it worked out in the end and wasn't a disaster.

@Googlebrained you hit the nail on the head. We all know my mum is indecisive and fickle, my DSis should never have allowed her to base a decision on a single drive by.
They both don't bloody well know the area.

SO I spoke to DM and said calmly that it's best that she and Dsis now take over the house search, I'll cancel solicitors etc. And that she should live with DSis in the meanwhile as that's more practical and they can bubble together.
Response was quite detached and cold, seemed to accept it but right at the end questioned how she would able to live with DSis as she's in a city centre flat and it's very small.
I know I'm a massive idiot but I ended up saying fine stay with me because I feared the conversation was going to end up in a massive storm.
I know how it works, she'll then lament to the entire world that her daughter has made her homeless.

OP posts:
Juno231 · 03/03/2021 13:25

Also remember OP - No is a complete sentence! Don't fall into the trap of JADE - don't Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain.

NeedaKitKat · 03/03/2021 13:29

Sorry to drip feed. But at the start (when we thought we'd be doing renovations) my first offer to DM was to find her a nice rented house (even said I'd pay for it) so she could have her space, she thought about it and came back with no, don't feel comfortable doing that. So I've already tried that option with her.

OP posts:
NeedaKitKat · 03/03/2021 13:29

@Juno231

Also remember OP - No is a complete sentence! Don't fall into the trap of JADE - don't Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain.
This is exactly my problem.
OP posts:
Iwonder08 · 03/03/2021 13:30

OP, congratulations with your pregnancy. You must prioritise yourself as your mum won't prioritise you. I suggest you avoid the drama for now and tell her your doctor strongly recommended you to take it easy, rest loads and avoid stress at all costs so you are unfortunately won't be able to help her any further.
Ask her to find a rented accommodation as she clearly needs more time to find the right house to buy. You can use an excuse that you need to do refurbishment in the guest room if you must, but you can also just tell her directly that she is causing you stress and you can't afford being stressed now and your pregnancy is your priority. If she badmouth you then so be it, it is likely people won't take her seriously anyway

VinylDetective · 03/03/2021 13:31

I know I'm a massive idiot but I ended up saying fine stay with me

Oh dear, you’re far too nice for your own good!

RandomMess · 03/03/2021 13:31

You go back to her and realise it isn't going to work as she needs to bubble with sister so best find a rental but you can store some stuff for her.

inappropriateraspberry · 03/03/2021 13:32

Why can't she deal with the house sale and purchase? My parents are pushing 80 and are quite capable of doing it themselves. Does she drive? This is the only way I could see her asking you to look at properties. Did she see property listings and ask you to view, or is she expecting you to do all the work?
Why can't she deal with solicitors etc, it's her buying a house!
I'd really, really take a step back and leave her to do it, concentrate on yourself.
Wishing you all the best with the pregnancy.

isitsafetocomeoutyet · 03/03/2021 13:32

Sorry op but she's railroading you

Why don't you feel comfortable stepping back?

I would also say with your pregnancy this is a really good time to start setting boundaries. What will happen if she still hasn't found 'the right' place when you have a baby in the house? I'm sure there'll be a reason for her to stay... to help with the baby.

Would it be easier to write it down in a text or letter?

Sorry but I can't see this ending well if she moves in

inappropriateraspberry · 03/03/2021 13:33

Why did you offer to pay for a rental? It's her moving, so she pays if she can't/won't move in straight away.

SugarfreeBlitz · 03/03/2021 13:34

@oil0W0lio

Also, she almost expected to stay with us as if that should be a given ⛳ There is no 'almost', she does expect to live with you and that has always been her goal here, she seeks power and control, she sees herself as the highest ranking person and she wants to have everyone beneath her doing her bidding. Do not let her move in with you⚠️
Of course she does.

Most likely she tells you her other daughter is useless to rile you against her, so your Mother deprives you of sisterly relationships and gets you to herself. This seems to me like an abusive, power seeking Mother looking for a stranglehold on one of her daughters and keeping the other one out by demonising her.

oil0W0lio · 03/03/2021 13:34

Response was quite detached and cold, seemed to accept it but right at the end questioned how she would able to live with DSis as she's in a city centre flat and it's very small
I know I'm a massive idiot but I ended up saying fine stay with me because I feared the conversation was going to end up in a massive storm
no you are not an idiot you are just responding to your 'training'.
She's played you like a fiddle.... like a puppet on a string
You have played right into her hands and now you will be punished for daring to go against her at all, I would back out if you possibly can, she knows exactly how to control you and she knows exactly what she's doing.

REignbow · 03/03/2021 13:34

She’s played you like a fiddle and now she’s got exactly what she wanted.

What will you do now OP? What will your DH have to say?

It’s time to put you own immediate family first. By that I mean, you husband and your unborn child. She’s overbearing and controlling and no wonder you suffer from low self esteem.

billy1966 · 03/03/2021 13:35

@Disfordarkchocolate

Honestly, please step back from it all. No having her stay with you, no viewings, no organising. You need to focus on this baby, you need to grieve your loss. I just want to give you a big hug and have a few choice word with you Mother for expecting all of this from you when you needed to grieve.
Please, please take this opportunity to back away.

Do NOT have her to stay.

She will ruin a stressful pregnancy.
She will add stress to your relationship.

She wants to move in, once in it could go on forever.

Respectfully, you are being so naive.

You need protecting from her after this dreadful year.

Allow your sister to step in.
Let her go to a rental.

I guarantee if you have her to stay, you will bitterly regret this within a couple of days and it will be harder to get her out.

Young couples with new babies do NOT mothers or MIL's with them.

They need eachother and privacy as they get to know the baby.

You will bitterly regret having her to stay with you unnecessarily.

Everything will be about her and not you.

You are not close, you do not owe her your peace of mind after such a horrific loss.

Do it for your husband and new baby if not for yourself.

Flowers
fabulousathome · 03/03/2021 13:35

You can say that a rental in the area will help her get to know the area properly.

Then she can make her own decision about what she wants.

Do not let her live with you!

isitsafetocomeoutyet · 03/03/2021 13:36

Also I saw you said she doesn't want to rent.

I can't stress this enough. You don't have to fix everything for her. She's an adult. You are helping her massively. But you're not her solution.

She has a range of solutions available to her. None of them suit her? That's her problem. She's not homeless.

Put yourself, your health and your family first. And get used to it. Something tells me with her moving nearer you she will increasingly rely on you for more and more unless you put some boundaries in.

SugarfreeBlitz · 03/03/2021 13:37

how she would able to live with DSis as she's in a city centre flat and it's very small What?

the same way as anyone else lives in a flat in the city centre, duh!

Who is she, the Queen?!!!

billy1966 · 03/03/2021 13:38

Tell her you have changed your mind.
She needs to go to a rental.

Bite the bullet.
You will regret this awful selfish woman moving in.

She clearly cares only for herself.

Flowers
oil0W0lio · 03/03/2021 13:39

Don't be fearful of having a stormy conversation with this woman, that's another technique that she uses to control people they fear her outbursts and so they fold
you can learn to deal with her outbursts, or you can just coldly shut her down
she understands that because you are pregnant this is a dangerous time for her, she doesn't want you to be absorbed with your own family because she might lose some of of her control over you and that makes it harder for her to have you work for her and serve her needs.
she enjoys seeing you as the 'poor grief-stricken childless woman' and she will try and piss on your chips and ruin your pregnancy if she can

SugarfreeBlitz · 03/03/2021 13:40

Get your husband to tell her you've both changed your minds due to the fact you dont want to strain relationships as the baby will cry and she will be disturbed. Just say, sorry it's not going to work and it's better you make your own plans so we don't strain our relationship.

She MUST have friends she could stay with??

oil0W0lio · 03/03/2021 13:41

They need eachother and privacy as they get to know the baby
she will do all that she can to disrupt this because it works against what she wants

AOwlAOwlAOwl · 03/03/2021 13:41

You don't have to fix her problems that are of her own making OP.

I think your DH could be a massive ally here. Like others have said, if my husband needed me to, i'd be the bad guy and say no to my MIL. No, you're not moving in. No, we're not helping you with the house. No, we're too busy preparing for the baby. No, no, no.

Please, let him take the stress off you. Let him take it off you for you and the baby, don't let your mum spoil this time.

user1493494961 · 03/03/2021 13:41

She can go and live with your sister.

HollowTalk · 03/03/2021 13:42

I think she needs to be looking at a retirement place, really. She's moving to an area where she only knows you and your sister - she needs a way of making new friends.

Jaxhog · 03/03/2021 13:42

@Disfordarkchocolate

Honestly, please step back from it all. No having her stay with you, no viewings, no organising. You need to focus on this baby, you need to grieve your loss. I just want to give you a big hug and have a few choice word with you Mother for expecting all of this from you when you needed to grieve.
Totally agree.
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