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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Brother's child

102 replies

Auntzilla · 05/07/2021 12:21

My brother and I are 18 months apart and have always been close and got on and this closeness has remained throughout and was not altered when we got married. I see him all the time and on occasion he has socialised with DH on his own.

This close bond mirrors the one our mother has with her sisters and as a result we are close to our cousins.

Sister-in-law is one of four full siblings , two half-siblings and three step-siblings one of whom was raised by SiL's mother, all but one of them are married/partnered.

SiL is different to me and has different priorities. I get this, we can't be all alike, she is pleasant and never rude but she has no interest in me which is fair enough but is completely indifferent to my children which upsets me. She is very 'down to earth' though in spite of being quite 'posh'. She has never ever stood in the way of my brother's relationship with us but rarely comes over or out with us.

They planned their wedding and she moaned and moaned about her father and step mother objecting to her step mother's children not being invited to the wedding and her father refusing to come. I thought SiL was a bit off not inviting them. Then invitations went out and one of my aunts asked my mother if brother realised my cousins had GF/BF as they weren't invited. Bombshell my husband (and at the time my one child)was not invited to their wedding either with no explanation was given in my invitation.

Well parents went round not all guns blazing but to gently ask what was going on. SiL simply said that as there was not going to be any dancing people didn't need their partners and if DH was invited five other people would have to be invited. Well wedding happened and her father and stepmother did come. I was a bit upset that my cousin's partner came as he was the Best Man. All through my brother kept apologising saying they could not afford to invite so many people.
Well years roll on I have two more children and their child has been born (in the middle of a pandemic). Baptism next month and just parents invited and cousin who is Godfather. This time neither DH or I are invited let alone the kids as once again this would mean around 20 others would have to be invited.

AIBU to feel that her father couldn't keep it in his trousers all those years ago so my family miss out on important occasions now! I am utterly insulted.

Am I unreasonable to think this. I am upset and my parents a weird mixture of anger and upset.

OP posts:
ViciousJackdaw · 05/07/2021 13:35

YABU. You are making this all about your own disappointment. How do you think SIL must feel having to compromise and watch every penny?

ZeroFuchsGiven · 05/07/2021 13:40

I agree with your username.

Smallbutnottinykitten · 05/07/2021 13:43

Wow. I don’t even know where to start.

Fernando072020 · 05/07/2021 13:44

Yabu.
It's their decision who they invite to their wedding and the baby's baptism. It's not as if they're leaving out just your DH. It's all partners, which sounds like a lot of people so including you and your cousins (so not just SILs side)

I feel sorry for your brother... He must feel completely in the middle

EL8888 · 05/07/2021 13:45

I’m not sure where to start either. The long and the short of it is keep your nose out. What your SIL does or doesn’t do is nothing to do with you

ArnoldJudasRimmer · 05/07/2021 13:46

Wow. YABU.

MovingtoOz1Day · 05/07/2021 13:46

AIBU to feel that her father couldn't keep it in his trousers all those years ago so my family miss out on important occasions now! I am utterly insulted

Just wow

Chikapu · 05/07/2021 13:46

their child has been born (in the middle of a pandemic)

That feels like a lovely little bit of extra judgement there.

RandomMess · 05/07/2021 13:46

Can you clarify

Did SIL invite her siblings, half-siblings and all their partners? Then your brother wasn't afforded the equivalent which was you and your partner/DH? Let alone the cousins.

Neuts346 · 05/07/2021 13:48

AIBU to feel that her father couldn't keep it in his trousers all those years ago so my family miss out on important occasions now! I am utterly insulted.

What?? Sorry you’ve going to have to spell this out for me.

HelloDulling · 05/07/2021 13:49

AIBU to feel that her father couldn't keep it in his trousers all those years ago so my family miss out on important occasions now! I am utterly insulted

Perhaps you should have kept your knickers on, if you hadn’t had three children you might get invited to things more often.

minipie · 05/07/2021 13:49

Sorry are you saying your DH should have been invited instead of the SIL’s own step or half siblings?

ElephantMoth · 05/07/2021 13:50

Why does it have to be about you @Auntzilla ?

tallduckandhandsome · 05/07/2021 13:51

I can see why you would be disappointed to not being invited to the baptism and also that your DH and DC not being invited to their wedding, but it doesn't sound like she targeted you specifically, just that she has a numbers limit. Of course her cousin would be invited if they are best man.

Also, what do you want her to do with your children? They are not her nieces and nephews, it's up to your brother to maintain a relationship with your dc, not her.

FrankButchersDickieBow · 05/07/2021 13:52

Sounds like your cousin is your brothers best mate also. Best man and godfather. They sound very close.

I'm sure your brother could have insisted your husband attend if he really wanted him there.

They prioritised their guest list.

All that's coming through in your OP, is that you can't stand your sil.

lockdownalli · 05/07/2021 13:52

YABVU

Shame you didn't enable voting Grin

MoreAloneTime · 05/07/2021 13:53

I don't see why it's all on SIL? Is your brother just a helpless pawn?

Iwonder08 · 05/07/2021 13:53

Your poor SIL. It is amazing she is so patient and polite with you. You sound intense, self centered and overly involved.

Fiddliestofsticks · 05/07/2021 13:59

Are you angry that they had a child during covid? Why? Has it ruined your chance interfere?

Look, your brother is making these decisions too. They dont want you there. It's sad, but it isn't all her fault. If you feel so strongly about it all and feel that your relationship with your brother is being ruined then speak to him. Explain (without the little judgemental comments) and have a heart to heart. But you maybe need to realise that you are not the most important woman in your brother's life.

Lorw · 05/07/2021 14:03

You sound very selfish OP. Just wow. YABU.

Holly60 · 05/07/2021 14:06

You are not at all selfish. This is upsetting. Your husband and child didn’t get to go to your brother’s wedding? That’s really rubbish! And to not be invited to baptism is awful too! These children are cousins for goodness sake. In our family cousins are basically siblings

Branleuse · 05/07/2021 14:06

I think youre overreacting. None of this needs to affect your relationship.
All of them are either expensive events or during covid pandemic with restrictions on numbers, so sounds like they are doing their best and people are getting upset anyway. You cant please everybody, and you are making it all about you

cindarellasbelly · 05/07/2021 14:07

I think OP's point is the SIl has 9 siblings and step siblings and feels that is OP is invited to things, she'll have to invite all of them. Which is a bit ridiculous as she doesn't seem to be close to them whereas you are v close to your brother.

I think the issue is, you have a brother problem. If he cared that much, he'd have the argument with her. If you're as close with him as you think he'd probably have the argument. If you're as close with him as you think, you'd probably be talking on here than posting there.

I think different families can have different relationships. I have about a million cousins, I'm close to some rather than others, we still have some of DHs cousins at things and not mine, and some of my second cousins at things and not my first cousins. We're all adults, they have different relationships.

You're not totally out of order to be insulted that as a very close aunt you're being excluded from things like christenings that are normally family events. But I think you're misdirecting it to be annoyed at your SIL

Time2b33 · 05/07/2021 14:08

@Holly60

You are not at all selfish. This is upsetting. Your husband and child didn’t get to go to your brother’s wedding? That’s really rubbish! And to not be invited to baptism is awful too! These children are cousins for goodness sake. In our family cousins are basically siblings
I agree with this!
MoreAloneTime · 05/07/2021 14:11

I wouldn't be thrilled either for what it's worth but it's your brother who you and your parents should be speaking to.

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