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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My husband wants to start sending our 15 year old son, to stay with his mum on a Friday night.

136 replies

Anonymous170822 · 17/08/2022 23:15

Hello all, I need a sounding board and that, would normally be my husband, however, this involves him and his mum.

My husband and I, have been married for 19 years and we share 3 children together they are 18,15 and almost 3 years old.

My husband, wants us to send our middle child, over to his mother's house, on Friday evening like we used to do. Before our 18 year old moved out of our family home, (in October 2019).

Our 18 year old, has totally rebelled, and my husband's mum, took our son's side, things got really ugly so much so, that my mother in law, said to my husband, to treat her, as if she was dead, (that was in February this year), by the way my husband is my mother in law's, only child.

The thing is, there has been more downs, than ups, when it comes to my mother in law. She doesn't realise boundaries and thinks it's fine to be interfering in my marriage to her son.

It all started 18 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I walked into, my mother in law's house, she and my husband were having a conversation regarding what religion our child, was going to be baptized and she said, that, if our child was going to be baptized a different religion than to what, my husband's family was, then my mother in law, wanted nothing to do with our child. She was, going to be God mother however, after that conversation, I said no.

The truth is my mother in law, lives on her own and is always emotionally guilt tripping my husband, regarding her loneliness and that nobody cares about her, but that is not true. Over the years, I've worked very hard to forgive and forget and to reach out and include her in our family and inviting her to our, family events such as birthdays, Christmases, Easters, school plays, family days, out her answer would always be sure you wouldn't want me there. We also invited and made her part of our last two children baptisms, were she was asked by my husband and I to be God mother to our last two children. I've put my feelings to one side, and to bite my tongue, on more than one occasion, for my husband's sake. But his mum still insists that she doesn't feel welcome in our home and she doesn't participate or involve herself as grandmother role with our 3rd child.

Things over the years were amicable, to begin with, for example she gave us furniture and kitchen appliances, for our first home and for our third home, she gave us some money to which I acknowledge and very appreciated of, but wouldn't any parent do the same, to help their child and their child's family if they could. But because of this, my husband, thinks that we should forget, all about the water that have gone, under the bridge.

You see, it's not as simple, as that, it has came out, in the wash, that over the years, my mother in law has been speaking badly about my husband and I, this happened before our eldest child moved out of home, (both children were going over to their Nanny's home on a regular basis, on a Friday evening).

Our middle child informed my husband and I, that his mother had been casting up old arguments and making belittling comments, about us, each time that the children went over. I mentioned this to my husband and he said, sure that's mum she's always been like that. I said, to him that your mum, isn't taken any responsibility, for contributing to the downfall, of our family unit, I said, she thinks that she hasn't done anything wrong. And my husband agreed. And said, she doesn't take responsibility for anything, that she's done wrong because in her eyes she hasn't.

However, last night my husband, took his mother, to see a consultant privately, regarding her health and because of what the consultant said, they are making out, as if she's on deaths door, even though no tests were done.

My mother in law, can be nice but when she's bad, she's one of the worst, and my husband would also have taken my mother in law's side, until lately, when he saw, what way his mother was yet again, interfering with us and our eldest child, (who she thinks is the golden child), rather than taken her own son's side.

And now because of this latest news, about her health and the fact that our eldest child, moved out of her home in March of this year, who has very little to do, with her now. My husband wants to ease his conscience, by sending our middle child over, even though she refused to go to our child's 15th birthday in late July to which she was invited to.

So, am I being unreasonable here, by preventing our child from going over?

OP posts:
AcrossthePond55 · 18/08/2022 02:06

"I never said that she was instrumental on regards to my 18 year old moving out, she basically informed the child that once he turns 18 he doesn't have to live here."

But what she said is true. He DIDN'T have to live in your home once he was 18. You said he was 'rebelling' so I'm not surprised he wanted to move out. I'm not saying you were doing anything 'wrong' in your parenting, but if he wanted to leave he was entitled to do so. And if his grandmother 'took his side' and let him move in, that is her prerogative. Now, if she was dripping poison in his ear about you and your DH to foment his rebellion, that's another matter.

And FWIW, an 18 year old is not a 'child', he is a young adult. Still needing to grow and mature, but entitled to be treated as a young adult and not a 'child'.

But if she's a shit-stirrer with your children and tries to cause problems or alienation between you, then she shouldn't get within 50 miles of your younger children, no matter how much they may want to go see her. Your 15 year old may think he's 'bombproof' against her words, but if she repeats things to him often enough, especially negative things about the limits you set for him and how 'she would let him do such and such', he may begin to question whether or not she has a point.

CelestiaNoctis · 18/08/2022 02:13

Lol at 15 I was at sleepovers, out with my friends, and never really home. No way would I have spent my Friday night at my nans (if she had still been alive, bless her!). Not to mention this woman sounds absolutely toxic and deserves to be alone. Don't subject anymore of yourself or your kids to this woman. And focus on your eldest and repairing your relationship with them.

Musti · 18/08/2022 02:21

Teens are at a very difficult age and whilst it’s good that a teen with issues has the support of his grandmother, she shouldn’t be adding fuel to the fire.

So no, I wouldn’t send my kids to stay with someone who kept slagging the parents off to them. It is very unsettling to the kids.

DaughterofDawn · 18/08/2022 02:29

Anonymous170822 · 18/08/2022 00:51

I know but he doesn't get it, but my child said he wants to go, I've said no and my husband told his mum that tonight and he wont go against me considering I am the child's mother, but he's not happy with me right now.

Reading this thread makes me glad my husband and his mother aren’t on talking terms.

MarshaMelrose · 18/08/2022 02:43

WhereYouLeftIt · 18/08/2022 01:57

A question for you, @MarshaMelrose.

You seem very fixed on the idea that if a 15 year old wants to do something the parents should not ever prevent them.

If your son wanted to stay overnight at, say, an uncles, and you knew the uncle encouraged your son to sit and watch porn and smoke weed with them - would you allow it? Your son wants to go ...

So why would you allow your son to stay overnight at gran's, knowing that gran will drip poison into their ear about you and your husband? It's as much a headfuck to a 15 year old as the porn and weed would be.

🤔 Nowhere have I said that a15yo should be allowed to do anything they want.

You said that the son shouldn't be made to go somewhere that the father doesn't want to go. I simply replied that the son wasn't being made to go. He wanted to go.

You then wrote another message saying that a just because a child wants to do something doesn't mean he should be allowed to do something. I agreed that that might be so.

You also said the father's judgement might be clouded. Which it might. Or he might be thinking that he already had his eldest child move out and he might be worried about this one going in a few months time when he's16.

Now where am I fixed on a 15yo doing what they want? Why don't you just admit that the father isn't wanting, expecting or forcing his son to do anything he doesn't want as your first post implied. Especially not to go smoke crack with his granny.

ladydoris · 18/08/2022 05:14

Check out narcissistic grandparent. They don't age well. If she fits the bill stay clear. You have been forewarned.

SummerLovin123 · 18/08/2022 05:29

No don't send them.

ainsisoisje · 18/08/2022 05:38

Oh my god this is my mother down to a tee. Its incredibly difficult to deal with someone like this and she has baffled and guilt tripped the entire family for years. I'm currently low contact with her and she is trying every trick in the book to get me to visit her or let her visit, histrionic messages and she has feigned illness before. She is a consummate actress but it is incredibly difficult to tell when she is being genuine or when she is acting so everyone ends up running around trying to appease her. By the same token she can be nice but when she is bad she is awful like a completely different person and not very maternal at all, cold and can be very cruel verbally. She had a difficult childhood, which we are sympathetic of but she has never sought counselling but instead relied on family and 'drama' to avoid facing her demons. I would let your son decide if he wants to go but give him clear instructions such as you can leave at any time if she starts playing up making you feel uncomfortable. But yes extremely toxic to deal with. I think people like this test the bounds of patience of their nearest and dearest to the point of destruction and with regret I'm currently planning how to gently and quietly extricate her from my life. Because any sniff of i'm not happy and she will rope the entire family in to fight her battle, make me out to be the bad daughter and generally cause havoc. I don't know anyone else who had a mum like this, my friends were baffled so I completely sympathise if you want to PM me please do - and good luck!

Jenhen89 · 18/08/2022 06:27

AussieMozzieMagnet · 18/08/2022 00:08

I found this too difficult to read with all those misplaced commas.

Absolutely this! I couldn’t continue reading it!

TheLadyofShalott1 · 18/08/2022 06:29

mathanxiety · 18/08/2022 01:43

Don't let your child go.

Tell your husband that the children you have together are not consolation prizes he can give to his mother just because she is missing her own only child. It doesn't matter that she might have health problems. Children are not toys that can be wrapped up and given to others to keep their mind off things.

If she is lonely she can go to bingo or join a senior exercise class or scrabble group.

So a 15 year old child should be physically stopped from going to see and stay with his grandmother even though he wants to go?

I pity his lack of chances to learn in a "safe" environment about a person's character (his nanny's home IS a safe environment), and how to learn to recognise any useful signs that an individual personality emits.

At 15 years old I had started to learn how to spot a bull-shitter whilst I was in safe environments. I was also starting to learn that scenarios like the above have at least 3 truths.

a) The OP's own truth.
@Anonymous170822 apparently cannot stand her MiL - whether for reasonable reasons we will never know. So there is the OP's own "truth".

The OP accuses her MiL of dripping lies into her grandchildren's ears, when MiL has them on her own. I would say that she should of course not do that - if it does actually happen? Which I question because the OP seems to get a little confused (at least it looks like she does) when she is not wearing her spectacles.

My interpretation of what the OP is saying is that she also - the OP herself - more than "drips" negative things about her MiL to both her Grandchildren and her husband (unfortunately her husband is a man, and there is a certain type of man, who will change being from told what opinion to have by his mother, to that of being told by his wife, but on this occasion the OP's husband has stood up to her, and is sticking up for his son.

[Well done Mr Anonymous, try to do this more often, it will be good for you, and will hopefully be a valuable lesson for your wife, as long as she can open her bespeckled eyes long enough to recocognise that at least some of her views may need revising.

I do recognise the irony that I am yet another woman saying what you should do, but I am suggesting, not mandating, and sorry if my advice is condescending - that is not my intention.]

b) The DGM's truth.

c) The actual truth.

Of course, strangers on the Internet have no way of knowing what either DGM's truth is, or The Actual truth.

I believe that as long as her DS wants to go to his DGM's, that it is imperative that she lets him. At 15 years of age he really does need at least both of these safe environments, to enable him to start recognising that the truth can be a very complex concept, and how try to understand it. He might also be able to start/continue making his own judgements on his family members, and maybe that is actually what the OP is most worried about?

ParasiticMicrowasp · 18/08/2022 06:51

Is there a tl;dr? I couldn't make it through that OP. Is it that you and your DH don't really like your MIL but DH wants to send your 15-year-old to stay there once a week?

onlythreenow · 18/08/2022 06:56

What does your son want to do? Surely his opinion is the one which is most important.

olympicsrock · 18/08/2022 06:57

This thread is a bit wierd. I understood the OP perfectly. The MIL is toxic , she caused a family breakup during Covid when the old child who was 16 to move in with her.
OP you have a DH problem where your husband puts his mothers wishes over your own.
Let the middle child go over there occasionally but have a word first to warn them that DGM has caused a lot of trouble and does not always tell the truth.
Stop including the old witch in your family plans.

Aiionwatha · 18/08/2022 07:05

You are being unreasonable in your use of commas.

MarshaMelrose · 18/08/2022 07:23

onlythreenow · 18/08/2022 06:56

What does your son want to do? Surely his opinion is the one which is most important.

He wants to go.

kateandme · 18/08/2022 07:24

No sometimes it is up to the 15 year old.
As a parent you sometimes have to say no to protect them from harm.

MarshaMelrose · 18/08/2022 07:27

The MIL is toxic , she caused a family breakup during Covid when the old child who was 16 to move in with her.

I'm not sure you're right about that. The op said....

I never said that she was instrumental on regards to my 18 year old moving out, she basically informed the child that once he turns 18 he doesn't have to live here.

Blondebakingmumma · 18/08/2022 07:34

If my own parents or my husband’s parents spoke poorly to one or both of our children about us ONCE, we would be low contact with no unsupervised time. No way would I put up with that toxic crap

jammiewhammie65 · 18/08/2022 07:42

So your husband wants to send a 15!year old to look after his mum because she's on her own. Tell him to do it himself. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. You do know you don't have to do what he says right ? Your child your decision this is England 2022

riserved · 18/08/2022 07:43

I understood the OP perfectly....or so I thought. Then I read the OP's later posts and everything changed.Confused

worriedatthistime · 18/08/2022 07:44

Surely its the 15 year olds choice
Plus you have taken gifts and money ,you never insisted your dh sent them back or addressed it at the time with your dh so he is part of this problem its not all on your mil

1DoesNotSimplyWalkIntoMordor · 18/08/2022 07:48

Wish people would stop with the nasty comments about the use of punctuation marks, if a poster is from another country then different rules about punctuation can apply, for example a comma followed by and or but is perfectly acceptable in one Eastern European country but not in the UK. I often proof read things written by colleagues from other European countries and see the same mistakes. Of course there could be other factors involved as well.

worriedatthistime · 18/08/2022 07:49

So if you stop the 15 year olf going , what will you do when their 16/17 when you can't stop them
Surely you can have a honest conversation with your 15 year old and explain your reservations

worriedatthistime · 18/08/2022 07:50

@olympicsrock well you didn't understand as OP said she didn't cause him to move out
Plus we very much only have one side if this hefe

Zoeslatesttrope · 18/08/2022 07:54

Your son wants to go so let him. It's his grandmother.