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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be annoyed at MIL

9 replies

raniatx · 01/11/2022 17:24

MIL has a few health concerns, which for privacy reasons i won't be mentioning.

she's aware she shouldn't work a significant amount, and over the past year her health has declined slightly, which means plenty of hospital/clinic/gp trips and as she's not an english speaker, insists she needs to be accompanied. i've always been very much happy to help, even though i've had to cancel plans a couple times. however, having had a baby this year, it's sometimes hard to attend these appointments, as i'm not too keen on taking a baby to a hospital unnecessarily meaning i usually try to find someone to cover for me and watch over DS, which i sometimes feel isn't fair that FIL or DH aren't the ones taking a day off work and i always have to resort to asking others to take care of DS.

regardless, i've not complained, until this last week MIL has been seen for two ultrasounds/scans and has an MRI booked. we've had 5 gp calls this past week due to her declining health and been advised she needs to cut on work.

she refuses to cut on work, resorting on her fainting in work, vomiting excessively from pain, taking too much medication from pain and resorting in more nausea/lightheaded. i've told her that she's only going to get worst, if she doesn't drop some work, but she mentions that she can't afford to as money is tight.

i don't mean to be intrusive but i've been thinking of saying a few things lately. due to her health she is on benefits (i know because i've helped her get these benefits, well aware her rent is fully covered) she also doesn't smoke/drink/have any vices. shes earning a rough amount of £2500 a month, with supposedly no bills because of her condition. she also had a partner contributing to the housing income.

it's fair to say they've got a decent amount of money when housing expenses are zero (bills are included in rent) and the only thing they pay is their car and groceries.

here is the problem, she likes to spoil her pregnant niece (stable income, has had a previous child so has a lot of things saved from when her eldest was a baby) i think it's fair to say MIL shouldn't be spending so much money to buy things that her niece doesn't need (eg. buying a new changing table for baby on the way, new caddys, new baby bouncers, heaps of clothes and much more, spending a rough amount of maybe £300 a month)

she spends so much money to spoil her niece which is lovely, but when her health needs her to reduce her hours, she refuses as she spends an insane amount of money on her niece.

i don't know if it's my place to say "your health is more important than spending money on unnecessary things that your niece does not need" but it's aggravating me that i see her get worst, not to mention i'm the one who has to keep attending appointments because she refuses to help herself. i've wanted to say one too many times "get your niece to go with you, since you believe that spoiling her is more important than your health"

i don't intend on sounding bitter, i know it may come across that way, but she had me sorting out loans for her to she could help pay for her nieces eldest child's christening. ive never been fussed about this, it's not my issue, but it's going too far.

would i be unreasonable to mention anything? do i ask DH to have that talk as his mum?

OP posts:
Keyansier · 01/11/2022 19:30

You sound really over-involved and rather martyr-like. Ok, so you were happy to help at one point - your choice - but now your personal circumstances have changed and you're wondering why her husband or your husband aren't taking time off to accompany her to these appointments. That's what I'm wondering too. What's it got to do with you?

Secondly, her business is her business (as yours is yours). It's not up to you to question why she is working so much or how she is spending her own money. Leave her to it. If you're bothered about the loans then stop getting involved. Who is asking you to? I assume you know what the word 'no' means?

Yes, you would be massively unreasonable to speak to her about any of this. And from the sounds of it I doubt she'd even take your concerns seriously for a single second. Mind your own business.

Cakecakecheese · 01/11/2022 19:46

Yeah it's none of your business.

Aquamarine1029 · 01/11/2022 19:49

You need to take a massive step back, about five miles back, and let your MIL manage her own healthcare. If she needs to get to an appointment, she can figure it out. If she needs help with benefits, she'll have to ask her son or her partner. Drop the rope and focus on your own life.

Gazelda · 01/11/2022 19:55

Have you posted about this before? It sounds familiar.

In any case, you should hand this back to your DH. Stop rearranging plans or taking time off work to take her to appts. Be a friendly ear and help to her when it fits in with your plans.

Your DH and FIL know the score. It's up to them to convince her.

LeMoo · 01/11/2022 19:58

Stay out of it

PinkSyCo · 01/11/2022 20:00

What does your FIL think? Is he not worried about what your MIL is doing? What about your husband? Because really it’s more their business than yours. I do get the impression that you’re quite resentful of all the help your niece is getting, so to make yourself feel less bitter I think it’s time for you to step back and tell your MIL honestly that it’s become difficult to make yourself available to her for every single appointment and that from now on the load will need to be shared amongst other family members.

Pumpkinpatchlookinggood · 01/11/2022 20:01

Just tell dh HE needs to organise his dm's appointments from now on. You have a baby now. Time to resign from dogsbody..

Brefugee · 01/11/2022 20:05

Step right back and hand her over to FIL and possibly your DH (and his siblings if he has some)

IntrovertedPenguin · 01/11/2022 20:17

Tell your DH of her upcoming appointments and tell him he needs to take it off work to go with her.

Stop being a martyr, you can still help but it's time her son actually helped out too!

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