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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sil complaining about her birthday card. AIBU to be at the end of my tether with her?

99 replies

SilIssuesAgain · 20/04/2023 14:19

Bit of background – Me and dh have had a stressful 3 years. I would say the worse 3 years of my life. Starting with my son from age 2 to 3 who had behavioural issues and a big language delay. He would run off outside and would not listen to instructions and had no sense of danger. He would hit me on purpose and by accident – I have had black eyes, blooded noses, bust lips and countless bruises from him. When he turned 3 we started on the year long process of getting him an autism diagnosis and getting the right help. The whole process was slow and it kept me up at night with worry. Worry about the future and if I am doing enough, getting the right help for him. Both me and my dh ended up on anti depressants because of this. He started to improve with his behaviour and language since turing 4 but he still has a language / communication delay. The whole thing has been a very long emotionally difficult time for me. So we decided to have another baby but at 24 weeks I ended up hospitalised with phenomena for 5 days because I had breathing difficulties and felt reduced movement from the baby. Then my baby was not growing any more and I had to have an induction and then an emergency c section. Then my 1 week old daughter was hospitalised with seizures for 6 days. This was the scariest few days of my life and it just felt like one thing after another. They think it was meningitis. She is also quite a difficult baby and still does not sleep well so we are both quite busy and exhausted from the last few years.

Bit of background with Sil – since I have known her Sil has always made demands on our time and it is not a two way street. Like she expected us to break lockdown rules at Christmas and travel 60 miles to clean Mil's rental property (it would have taken 3 hours by public transport since we both could not drive at the time). She of course was not going to help clean. One time she arrived in a neighbouring city next to us early and she than expected us to drop what we doing to come see her (it would have been an expensive taxi ride to get there on time). She would ask for expensive makeup that costs £40-60 from us for every birthday and Christmas and she would get us a £5-10 gift in return. On Christmas day when we would stay at Mil’s house (pre dc) she would bang on our bedroom door at 7am because she wanted us to open presents together (mostly watch her open presents and be stroppy if she got something she did not like). One Christmas she asked for a 20 pounds and a 40 pounds make-up item and we only got her the 20 pounds items since money was a bit tighter that year, and she actually said is that i! Mil would want help with Christmas prepping (perfectly reasonable) but every year Sil would point at me an dh when Mil asked who would help, she never once helped out. When at our house she does not lift a finger while here – she would not even take her own plate away after I made lunch. Tantrums or stroppy behaviour if you dont want to do what she wants. There is also her behaviour which both annoys me and I find odd – examples are - at my sons christening he started to cry when the water was poured on his head and she started laughing out loud. When my autistic ds pronounced something wrong and she said what was that and started laughing. Frankly at this point I do not want her around my son if she is going to laugh at things he struggles with due to his autism.
There is also massive boundary issues that is also a one way street. - like asking private information about us and our family but she would get annoyed with dh if he did the same, her personal life is private. She asked to attend dc's first video appointment with the paediatrician for his autism diagnoses. It really feels like she expects special treatment from dh.

Sil has just complained to dh that her birthday card is not signed with our children names on it. She did not enquire as to my well-being when I was in hospital with pneumonia while pregnant and she did not come to see my daughter while in the hospital with seizures yet she is complaining about her birthday card – wtf?
AIBU to be annoyed at this point by her behaviour and to ask what is actually wrong with her?

OP posts:
SilIssuesAgain · 20/04/2023 18:12

Maybe he is just so entrenched/used to it?
Yes I think he is.

I wonder if he genuinely thought she should or was just trying to make his life as easy as possible?
I am not sure, maybe he is just so used to her behaviour he thinks her demands are normal. This is the case with his entire family tho - especially Sil and Mil.

Does he tell his family about his own medical stuff? Yes especially Mil - I have other issues with Mil which has been a whole other thread. Mil is controlling and very manipulative. Mil asked what exams I was having after giving birth and dh actually told her. Since then I have had to constantly remind dh to stop oversharing with his family.

OP posts:
SilIssuesAgain · 20/04/2023 18:14

Someone is oversharing information which gives her the opportunity to overstep boundaries. Dh oversharing with his mother who tells the whole family about everyones business. I am the black sheep of the family since I started putting up boundaries with Mil and Sil.

OP posts:
Srin · 20/04/2023 18:15

Like others have said, it sounds like she might have autism. It does run in families.

AmandaHoldensLips · 20/04/2023 18:19

Rock solid boundaries.

Do not have anything to do with her. Leave it to your DH and tell him that you don't want to engage with her as her behaviour is unacceptable.

Look up "grey rock technique" and use it whenever you are forced to be in her company.

Protect your children from her and don't let her anywhere near them.

RedToothBrush · 20/04/2023 18:21

SilIssuesAgain · 20/04/2023 18:14

Someone is oversharing information which gives her the opportunity to overstep boundaries. Dh oversharing with his mother who tells the whole family about everyones business. I am the black sheep of the family since I started putting up boundaries with Mil and Sil.

And there is your problem. With your husband not your SIL.

diddl · 20/04/2023 18:21

Mil asked what exams I was having after giving birth and dh actually told her.

Bloody hell!

My MIL once had a high cholesterol reading & my husband said "oh yes diddl has had that" I was furious!

Skewed I know by the fact that we don't get on.

I tend to live by the mantra of saying nothing at all!

Gymnopedie · 20/04/2023 18:31

SilIssuesAgain · 20/04/2023 18:12

Maybe he is just so entrenched/used to it?
Yes I think he is.

I wonder if he genuinely thought she should or was just trying to make his life as easy as possible?
I am not sure, maybe he is just so used to her behaviour he thinks her demands are normal. This is the case with his entire family tho - especially Sil and Mil.

Does he tell his family about his own medical stuff? Yes especially Mil - I have other issues with Mil which has been a whole other thread. Mil is controlling and very manipulative. Mil asked what exams I was having after giving birth and dh actually told her. Since then I have had to constantly remind dh to stop oversharing with his family.

Have you thought about removing the problem of both MIL and SIL by removing DH? Because I would be very tempted. You've had a stressful few years and it sounds like he may have made things worse rather than better.

At the very least he does all dealings with his family from now on. Presents, cards all down to him.

Whatkindofuckeryisthis · 20/04/2023 18:37

Sounds like she also has autism?

Fimofriend · 20/04/2023 19:14

I would suspect that SIL is also neuro divergent.

EggInANest · 20/04/2023 19:21

OP.
You have far too much going on in your life to give one second’s thought as to whether your SIL is happy with her birthday card or not.

Just stop caring about her, her behaviour and what she does and doesn’t say. And have as little contact and communication with her as possible.

glitterfarts · 20/04/2023 19:21

"Are you actually laughing at a disabled child? What is so funny?"

"Why are you laughing/teasing/picking on a disabled small child?"

"Please do share what is so funny SIL?"

To DH: if you share my personal medical information again, I will share the treatment you're receiving for Std's, erectile dysfunction and micro-penis.
Also to DH: I am passing responsibility to you foryiur birth family for all gifts, cards, special occasions.

I did this with DH and my MIL, now she gets nothing as he doesn't bother.

AliceOlive · 20/04/2023 19:26

She’s not behaving as a normal adult. I would lower your expectations of her and stop taking any of her inappropriate behavior seriously.

I know that’s easier said than done. But I hope you can find a way to ignore her weird demands and stop caring at all what she thinks.

justasking111 · 20/04/2023 19:35

She's either on the autistic spectrum or an awful woman. As others have said GREY ROCK her and MIL let your husband deal with them all

mustgetoffmn · 20/04/2023 19:41

You say can you please grow up? Laughing )at whatever it is) is inappropriate. Then don’t respond to her answers. Don’t engage with her basically. She sounds like a small child competing with you for her brother. Did something happen when she was young by years as opposed to emotional maturity?

cricketcrit · 20/04/2023 19:46

She sounds a bit like my SIL but actually a bit better. Yours sounds immature and petty.

I had to cut mine off as she was a malignant vulnerable narcissist but I did try everything to preserve the relationship first.

Try , use grey rock, do low contact and if all else fails go NC.

NC comes with its whole raft of problems and I think it should be a last resort

Baabaa75 · 20/04/2023 19:50

SilIssuesAgain · 20/04/2023 14:41

We did not go to clean Mil's house but you get stroppy behaviour and made to feel unreasonable if you don't give into her demands. After 14 years of her and her being bothered about the inside of a birthday card when she could not be bothered to ask how I was when I was in hospital with pneumonia or visit my daughter in the hospital I am really at the end of my tether with her. I do feel like texting her she is selfish entitled and to just f*k off.

Oh just do it hon, tell her to fuck off then any stroppy behaviour just ignore ignore ignore, life's too short xx

whynotwhatknot · 20/04/2023 19:51

Your problem is your dh enabling all this-hes not supportive

Pottedpalm · 20/04/2023 19:55

I would inform her that you will not be exchanging presents with adult members of the family in future. Send a card if you like signed ‘from all of us’ and ignore the rest.

LaughingCat · 20/04/2023 20:28

This is the key word - boundaries.

They’re personal. We all have them. We all have the right to have them respected.

This is the issue here - it sounds like your husband has never been allowed to have boundaries and so he doesn’t know how to set healthy ones.

People have their own way of doing things. Different families have different dynamics. When I moved in with my other half, I realised his dad opened, checked and filed his post, dealing with anything that needed sorting. He called up Sky, pretending to be his son and renegotiated a deal. I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say. The next time they came over, I politely but firmly told him that the bills were sorted and the post dealt with, and that we’d be dealing with them as a couple moving forward. They were taken aback…but respected that stance.

That’s what’s not happening here and it’s not on. Your SIL’s wants and needs are put above yours in her head - she sounds like a right cow. And a tad self-obsessed

Keep setting and enforcing those boundaries. They will likely never change but you and your family will be much the better for it. And every time she makes you so angry you wish the floor would open up and swallow her, remember…if this is her behaviour, she’ll come a cropper. People don’t stick around for that kind of shit…

Emotionalsupportviper · 20/04/2023 20:49

Doyoumind · 20/04/2023 14:22

No, YANBU. This is for your DH to sort though. Personally I would text her telling her to fuck off but this may not be your own solution.

Agree.

I rarely use very bad swears, but I probably would in this case.

She's nasty.

FabFitFifties · 20/04/2023 21:19

I'd put money on her being ND. Lots of undiagnosed girls/women around. That doesn't mean you have to give in to her demands though.

SilIssuesAgain · 21/04/2023 08:33

Are you actually laughing at a disabled child
Please do share what is so funny SIL?
I'll use these.

Did something happen when she was young
Don't think so, she does complain that dh was given more opportunities and things by Mil, but I think the opposite is actually true.

it sounds like your husband has never been allowed to have boundaries and so he doesn’t know how to set healthy ones. this is definitely the case in dh's family. You are made to feel like you are unreasonable or shutting them out as Mil says if you don't share everything you are doing and every private detail. Sil and Mil especially think they have a right to dictate everything dh does. When he was at university he had to ask his mother if he could live off campus with friends rather than on campus accommodation (she was not paying for the accommodation). It really was everything in his life until I came along and started pushing against it by saying no to what they wanted and trying to get dh to set up boundaries. That is why I am the black sheep of the family

OP posts:
Aslanplustwo · 21/04/2023 09:18

I would be having as little to do with her as possible, and I most certainly would not be buying any gifts for her. Your DH can deal with all of that, and if your in-laws don't like it I wouldn't worry about it. She sounds like a child. I don't understand why people let others treat them like this tbh.

Toomuchtrouble4me · 21/04/2023 17:41

Why do you still bother. I would have told her to fuck off years ago.

MirabelMadrigal · 21/04/2023 17:57

Regarding the oversharing this sounds like my parents. They say because we are a family, everyone should know about each other and it doesn't look nice when some ppl are left in the dark. I've actually stopped telling them anything about myself or my kids, I dont like that certain family members ask about my business but then don't ask me themselves. What business is it of theirs? I dont ask about their lives, I'd rather ask the person direct if I wanted to know