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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think my entitled childish Sil is my DH’s problem and not mine?

48 replies

SilIssuesAgain · 12/08/2023 10:33

I have reached the end of my tether with my Sil, I am pretty much low contact and could not care less if I see her again. Since I have known Sil she has always made demands on our time and there has always been boundary issues with her wanting to know our private information. We of course can not make demands on her time and her private life is private. But we are unreasonable if we don’t want to give in to any of her demands or share our personal information. She has actually called my behaviour not normal because we didn’t do what she wants. It really feels like she expects special treatment from us. Tantrums, stroppy behaviour or silent treatment for Dh if we don't want to do what she wants.

Examples:
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. She would just tell us what she wanted but if we ever asked her for something (even a cheap item) she would be annoyed. One Christmas she asked for a 20 pounds and a 40 pounds make-up item and we only got her the 20 pounds items and she actually huffed and said is that it! Sil complained that her birthday card was not signed with our children names on it. It’s like everything has to be exactly as she wants it.
On Christmas day when we would stay at Mil’s house she would bang on our bedroom door at 7am because she wanted us to open presents together (basically watch her open presents). 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. She never lifts a finger at Mil’s house or our house. If we are too busy or have other plans and can’t visit for her birthday meal (that Mil usually organises) she will contact dh lots trying to get him to change his mind.

One time she arrived in a neighbouring city next to us and she than expected us to drop what we doing to come see her because she had an hour to spare.
She expected us to travel 60 miles (we both could not drive at the time and had a young autistic dc to care for) to a clean Mil's rental property over Christmas. She of course was not going to clean anything.

She wanted to attend dc's first appointment with the paediatrician for his autism diagnoses. I said I was not going to tell anyone when I went into labour (due to a history of years of boundary issues with them) and she actually huffed at me.

There is also her behaviour which both annoys me and I find odd. At my sons christening he started to cry when the water was poured on his head and she started laughing. One time my autistic son (who has a big language delay) pronounced a word wrong and she did this snort laughter.

For our daughters christening we did not invite her boyfriend as I have never meet him. So she decided not to come (fair enough her decision). But Mil has said it has done permanent damage and she has been giving DH silent treatment since. She did not enquire as to my well-being when I was in hospital with pneumonia while pregnant my daughter and she did not come to see my daughter while in the hospital with seizures. So it is really only make an effort when it suits her.

AIBU to think this is DH’s problem and to make no effort with her as after years of her entitled behaviour and tantrums I no longer care. I would go as far to say I actually hate her at this point. I feel bad for Dh.

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 12/08/2023 10:39

YANBU.

I have a sil who has pushed me to the limits and beyond I now make zero effort. I’m civil if I have to see her for family events, that’s it. In between these rare events I do not give her second thought.

this is very out of character for me. I’m usually a big pleaser / tryer. But nope, she’s pushed me too far and now I have just dropped my shoulders and let it all go. It’s so liberating

Gnomegnomegnome · 12/08/2023 10:41

How old is she?

Cakecakecheese · 12/08/2023 10:42

You have your own family to look after so neither of you should have to put up with her nonsense but if your husband really can't ignore her then he can deal with her alone.

SilIssuesAgain · 12/08/2023 10:46

How old is she? 33

OP posts:
Downside03 · 12/08/2023 10:47

My SIL is awful, she is all yours and more to a depth that shows some sort of real problem. Mine lost the plot when it became too late for her to have children in her mid forties, she has never had a decent relationship. It was like all the venom was for me because I dared have a child with the most significant man in her life. I went NC for a few years which upset everyone but for the sake of my sanity and the fact I would have been horrible to her it was for the best. I see her very occasionally now.

PankWuffin · 12/08/2023 10:47

Yes, I'd be ignoring her. Just forget about her. If she gets in touch, just give her a polite brush off

historyrepeatz · 12/08/2023 10:49

Yanbu. The only way to deal with her is to not deal with her and to shut down any enabling for others like mil. Leaving it to DH is fine as long as he's on the same page as you about sharing private information etc. A lot of people don't do xmas/ birthday presents for adults so you could stop that stress there.

Whataretheodds · 12/08/2023 10:49

So it sounds like she's done the job for you by going NC.

Don't stress any more about her.

CherryMaDeara · 12/08/2023 10:54

YANBU she sounds like a twat.

SilIssuesAgain · 12/08/2023 11:02

Downside03 My sil has also never had a decent relationship and has had alot of boyfriends since I have known her. Her current one moved into her house after a few months of dating.
She actually come across as quite bitter with the messages she sent us about her boyfriend not being invited to the christening. For all the other big family gatherings - christenings and weddings she was single at them. This christening was the first big family gathering that she had a boyfriend she could bring.

OP posts:
HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 12/08/2023 11:04

Have you posted about this previously?

I'm sure I’ve read this before exactly word for word? 🤔

Womencanlift · 12/08/2023 11:06

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 12/08/2023 11:04

Have you posted about this previously?

I'm sure I’ve read this before exactly word for word? 🤔

Was about to ask the same thing. Even went back and checked the date as I have definitely read the exact same OP before

PuppyMonkey · 12/08/2023 11:09

I’d agree just ignore her and leave her to it. You say she is “DH’s problem” but is DH actually finding it a “problem” that she’s gone off in a huff? If he’s happy enough, hooray. If he’s sad, he can contact her and leave you out if it.

SilIssuesAgain · 12/08/2023 11:19

Dh does not seem to think there is a problem with some of her behaviour or just ignores it or downplays it.
With her current tantrum Dh thinks its also my fault because I did not invite her boyfriend to the christening. But I am done caring about her or making an effort.

OP posts:
moose62 · 12/08/2023 11:31

Yes, I have also read this before!

8misskitty8 · 12/08/2023 11:36

Think the op at various times has posted about the SIL.
Just go NC with her. If DH wants to see her fine but he is not to share personal information with her.

Shortpoet · 12/08/2023 11:37

Yes I’ve read this before too.

With the boyfriend invitation. Was it an active decision that you and your husband made. E.g. “We will invite SIL but not boyfriend for X reason”, or was it an oversite?

If it was an active decision, whose was it?

CherryMaDeara · 12/08/2023 11:50

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 12/08/2023 11:04

Have you posted about this previously?

I'm sure I’ve read this before exactly word for word? 🤔

OP’s probably posted about the expensive make-up presents demands before.

Things have probably escalated since then.

SilIssuesAgain · 12/08/2023 11:57

If it was an active decision, whose was it? It was my decision

OP posts:
Sparkletastic · 12/08/2023 12:00

Cease to have any contact. Leave it up to DH to manage his relationship with her.

Shortpoet · 12/08/2023 12:57

Argh just wrote a long reply and mumsnet ate it!

Did DH go along with the decision? When it became clear that SIL wouldn’t come to christening without bf, did DH put any pressure on you to change your mind about inviting bf?
Did DH have strong feelings on the issue before the event, or was he indifferent at the time and happy to go along with your decision and is it only now he is angry and blaming you?

Justkeepingplatesspinning · 12/08/2023 13:12

What is your husband's take on this? If he wants to have a relationship with his sister then he can do, but you don't need to be involved at all. It feels as though she feeds on the attention and things revolving around her, but you don't have to be part of that, so just quietly let the low contact become no contact.

DoorstoManual · 12/08/2023 13:21

Groundhog Day.

Sapphire387 · 12/08/2023 13:23

Have you posted this before? I remember reading this post a few months back.

billy1966 · 12/08/2023 13:25

Sparkletastic · 12/08/2023 12:00

Cease to have any contact. Leave it up to DH to manage his relationship with her.

The key is to refuse to speak of her in any way.

Not your family, not your problem.