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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MIL injured my dd and would not take her to hospital

364 replies

Almondmist · 10/01/2024 22:44

This is eating me up inside as I can't talk about this with anyone else, please help me decide what to do. Last year I went to visit my in-laws with my dds, my dh didn't go due to work commitments. My in-laws are nice people but also small minded. They live abroad in a small town and I can have a basic conversation with them in thier language. One night Dd2 slept with me and dd1 (4) slept with my mil. I have always used a bed guard with my dds abroad and my in-laws know this very well. It's a stone floor. In the middle of the night, dd1 woke up and came to me because she had a bad dream. I comforted her and my mil took her back to bed. 1 hour later I heard a thud and dd1 screaming. I ran into the room to see dd1 on the floor, her chin split open dripping blood. She had not been put on the side of the bed where the bed guard was in place, but on the other side where my mil should have been sleeping. The cut was an inch wide. I panicked and told my fil to take us to the hospital while my ignorant mil got a wet tissue to dab at the wound. My fil didn't take us to the hospital but a tiny medical centre, which was a tiny room with a guy claiming he was a nurse. He put a plaster on and that's all. I only have a beginner level knowledge of the local language and I said she needs stitches but the guy said no need it's enough. My dd bled for around four days, I begged my in-laws to take her to a hospital but they would look a me with a blank stare like they didn't understand me. I called my dh on the phone to translate to them but my fil refused and took her again to the same medical centre who only changed the plaster. I said to please call a taxi and I would pay for it but they said there are no taxis in the area. There is a hospital 20 mins drive away. I felt so lost and helpless. I cried so much. Its healed but there is a noticible scar left which, given the size, will remain. I was never given an apology for what happened and was told 'its just thier mentality'.
This time when I visited my in-laws with my dh, my mil notice the scar and said my dd should have got stitches. I saw red in that moment and screamed why she didn't do anything at the time and take dd to the hospital like I had begged.
I know what happened wasn't intentional but it was neglect and I am expected to carry on like nothing happened. But I can't let it go, I never want to see my in-laws again or leave take my dds there to meet them, I never enjoyed going I only did it for my dh. Soon the yearly subject will come up of booking the plane tickets and i want to tell dh no this time. I get so much anxiety and stressed out at the thought of going back there. I'm civil with my inlaws but i hate them since that incident. What would you do in my situation?

OP posts:
Bluelightbaby · 11/01/2024 16:12

The title for the post is so wrong. She didn’t injure your DD an accident occurred and your DD was injured. She didn’t take to hospital but did take to a MIU.

without seeing a photo of the injury it’s hard to say if that pathway was correct but a minor injuries unit is completely sufficient for this type of minor injury and I’m sure the MIU would of recommended hospital if they thought that it warranted it

the whole situation seems a big odd anyway and I think next time go with your husband stay in a hotel

Longma · 11/01/2024 16:38

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

angsty · 11/01/2024 17:00

To everyone saying Google Translate and/or a phrase book: she has been in a relationship with an Italian man for five years at least, her children are half Italian and she has holidayed repeatedly in Italy. Learn Italian for heaven's sake.

ilovebreadsauce · 11/01/2024 17:20

Lots, I would say most kids suffer accidents like this at some time.I think you need to chill a bit.It is noones fault.4 year olds do not generally have bed guards!

CustardySergeant · 11/01/2024 17:26

angsty · 11/01/2024 17:00

To everyone saying Google Translate and/or a phrase book: she has been in a relationship with an Italian man for five years at least, her children are half Italian and she has holidayed repeatedly in Italy. Learn Italian for heaven's sake.

I couldn't agree more. It's not a difficult language for a native English speaker to learn anyway and she lives with an Italian! She could be fluent by now.

angsty · 11/01/2024 18:49

My DD has been in a relationship with a Greek man for 2 years (not in Greece). Her Greek is now good enough for her to work there (as a doctor). And Greek is much harder than Italian because of the different alphabet.

coffeeaddict77 · 11/01/2024 23:09

angsty · 11/01/2024 18:49

My DD has been in a relationship with a Greek man for 2 years (not in Greece). Her Greek is now good enough for her to work there (as a doctor). And Greek is much harder than Italian because of the different alphabet.

Great for her. OP probably hasn't got much free time if she has two children and maybe she doesn't want to spend it becoming more fluent in Italian just so she can converse better with her in laws when she sees them once a year.

coffeeaddict77 · 11/01/2024 23:13

CustardySergeant · 11/01/2024 17:26

I couldn't agree more. It's not a difficult language for a native English speaker to learn anyway and she lives with an Italian! She could be fluent by now.

Why should she be fluent? Perhaps she has better things to do with her free time which is probably very limited than learn to speak a language more fluently for visits to in laws.🙄

Oriunda · 12/01/2024 06:38

coffeeaddict77 · 11/01/2024 23:09

Great for her. OP probably hasn't got much free time if she has two children and maybe she doesn't want to spend it becoming more fluent in Italian just so she can converse better with her in laws when she sees them once a year.

That’s crazy reasoning. I made sure I learned Italian asap so that I could converse not just with the in-laws, but DH wider circle of family and friends. Plus, I couldn’t imagine not speaking a language that my child does.

kisstheblarney · 12/01/2024 07:07

@CustardySergeant why should she? So she can join in conversations with her children and their grandparents?

kisstheblarney · 12/01/2024 07:08

kisstheblarney · 12/01/2024 07:07

@CustardySergeant why should she? So she can join in conversations with her children and their grandparents?

Sorry should've tagged @coffeeaddict77

angsty · 12/01/2024 07:38

Of course she could learn Italian if she has two children, don't be ridiculous. My DD became fluent in Greek while in her final year at medical school, which involves crazy amounts of study and doing long shifts at the hospital. It's a matter of motivation.

Trixiefirecracker · 12/01/2024 08:03

coffeeaddict77 · 11/01/2024 23:09

Great for her. OP probably hasn't got much free time if she has two children and maybe she doesn't want to spend it becoming more fluent in Italian just so she can converse better with her in laws when she sees them once a year.

Conversing with husband and children too? 🤔

angsty · 12/01/2024 08:13

It wouldn't be "becoming more fluent". From her description of this whole incident she could barely speak a word, which seems to be what led to the hysterical reaction to a minor injury. Couldn't even call a taxi. I can do far more than that in the country that I holiday in and I am not married to a person from that country nor do I have children who are half of that nationality. Just learning some basics in Italian would have been a start.

Evanesy · 12/01/2024 08:46

angsty · 12/01/2024 08:13

It wouldn't be "becoming more fluent". From her description of this whole incident she could barely speak a word, which seems to be what led to the hysterical reaction to a minor injury. Couldn't even call a taxi. I can do far more than that in the country that I holiday in and I am not married to a person from that country nor do I have children who are half of that nationality. Just learning some basics in Italian would have been a start.

It’s completely possible. I was on my own as I traveled through parts of China, as someone whose only holidays beforehand were limited to European cities. I simply used my phone’s data and google translate and easily got around.

Instead, OP claims there was only patchy wi fi signal. If things were that bad, I’m sure there would have been enough patchy wi fi signal over the course of a few days to get herself the help she needed. Even worse, she could have paid for roaming charges if it was that serious, or even asked her husband for help seeing as he’s from the area. She did none of that.

Ultimately, her daughter got the help she needed for a minor injury and OP is looking for someone to blame because the injury left a scar. She had 4 days to get more help if it was needed, and I suspect if OP was genuinely that concerned at the time, she would have taken action to get that help, as any parent would. She thinks that stitches would have left less of a scar, even though she has no evidence to back that up, and so is now annoyed at the situation. She didn’t like her in laws to start with so it’s easy to blame them than to realise a medical centre was perfectly acceptable response and if more assistance was needed, then it was her own inaction that failed to get it.

Also, we need to change our thinking that A&E is the place to go for any accident or injury. We also have minor injuries units in the UK, although I appreciate that I am assuming that the medical centre OP went to was a similar set up.

coffeeaddict77 · 12/01/2024 08:51

Trixiefirecracker · 12/01/2024 08:03

Conversing with husband and children too? 🤔

Why does she need to learn Italian more fluently to speak to her DH and children,? They obviously live in the UK and speak English.

novhange · 12/01/2024 08:55

Oriunda · 12/01/2024 06:38

That’s crazy reasoning. I made sure I learned Italian asap so that I could converse not just with the in-laws, but DH wider circle of family and friends. Plus, I couldn’t imagine not speaking a language that my child does.

Funny how people don’t expect men to learn their wife’s native language to converse with her in laws.

So many demands on women it’s insane 🤣

coffeeaddict77 · 12/01/2024 08:56

angsty · 12/01/2024 07:38

Of course she could learn Italian if she has two children, don't be ridiculous. My DD became fluent in Greek while in her final year at medical school, which involves crazy amounts of study and doing long shifts at the hospital. It's a matter of motivation.

Edited

Why of course? Obviously if a matter of motivation but if you have a job and children for example you probably don't have much free time and if you do maybe you would rather spend it with children or doing something else.

coffeeaddict77 · 12/01/2024 09:16

Oriunda · 12/01/2024 06:38

That’s crazy reasoning. I made sure I learned Italian asap so that I could converse not just with the in-laws, but DH wider circle of family and friends. Plus, I couldn’t imagine not speaking a language that my child does.

Maybe you like languages and find it easy to learn them and/or had plenty of free time. Everyone has different aptitudes and time and motivation. She only sees her in laws once a year and lives in the uk and her DHs friends may all speak English

coffeeaddict77 · 12/01/2024 09:17

novhange · 12/01/2024 08:55

Funny how people don’t expect men to learn their wife’s native language to converse with her in laws.

So many demands on women it’s insane 🤣

Very true.

catelynjane · 12/01/2024 09:26

Funny how people don’t expect men to learn their wife’s native language to converse with her in laws.

I would absolutely expect a man to do this - in fact, my dad did just that when he met my mum.

coffeeaddict77 · 12/01/2024 09:34

catelynjane · 12/01/2024 09:26

Funny how people don’t expect men to learn their wife’s native language to converse with her in laws.

I would absolutely expect a man to do this - in fact, my dad did just that when he met my mum.

I think you will be very disappointed if you think every man you have a relationship with is going to spend all their free time learning to speak your native language so he can talk to your parents.

angsty · 12/01/2024 09:35

Funny how people don’t expect men to learn their wife’s native language to converse with her in laws

I assume that the DH speaks English already? So this is a moot point.

angsty · 12/01/2024 09:37

This is not just a "man she has a relationship with", it is her husband of several years! And yes, if I had married a man who did not speak the same language as my parents (which happens to be English) I would have expected to him learn at least some basic English.

SoupDragon · 12/01/2024 09:37

novhange · 12/01/2024 08:55

Funny how people don’t expect men to learn their wife’s native language to converse with her in laws.

So many demands on women it’s insane 🤣

Why on earth would you think that men wouldn't be expected to learn a language?

actually, "her in laws" means the DH's parents, who presumably already speak the same language.