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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In-laws crashing vacation cause husband invited them

61 replies

Sensitiveappeal485 · 14/07/2024 14:32

I’ve never had really a relationship with my husbands parents because they don’t speak English or live in our continent and I don’t have the time or capacity to learn a foreign language. And the few times we have been together he never translates anything so I sit there like I’m watching paint dry.

I have been deeply affected by when I was on maternity leave 9 years ago and they came from overseas to move in with me for 6 months without anyone asking if I was okay with this. We cannot communicate, they made messes in my house (father left urine on my bathroom floor, mother spilled tea on my light computed rug) and I was pumping exclusively for my baby and had to go hide in my room to get privacy. It’s not like they had nowhere to stay, the mom’s sister has a massive suburban home not far from here with 3 furnished uninhabited bedrooms. I was hurt that my husband didn’t stand up for me at that time that this was my time off from work to spend time with my baby and I basically had to hide in my room or make an effort to leave the house cause they were in my house and he was at work all day. As a result of this time and the fights it caused, I have further disliked his family, even the ones that speak English as I felt I had zero support during this time of disagreement with his foreign parents staying in my house.

anyhow fast forward to today, we have a long weekend trip planned away with close friends and a bunch of friends from our kids’ school that we planned a long time ago. Since the foreign MIL is coming he has turned it in to a famjam and invited them all and I sense he’s also funding the entire trip for them. Add in his sister that lives far away wants to come and bring her kid that is significantly younger than my kids to spent quality time with my kids who are on the trip with their friends and want to hang with their friends.

im not saying his family can’t go I’m just internally annoyed that they’re coming and he’s finding it cause they think he’s so wealthy (we aren’t). It’s not a cheap vacation spot either. I am trying to buffer my feelings I can hang with my friends but his sister is gonna ask me to have my kids hang with her kid and the age gap is a lot in terms of a water park and heights and abilities to do activities based on age. We already went to an amusement park with her and her kid recently when they were in town and rides were hard due to different ages and her daughter got tired so easily and became unruly and would push boundaries on me (ie I asked her not to walk with dirty feet on my picnics blanket and she would laugh at me and proceed to purposely dirty my blanket).

how do I respond if the sister reaches out. My kids are going to be with their friends on this trip.

OP posts:
Itiswhysofew · 14/07/2024 14:40

It doesn't sound like a great break.

When you see SIL, ask/tell her, "you do realise/know that DCs friends are here and they'll be playing with them a lot of the time?". If you want to make it clear, you need to be direct.

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/07/2024 14:44

I agree with PP. However I also think that when you make a life with someone from a different culture, I don’t have the time or capacity to learn a foreign language doesn't cut it. DuoLingo and other apps and services (I use italki) have made it incredibly easy to learn the basics. And you have an active speaker in your house.

Are you doing OPOL with the children and do you want your DH and DC to talk without you understanding?

Scarletttulips · 14/07/2024 14:45

What do you mean ‘I think he’s finding them?’

I think your relationship needs a good tal through here, he doesn’t respect you at all.

I would have hated my own parents rocking up for 6 months!

You need to speak up.

I wouldn’t mention the holiday, if hers feel left out so be it the adults will have to entertain the children.

Not your problem. Don’t get involved.

Doggymummar · 14/07/2024 14:46

Scarletttulips · 14/07/2024 14:45

What do you mean ‘I think he’s finding them?’

I think your relationship needs a good tal through here, he doesn’t respect you at all.

I would have hated my own parents rocking up for 6 months!

You need to speak up.

I wouldn’t mention the holiday, if hers feel left out so be it the adults will have to entertain the children.

Not your problem. Don’t get involved.

Funding them, paying for them

GalileoHumpkins · 14/07/2024 14:48

They're not crashing if they've been invited and what the hell is a 'famjam'?

yeesh · 14/07/2024 14:49

you sound like a very difficult and rude person, why do you need to say “foreign” so much. All of these problems are caused by your husband not communicating with you

paywalled · 14/07/2024 14:50

YANBU. Tell him if they’re coming you won’t be going.

Birdahoy · 14/07/2024 14:50

Well he asked them so they’re not crashing everything. You sound quite resentful of that side of the family. I get it, cultural differences are a thing and post-birth, in your house would have been quite intense.

But…. Time to be less offended and move on to try to have some sort of positive or neutral relationship with them?

Birdahoy · 14/07/2024 14:52

Birdahoy · 14/07/2024 14:50

Well he asked them so they’re not crashing everything. You sound quite resentful of that side of the family. I get it, cultural differences are a thing and post-birth, in your house would have been quite intense.

But…. Time to be less offended and move on to try to have some sort of positive or neutral relationship with them?

Oh, and if you have any sort of a problem it’s that your husband wants to let down neither you or his parents. You might want to work on honest and open communication with him.

whatwouldAnnaDelveydo · 14/07/2024 14:53

Your husband doesn't respect you (it seems he doesn't care about you at all).

The rest are just the consequences of that. You have a husband problem.

itistooeasy · 14/07/2024 14:56

they’re not crashing anything
they were invited
so your issue is with your husband

Sensitiveappeal485 · 14/07/2024 14:57

Re why I have no capacity to take on a language. I have two kids and work full time and am my home’s housekeeper and admin and barely have time to myself after commuting, kids activities, keeping my house in order etc while his parents are not working and could easily learn English if they wanted to. They are not super old. Plus they speak a dialect of the main language that does not sound like the main language.

OP posts:
TemuSpecialBuy · 14/07/2024 14:58

A dirty picnic blanket and a play date with the cousins is the least of it…

There is so much wrong with this and it all stems from your DH.

top one for me is:
how on earth are you married and you don’t know if he is shelling out thousand on extended families accommodation??

Also, your in laws aren’t crashing YOUR DH (dickhead husband) INVITED THEM!

TarantinoIsAMisogynist · 14/07/2024 14:59

It's not 'crashing' if you've been invited.

The problem is your husband not respecting your wishes.

Greenlittecat · 14/07/2024 14:59

That's a lot of excuses. Why don't you ask MIL/SIL to teach you? It might be a bonding activity.

It’s your children's language and culture, you married into a different culture then your own it's nice to try and learn a bit about it.

cupcaske123 · 14/07/2024 14:59

Why didn't you say anything when your in laws just turned up and moved into your house? Why did you let them stay so long?

Your husband doesn't run ideas past you which is disrespectful. You need to speak up and tell your husband that these things need to be discussed first.

Peoneve · 14/07/2024 14:59

GalileoHumpkins · 14/07/2024 14:48

They're not crashing if they've been invited and what the hell is a 'famjam'?

The OP doesnt seem to be a 1st language English speaker and so may not be based in the UK.

SeeSeeRider · 14/07/2024 15:00

GalileoHumpkins · 14/07/2024 14:48

They're not crashing if they've been invited and what the hell is a 'famjam'?

"Fambly" jamboree? I've suffered at these. They can be truly awful. One in particular led to me to end a relationship.

murasaki · 14/07/2024 15:00

I assume famjam is a family jamboree. It sounds like hell on wheels.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 14/07/2024 15:01

Don't all your friends mind a bunch of (to them) randoms turning up?

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/07/2024 15:01

Sensitiveappeal485 · 14/07/2024 14:57

Re why I have no capacity to take on a language. I have two kids and work full time and am my home’s housekeeper and admin and barely have time to myself after commuting, kids activities, keeping my house in order etc while his parents are not working and could easily learn English if they wanted to. They are not super old. Plus they speak a dialect of the main language that does not sound like the main language.

Another DH issue. Why are you doing all the housework and admin?

Your DH sounds like a nightmare.

VimFuego101 · 14/07/2024 15:02

TheWayOfTheWorld · 14/07/2024 15:01

Don't all your friends mind a bunch of (to them) randoms turning up?

This. It's a bit rude to your friends to bring along people they don't know and who don't speak the language. I am a total introvert though so that is influencing my opinion.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 14/07/2024 15:03

@VimFuego101 me too! I would absolutely hate it.

MsNorburry · 14/07/2024 15:04

That sounds a bit tough alright, but I would endure it this time and let your husband know you want to know how much was spent on this holiday. BE SUPER reasonable so that you get full disclosure on how much was spent.

What's the language? I'm curious. I@d be secretly learning it! STEALTHILY. ha ha.

PostItInABook · 14/07/2024 15:05

You can use DuoLingo to learn the basics of a language in ten minutes a day.

You are absolving your husband of all responsibility for your difficult relationship with his family when the real problem is him. You have decided to dislike them because of your husbands actions. You are being very unreasonable and sorry to say coming across as a little bit xenophobic with your overuse of ‘foreign’.

Did you not think about the potential impact of his family’s culture upon your married life and whether you could cope with the differences before you married him? Honestly, I despair of women sometimes…..THINK about this stuff before plunging headfirst into these situations!