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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Advice needed - should I push back or put up with it?

8 replies

PenguinChick89 · 21/08/2024 13:08

Hi, I have never posted anything like this before and have a lot to get off my chest but please bear with me.
I have quite a controlling MIL who wants to be a part of every aspect of my life. Whilst I know she is just trying to be friendly, she has two sons and considers me as a daughter, it is verging on irritating and I have started to push back. I have ended up in therapy due to her behaviour and I found a lot of stuff I was doing was purely out of guilt. She told some people she is friends with some private medical history about myself and when my husband found out and told her she shouldn't do that she acted as though she was the victim and refused to leave her house for a week in fear of bumping into anyone and "saying the wrong thing". Last year I fell pregnant and was very unwell. MIL was very keen in trying to diagnose me even though the doctors involved said I had nothing medically wrong with me. A few months later my brother in law said his wife was pregnant. I hoped that this meant my MIL would leave me alone as my sister in law was able to tolerate her a lot more and give in to her demands. This made things a lot worse for me as everything she was doing in her pregnancy it was expected I would now do in mine ie private scans, gender reveal etc. My MIL got a copy of a scan photo printed at a private scan and immediately started asking that we get a spare print out for her of our baby at our next scan. At this point we were so late on we weren't even able to get copies for ourselves nevermind anyone else. From day 1 of finding out I was pregnant she was asking if we had names sorted, at that point we still hadn't had the news sink in never mind think about names.
When my brother in law announced their news he started talking about how he wanted both of our kids to be best friends. So far he has made no effort at all to see his nephew however knowing what he is like I am expecting that once his baby is born that he will be expecting us to be there at every beck and call to help out or to meet for play dates - with us having to go to them. His best friend had a baby one month before me and he visits their child more than his own nephew. Everytime we tried to arrange something he cancels last minute. I susoect he won't come to our house as he doesn't like the area we live in but you can't make promises that are only going to be kept if only one side puts the effort in. It gas been mentioned in the past about ME not putting any effort in getting involved but it's down to the way I feel treated when I do. It feels like it's one rule for me and another for everyone else. AIBU that I have had to push back?

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 21/08/2024 13:10

What does push back look like?

tootiredtobother · 21/08/2024 13:15

jeez is your husband supportive of you? will he help to make some distance between you both and his family sorry you are feeling smothered

Augustisnearlydonesogoodbyesun · 21/08/2024 13:19

My ils never had my mobile number. All arrangements to visit or see dc went via dh. Made things more manageable.. For example they would arrive at 8.20 am with the offer of taking the dc to school.. Me and dh had always agreed never would they drive our dc.. If they turned up unannounced I kept to my schedule even if that meant they didn't see the dc. Take control of your life by having them less in it. Tell dh you don't want to hear the tales from mil as you really aren't interested..

Pinkypinkyplonk · 21/08/2024 13:21

Don’t know about pushing back. I would back away!!

WhatNoRaisins · 21/08/2024 13:30

I wouldn't blame you for having boundaries with these people. It sounds like your MIL could do with some counselling to get to the bottom of her neediness.

PenguinChick89 · 23/08/2024 10:20

Thanks for the responses.
Prior to giving birth I was cutting back on the amount of visits I was making to her and only visiting on special occasions, my husband was happy enough with this arrangement. Since our child was born, with it being her first grandchild, we did have a few extra visits which I have soon had to limit as she just cannot be trusted and we certainly will not be able to use her as a babysitter or leave her alone with oyr child for any amount of time. Again husband is in agreeance with this.
MIL has tried the victim blaming tactics with my husband as well to the point where sometimes he feels he can't be bothered fighting back if she's said something or asks him/us to do something. While he doesn't want to upset her I don't think he quite understands that this can be upsetting to me as a result. We do discuss this regularly and it can improve for a short time.
If it wasn't for the way she was during my pregnancy when my brother in law announced his news I would say I hope things improve when their baby is born and she'll back off but I know that's not going to happen.
I do love my husband to bits but I just feel that he could stick up for me a bit more and this is a massive struggle for me.

OP posts:
Thelnebriati · 23/08/2024 11:14

Have you heard of the 'scapegoat and Golden Child'? I wonder if your DH is the family scapegoat, and your BIL is the Golden Child?
I know you are posting about your MIL but your BIL's behaviour is also a red flag. Its not usual for men to be so invested in other people's babies. It sounds like a very unhealthy family.

PenguinChick89 · 23/08/2024 12:12

Thelnebriati · 23/08/2024 11:14

Have you heard of the 'scapegoat and Golden Child'? I wonder if your DH is the family scapegoat, and your BIL is the Golden Child?
I know you are posting about your MIL but your BIL's behaviour is also a red flag. Its not usual for men to be so invested in other people's babies. It sounds like a very unhealthy family.

I haven't heard that term but know this is a thing and it does apply here 100%.
He's just full of himself as a result so if it was possible to be even more insufferable he's certainly managing it.

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