to wish MIL would stop going on about DH’s August birthday

[horchatatresleches]

Sounds petty but it’s literally every time we see each other. DH was due in September but ended up arriving at the end of August. MIL is clearly bothered by this and somehow it comes up in conversation every time we see her. It will be that her great-niece won star of the week and do you know she was born in September, or I ran into your school friend Will who was born in September and that’s a year older than you when you started school, or most recently now our godson who has just turned four is starting school and how young he’ll be in the year just like DH, or any number of other ways of shoehorning in DH’s birthday. He’s now almost 40 years old. He did well at school, enjoyed it, played on the first teams for cricket and rugby and is doing well as an adult. He has a great group of school friends. I get that at the time it must have been disappointing to go from a child who would be Autumn born to a child who is late Summer born, but not to the point where almost forty years on.

Ok... Bit odd tho be talking about this re an adult. DH was born on the 31st Aug and I cannot ever remember anyone ever talking about it...(And yes it's often great re bank holidays)

YANBU, it sounds tedious. I would be slightly be evil and say - really MIL, I didn’t know his birthday is August 😮

My late MIL told me to avoid September when I was expecting my twins. Apparently there too many birthdays in September. I just laughed.

This! Unless there’s some dramatic add-on the OP hasn’t told us!

Maybe the date of his arrival means his father isn’t who it should be?

Because it’s annoying. Tedious too. I know repeated stories are things in families but this focus on an August birthday has literally nothing to add and it’s brought up almost every time I’ve seen her in the ten years I’ve known her! I have literally nothing to say on the matter and I’m getting closer to snapping because it’s staring to annoy.

I mean I hate to be mean but is she...not very interesting generally?

Just ask "was it the annual Christmas shag then, but he was a month premature?" - then report back here 😀

Does she wear black for August as she is in mourning?

I wonder if that’s the reason. She sees you and thinks: Oh bugger if it wasn’t for his August birthday he would have a different circle of friends and wouldn’t have met @horchatatresleches .
She can’t say it out loud so just moaning about his August arrival.

It’s probably just an age thing. When they get to that age they often repeat their favourite anecdotes. Just smile and nod. My parents have rehearsed the same childhood stories to us and to be honest we probably owe to them because imagine how many trivial and repetitive stories they had to put up with when we were children.

WEIRD!

My DD is July born and yes up until she was about 7 I probably did point it out (schooling etc as it probably did affect her )

Now though, NO! -she is 20

Late August birthdays are the best - sincerely an August 22 baby

I roll my eyes / cringe when my mum goes on about what an awful sleeper I was , walked at 9 months and was a moody teenager !

very odd. DS was due end of Aug, came 14th (he’s 21 today) but I was so happy we didn’t have to pay another year’s childcare. Never impacted him, he got all top grades in GCSE and A level and just got a 1st class degree. I’d just ignore her, she seems strangely obsessed by it.

Everyone talks the same old crap most of their lives.

I indulge them.

I am also indulged by others.

And it goes on and on and on.

The end.

My MIL has a few (non irritating) stories she repeats every few months, and I remind her that she's told us before. She just laughs. But she is 84, and otherwise sharp as a knife.
How old is yours, OP?

August was once called Sextilis.

I can see how that’s irritating but she’s clearly fixated on this for 40 years and she’s not going to stop now. So I’d advise developing a sense of humor about it. ( not to her face, but you and DH together when you get home).

Really?
Well, there you are OP. Tell MIL this fact every time and see how long till she finds something else to talk about.

Oh this is genius. Say this, every time, every single time.
MIL: It's such a shame DH was born in August blah blah witter...
OP and/or DH: Did you know, MIL, August was once called Sextilis? Isn't that fascinating? Also, we LOVE it that DH's birthday is in August, in fact in Sextilis! Best month of the year to have a birthday. Lol!
Surely this will change the conversation? 😂

Next time she does it, laugh and say, "I knew you were going to say that!" Then, if she goes on, say, "Do you know, you've said that three times today. So what?". "Don't be so predictable!" is another good retort. All delivered good humouredly. If she doesn't take the hint, abruptly change the subject, say 'excuse me' and interrupt her if necessary. If others in company do the same it will add weight.

She doesn't realise she is doing it, people never are but they need to be told somehow.

The thing with kids being the oldest or the youngest in a school year is that, after a while, it evens out and makes no difference. It's only really noticeable with small children.

Wouldn’t bother me at all. I have an August born 18 year old and when people mention having an August child I some mention our own experience if I feel it’s relevant. My son was almost a year younger than some of his class friends, academically it didn’t hold him back but socially and emotionally I feel it did.

Bloody hell - wish I had her problems 🤣🤣

"he points out that he wouldn’t have met me if he’d have been in the year below "

Could be part of the problem?