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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

New baby and my mum wants lots of contact

56 replies

Thismorning83 · 16/09/2025 11:17

AIBU? I’m in my 40s and have a 5 week old baby and a 3 year old. My 3 year old is in nursery three days a week and I am with her Friday through Monday with my DH (Sunday through Monday, I am on my own with them on a Friday). Before Mat leave I worked full time in a stressful job. My mother lives 30 mins away and has always expected lots of contact. Usually she texts every morning. I see her and my dad once a week but whenever I do she makes comments such as that she wants to see a lot more of us. If I see her with my baby she says she wants to see my three year old next time and she misses her, even if she has only seen her the week before. Last week she said she was giving me space but would like to see me a lot more (despite seeing me at least once a week). She fell out with my sister for her moving 45 minutes drive away and for ‘putting her bottom of the list’ and seeing her MIL more than her. Every time I see her or text her back she asks when she can see me. She seems to think she doesn’t see us enough but to me once a week is a lot along with daily contact on text. My dad is very reasonable and easy going. My MIL lives 4 hours away and we see her around once every 2 months and she doesn’t expect anything from us. I try to explain to my mum how lucky she is to have us round the corner and have regular contact but nothing is ever enough it seems.

OP posts:
Thismorning83 · 30/03/2026 21:27

CocoaTea · 30/03/2026 07:51

Wow - are we sisters? You described my Mum to a tee.

@Thismorning83 - good suggestions in the post from @Imisscoffee2021

I like the idea of using statements about routine, DH and I have made plans for …, if we have a free day we will let you know.

And just keep saying the kids love to see you - we are so lucky we can do it once a week.

Basically repeat over and over - never acquiesce.

Does your mum still work?

Thank you. No she hasn’t worked for years, has given up driving, won’t walk very far. Just sits all day really and says she can’t do much but she doesn’t try at all.

OP posts:
Thismorning83 · 30/03/2026 21:33

BelBridge · 30/03/2026 08:55

Hi OP, how often do you want to see your mum? Do you want to see her every week? I would have a good think about what you want first, rather than being led by trying to manage what she wants. She is not in charge.

I don’t really feel like seeing her at all to be honest as when I do I come away feeling like I’m not a good person. But I want to see my dad and they come as a pair.

OP posts:
Thismorning83 · 30/03/2026 21:34

DysmalRadius · 30/03/2026 09:21

How often did you see your grandparents when you were a kid? Is she playing out a dynamic she maintained with her mum, or is she expecting you to facilitate a level of contact that she would never have committed to herself?

we saw her mum once a month and my dads mum barely ever as my mum didn’t really get on with her. I mentioned this and she said it’s because my gran didn’t drive (which my mum also doesn’t!)

OP posts:
Thismorning83 · 30/03/2026 21:40

This morning I was at my daughter’s swimming lesson trying to calm my baby on the side of the pool and I had another call. I ignored it. Then a message saying she just wants to know if I can come for lunch at theirs weekend. She changed the days from when she asked me yesterday. I replied and mentioned this and reminded her I said I would reply when I had a spare moment to speak to DH. Turns out she has orchestrated the day change to ensure we are ‘all together’ with my sisters family on one day, so I found out when I text my sister asking how she is. Which is fantastic as I want to see them, but the manipulation of controlling us is quite something

OP posts:
Happytaytos · 31/03/2026 06:41

I don't think that's manipulation is it? Can't she just be upfront and say "your sis can do Saturday, would be nice to see you all, can you do Saturday?". Is it the fact she didn't share about your sister that feels like manipulation? Because otherwise I don't see the problem.

She does sound hard work in some ways but the date change plus her other actions (stopping driving, seemingly not trying) could be her attempts to mask early dementia.

Zanatdy · 31/03/2026 07:32

She sounds bored and demanding, rather than early dementia. Especially as OP pointed out she’s always been self centred. I’d just be blunt and tell her that she is putting a lot of pressure on you which is making your life even harder and you need to take a step back, then do. The world doesn’t revolve around what she wants. She needs to get some hobbies / get herself out of the house more and stop relying on you to keep coming over when you’re a busy mum.

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