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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In-law headache

19 replies

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 21:55

Hi everyone.

I really don’t know if I’m being a total twit or not so some objectiveness might be helpful. Thank you in advance.

So essentially, I found out about 4 months ago that my sister in laws absolutely hate me. I overheard one of their conversations when they thought I was out (came through the back kitchen door having put the dog in the garden) and they were saying things like “don’t know who she think she is” “why is she even studying for her masters, she thinks she’s better than us” “can’t believe I introduced her to our brother, what I mistake, I’m so embarrassed” things like that. Anyway, I was obviously in shock because they had always been nice to me and I genuinely thought we had a good relationship. At the time I was heavily pregnant and really high risk and I just didn’t want a confrontation and left it.

In a nutshell, it all sort of blew up when my husband asked why I was being so distant, (I didn’t want visitors in the hospital when baby was born) the betrayal was too much for me and baby was in intensive care, I had to have multiple blood transfusions and an emergency c-section so I didn’t want fake people around me. All said and done we agreed and I said to my husband for the sake of our kids and him being stuck between his sisters and me , we would keep it civil.

This evening, I’ve just been cornered by one of his sisters while I’m trying to make dinner about how I’m such a liar and to get over myself, and how I’m trying to take her brother away from the family, (she’s heavily pregnant now as well) so I’ve just said I’m not having this conversation, I’m still healing, you’re hormonal and pregnant, I have a 4 month old and need to focus on the kids and her response is “you’ve had your whole life to heal and my situation is worse than yours”.

Now, I honestly don’t know what these women want from me? Even my husband started taking her side and was like “your family will be dead to me and my family will be dead to you, is that what you want? Just make up!”

I just carried on cooking dinner while she was screaming and shouting (I’ve been pregnant, I have some understanding) and my husband was asking her to calm down and to leave the kitchen and she just ended up starting to cry and saying she’s the bigger person for coming to speak to me and she has self respect too. Anyway ended with her storming out without saying bye but am I being unreasonable to

a) feel like my husband should have stood up for me more?
b) let bygones be bygones since we’re family?

Sorry for the long post! Thank you!

OP posts:
SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 15/11/2025 22:05

The sister who thinks you are stuck up for doing masters? Lmfao That doesnt even make sense?!?!

I also dont even know they meant by saying this...
“you’ve had your whole life to heal and my situation is worse than yours”.

Honestly I'd struggle to give much credence to the sisters opinions of you because they sound pretty thick / petty / uneducated so i wpuld give zero fucks what they thought of me

What i would say is:
i had a way less traumatic birth than you with 3/4 weeks in nicu and it Fucked. Me. Up.
I had ptsd afterwards
Right now focus on yourself... keeping the boat steady - keep it calm and heal and look after your baby. Dont waste energy on this
Focus on your relationship woth your DH (not his family necessarily but 1:1 with him)

Your husband's been a dick because essentially he's annoyed he is in the middle and something is expected of him and its easier getting mad at you as there is less blow back vs his family.
But i wouldnt bother trying to get into it now.
We were a mess for the first 6 /9months.

What might be helpful is to think forward 5 years? What do you want your relationship with inlaws to look like?

Read up on grey rock and medium chill.

You dont want these fuckers living rent free in your head and overshadowing mat leave...

Anusername · 15/11/2025 22:08

i think you should at least tell your husband what you’ve overheard before. Your resentment doesn’t come from nowhere.

FuzzyWolf · 15/11/2025 22:09

Surely you can just agree to have a civil relationship from now onwards for your husband and children’s sake and leave it at that.

Not everyone is too hormonal to have a conversation when pregnant.

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 15/11/2025 22:11

Anusername · 15/11/2025 22:08

i think you should at least tell your husband what you’ve overheard before. Your resentment doesn’t come from nowhere.

Yep agree with this too.

Wayk · 15/11/2025 22:12

She is jealous of you. Please tell your husband what you heard. Mind your peace

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:13

❤️ thank you so much- I really am too tired for this and definitely don’t want to start drama with hubby right now either- gosh in 5 more years? who knows, might find out they’ve hired someone to kill me 🤦‍♀️ I just don’t understand why we can’t just all be grown up about it- and I’m too exhausted to even deal with this headache right now- sigh* keep calm and carry on x

OP posts:
TamarindCottage · 15/11/2025 22:13

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 15/11/2025 22:11

Yep agree with this too.

Fourthed

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:22

Anusername · 15/11/2025 22:08

i think you should at least tell your husband what you’ve overheard before. Your resentment doesn’t come from nowhere.

This is what I did! When I gave birth and was in hospital- didn’t want visitors- and then we all agreed to be civil for the sake of husband and children- (because his sisters denied it but then sort of admitted they hate me, genuinely didn’t have energy to argue at the time). So everyone was fine, let it be, then today 4 months after the fact, boom, she’s stood in my kitchen having this breakdown… and husband barely defends me.

OP posts:
HereintheloveofChristIstand · 15/11/2025 22:23

What on Earth? These people sound insane!
How is doing a masters 'stuck up'? Assuming you don't go about boasting about how smart you are (doubt you do). What do THEY do for a living? Do they even have time for jobs with all this gossiping they seem to be doing?
Steer clear.

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:27

HereintheloveofChristIstand · 15/11/2025 22:23

What on Earth? These people sound insane!
How is doing a masters 'stuck up'? Assuming you don't go about boasting about how smart you are (doubt you do). What do THEY do for a living? Do they even have time for jobs with all this gossiping they seem to be doing?
Steer clear.

😂 thank you, I feel like I’m the one going insane! Haha- I really don’t- don’t have the energy or the time- and they’re housewives- their husbands are really well off so maybe that’s it? I shouldn’t take it personal- they just have time to gossip 🤷‍♀️ but yes, definitely, just keeping my distance from now on

OP posts:
Brefugee · 15/11/2025 22:28

Nobody gets to scream at me in my house, so in that case i tell them to leave. If DH doesn't stand up for you, you take your child and go elsewhere.

Then you have a calm conversation with him at a future date when you are both calm, and you tell him that while you can't stop him invitng his family to his home, you will not be there, and not do anything to facilitate anything for him/them, at that time. Or any time.

And that you will not be going to any of their houses, events where they will be etc etc. And that if he doesn't have your back, how does he envisage parenting 50/50.

ThejoyofNC · 15/11/2025 22:28

You're being a martyr.

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:31

@SalmonOnFinnCrispthank you for your advice- I’m so sorry you went through a traumatic birth too- it’s awful isn’t it? Bless- hope you’re doing better now x

OP posts:
exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:34

Brefugee · 15/11/2025 22:28

Nobody gets to scream at me in my house, so in that case i tell them to leave. If DH doesn't stand up for you, you take your child and go elsewhere.

Then you have a calm conversation with him at a future date when you are both calm, and you tell him that while you can't stop him invitng his family to his home, you will not be there, and not do anything to facilitate anything for him/them, at that time. Or any time.

And that you will not be going to any of their houses, events where they will be etc etc. And that if he doesn't have your back, how does he envisage parenting 50/50.

🤣🤣 I love this- thank you- I probably won’t cut them out entirely but the gist of it works x

OP posts:
justasking111 · 15/11/2025 22:36

My sons partner has gone through something similar. Her friends since childhood were fine until she went to university, met my son, fell in love, got their degrees and both started working. They're in a nice flat in a nice area, have holidays, etc.

Her old friends now think she's stuck up because to them she's landed in clover. They can't see that she's worked very hard, saved money instead of clubbing. Didn't get pregnant as some of them have done. She's a lovely young woman, they've been very cruel imo

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 15/11/2025 22:40

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:13

❤️ thank you so much- I really am too tired for this and definitely don’t want to start drama with hubby right now either- gosh in 5 more years? who knows, might find out they’ve hired someone to kill me 🤦‍♀️ I just don’t understand why we can’t just all be grown up about it- and I’m too exhausted to even deal with this headache right now- sigh* keep calm and carry on x

This is what i mean

You are knackered and sleep deprived and have been through a massive ordeal...now you are dealing with this tomfoolery nonsense...
I'd push this down the road and keep things calm for now - it'll let the dust settle

Short term i think its worth having some stock phrases to use when "under attack".
i found it helpful to have 4 or 5 phrases i can scroll through mentally and pick one while i stand there like a deer in the headlights....
I dont know what will work best for you but heres some ideas

"Please don't shout at me - it's not okay."
"If you want to talk, you need to calm down"
"Dave is an adult, he sees who he wants, i dont control his relationship with you"
"You should talk to Dave about that"

I wpuld also let him see his family solo, and i wpuld leave of they were rude or offensive and i would ideally not have them in my home - if they were i'd be out with the baby

Dollymylove · 15/11/2025 22:54

Quite frankly your husband deserves a boot up the arse. He needs to be on your side and by your side.
Give him an ultimatum, it's you or them.
,oh and tell him to grow a pair of bollocks

HereintheloveofChristIstand · 15/11/2025 23:01

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:27

😂 thank you, I feel like I’m the one going insane! Haha- I really don’t- don’t have the energy or the time- and they’re housewives- their husbands are really well off so maybe that’s it? I shouldn’t take it personal- they just have time to gossip 🤷‍♀️ but yes, definitely, just keeping my distance from now on

Ahhhh I might have guessed it. They're jealous. You are a smart articulate woman with a post graduate degree (or will have) and they are thick as two short planks (not due to lack of qualifications but because they have nothing to talk about other than gossip), rely on their men for money and contribute not one iota to society.

Seriously, don't split hair over wastes of air space like them.

Brefugee · 15/11/2025 23:54

exhausted33 · 15/11/2025 22:34

🤣🤣 I love this- thank you- I probably won’t cut them out entirely but the gist of it works x

I had one in-law who came to our house and shouted at me. Unfortunately, we live a plane journey away so i couldn't just dump them at the station which i wanted to do.

So i shouted back. Louder. Cannot recommend. :)

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