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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think MIL should know not to use 'curly' writing?

63 replies

kickassangel · 13/10/2009 22:50

This isn't a 'biggie', but along the lines of stupid things that dh's & dc's do ...

Dd's school write a letter to a grandparent, asking them what life was like when THEY were young. Grandparent then writes a reply. We chose MIL as the grandparent to be 'honoured' with this task. She has written a lovely reply BUT, she has chosen a font which is so curly, like real handwriting, that I am struggling to make out all the words. dd is 6, and is meant to read the letter out in class. I am going to have to change the font, aren't I, and tactfully ask MIL to use a boring font next time.

Surely, MIL should have thought of this, she does when she writes postcards, or AIBU to expect her to make the letter legible?

OP posts:
Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/10/2009 13:21

Are you coming round to the conclusion that YABU yet ?

Please do not mention it to her. She has put herself out for you and your DD. She would be upset and possibly be made to feel foolish if she's asked "by the teacher" to do it differently.

I wonder if you would have posted this if it had been your mother who had written the letter.

Sorry if I sound a bit rude, but this is coming off as very "my poor daughter" on your part.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/10/2009 13:21

Sorry about the repeat. Not intentional !

seeker · 14/10/2009 13:22

I do hope that when I am a grandparent, I am more appreciative of the honour of being asked to take the time to write a long letter to help my grandchild with a school project. I will, of course, be humbly grateful of any little suggestions my dil might make to help me improve my performance.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/10/2009 13:23

seeker

fernie3 · 14/10/2009 13:30

sounds like you MIL was just trying to get into the spirit of the project, perhaps she just never thought about you daughter reading it. I think you are being a little unreasonable tbh, you MIL has obviously put effort into and cares about your childs project which is more than many would have!

I wouldnt say anything at all - she has done nothing wrong and saying something might make her feel foolish and put her off helping in the future. I would just change the font and thank her for the letter.

sophie

pagwatch · 14/10/2009 13:35

c'mon people.
We should have had a 'gosh actually I think you are all being very hard on the op - she is only thinking of her child and until you have experienced a MIL who uses font in a rash and aggressive way ( typical of her passive aggressive attempt to undermine me) you really don't know what it is like ' comment by now

Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/10/2009 13:39
happystory · 14/10/2009 13:39

I'm surprised you got as far as mumsnet with this. I'm surprised you didn't just ask yourself 'AIBU?' and answer yourself firmly 'Yes IABVU'

She did a lovely thing

diddl · 14/10/2009 13:44

I guess she chose the font to look like handwriting?

And your MIL can email & choose fonts-I´m impressed, tbh!

OrmIrian · 14/10/2009 13:46

What planet she is on?

The one where you agree to do something nice for your GC and try your best to make it look as authentic as possible

squeaver · 14/10/2009 13:48

She obviously thought it was going to be displayed in the classroom. Perfectly logical explanation.

[don't post in AIBU if you want to be disagreed with emoticon]

seeker · 14/10/2009 13:50

My dp has a back injury and can't sit for long. A colleague (who knew about his back) once complained that the fact that he periodically stood up was aggressive. Oh, and my dd was once accused of bullying because the way she said "hello" was deliberately undermining. So I agree - choice of fonts could possibly be passive/aggressive!

MadreInglese · 14/10/2009 13:50

OMG

Fontgate

You should cut all ties with her deffo

Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/10/2009 13:52

font

pagwatch · 14/10/2009 13:53

It is a lovely thing to do BTW.

My dad did this for DS1 when he was small. Now he is aged 16, my dads scrawly handwritten recollections of his childhood are some of my sons fav possessions even though my dad died a few years ago.

WhereYouLeftIt · 14/10/2009 13:53

It's possible she didn't choose a very ornate font?

Files contain an identifier of the font used by the author, they are not in that font when stored iyswim. If you use a font in a file on one machine, send the file to another machine and open the file there, the word processing (WP) software selects its own version of the font identified in the file and displays it in that font, which is resident on the receiving machine. If you are using two different WP packages it is possible your MIL used a font that your WP package does not have, and so it selected what it considered to be a near match. I got caught out by this when I upgraded software and the font I had used as my default had been obsoleted.

Just a thought.

RainRainGoAway · 14/10/2009 13:54

Damn her letter, damn her font and damn her.

I hope you steal her packet of Werthers Originals as punishment.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/10/2009 13:56

WhereYou Nice try, but we all know the MIL is a passive aggresive font-wielding beeatch

WhereYouLeftIt · 14/10/2009 13:58

.

pagwatch · 14/10/2009 13:58

fontgate

Bucharest · 14/10/2009 14:00

Roffling at fontgate.

Would that fecking fonts were all my MIL taunted me with.

freakname · 14/10/2009 14:09

Waiting for someone to mention comic sans...

Bucharest · 14/10/2009 14:11

I heart comic sans

Honestly, I do.

For ebay, it beats 'em all.

jasper · 14/10/2009 14:14

what a lovely mil you have that she took time to do this for your dc and even went to the trouble of choosing an attractive old fashioned font, in the spirit of the task.

squeaver · 14/10/2009 14:14

We are only allowed to use Comic Sans for PTA notices at school. There's actually a written rule about it (made by the PTA not the school I hasten to add).

ffs.