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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

It's a genuine question. MIL related.

36 replies

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 20/11/2009 19:59

I'm always whinging about her but this time I just want to know if I'm cutting my nose off to spite my face or if enough's enough.

Sorry this is long.

MIL fussed and fussed when I was preggers with DS, she said it was her only chance to have another baby as she'd had a MC. When he was a day old he stopped breathing, we were rushed to hospital, where she turned up uninvited with half the family on children's ward, in tears, fussing around DS and DH and totally ignoring me. I'd just given birth and then thought my baby had died in my arms and watched them struggle to put a canula in etc (I know people go through worse but it was scary and I hadn't slept for days). So was in a bit of a state.

Anyway, I never said anything but she started to get weird over the next few weeks. She wanted to have a say in every tiny little thing with DS and started saying things like DH's ex fiance was asking after DS etc, when she knows we don't like each other and I was very hormonal (actually had PND).

She then turned and to others she went on about how she always had DS and he was doing this that and the other but she'd rarely bother to see him and she kicked off and left his christening early as she wasn't centre of attention.

Recently she's been saying to others that she needs reminding by her Dh that she has a grandson as she is so close to her great nephew that she just can't share out her attention. There is a lot of attention around this child as his mum died after giving birth and she gets attention when she's around him IYSWIM.

This time I'm pregnant she barely mentions it, she never calls, she never asks to see DS, she minds him one afternoon a week for a couple of hours so that they can have some nana-grandson time but she sometimes tries to get out of this saying she's going shopping or to the pub etc. She never visits our house (round the corner) and if we visit her we're made to feel unwelcome.

As you can imagine, the story is a whole lot bigger than this and I'm just giving little bits I feel are relevant, or an overview.

We asked her weeks ago if she'd like to come round the night we have a 4D scan and watch the video, explained my family and some more of DH's family were coming, that it's a ten min DVD and we'd put on a few drinks etc- a little family gathering. She said she would.

The 4D scan is tomorrow afternoon and we're travelling for it so everyone is coming round in the evening. She has just rung and said she won't be coming as her and her DH want to go to the pub. Her DH is grandchild mad so this won't be his decision. She said they'll call round Sunday. She does this all the time to be controlling- e.g, she tried to change the date of DS's christening for no apparent reason.

I don't want to spend Sunday with them when we've had everyone round Sat night. DH is working all day so it means them coming late and she'll expect us to keep DS up or will be loud and purposely wake him (all this has happened before). I have loads of work to do and I want to go and see my friend who's Dh has just left her and she's got a 12 week old baby. Then I want to put DS to bed and curl up with DH before we start a weeks work again.

So can I just tell her not to come on Sunday?

OP posts:
EldonAve · 20/11/2009 20:02

just tell her not to come on Sunday

lovechoc · 20/11/2009 20:04

Tell her you're having a family day on Sunday - no visitors please.

She sounds like a bit of a drama queen, sorry.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 20/11/2009 20:05

I would if I were you.

Say it's on Saturday and you are busy on Sunday evening.

She sounds a lot like mine, mine would turn up at gone 9pm and purposefully cackle and shout loudly to wake them up.

Mine also likes to be centre of attention and you can see her almost writhing in agony when she isn't.

Chickenshavenolips · 20/11/2009 20:05

Agree with the others. Tell her that you're busy on sunday.

diddl · 20/11/2009 20:09

I didn´t realise people really did this-hold a party to show a dvd of a scan.

Tell her Sunday doesn´t work.

herbietea · 20/11/2009 20:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pollywobbledoodle · 20/11/2009 20:11

better still get your dh to tell her sat or nothing

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 20/11/2009 20:11

It's not a party as such, we do little gatherings for everyone everyone few months or so and it's about time before all the christmas goings on, we thought it was quite apt to do it then and all watch DVD same time.

It was actually also on purpose to try and get MIL involved a bit as she goes to these family things usually.

OP posts:
Itchyhead · 20/11/2009 20:19

YANBU. She sounds dreadful tbh. Especially just after you had DS and she turned up. I remember how I felt after I had my DS and hormonal doesn't quite cover it!

You are perfectly within your rights to say you are having it on Sat as Sun is your time etc and you have a lot on. If she doesn't like it, tough tits!

EldonAve · 20/11/2009 20:22

I'm surprised you invited her tbh

Why don't you let her get out of having your DS sometimes? Every week is a big commitment

Rindercella · 20/11/2009 20:24

I can't really get past "...when I was preggers with DS, she said it was her only chance to have another baby as she'd had a MC". That alone sounds seriously fucked up to me.

Just tell her Sunday doesn't work.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 20/11/2009 20:26

Eldon- she rarely ends up having him. She went on and on saying we never let her have him on his own etc, then when she got it, she didn't want it. But if we assume she's not having him she kicks off. Very confusing

OP posts:
EldonAve · 20/11/2009 20:27

I would just ditch the arrangement altogether
She sounds dreadful and there is nothing worse than being messed about with childcare

Wigglesworth · 20/11/2009 20:33

Tell her you are busy on Sunday, she sounds like a royal pain the harris.

WhatNoLunchBreak · 20/11/2009 20:37

Dysfunctional, dysfunctional, dysfunctional. Not sure how you do this, but I'd make plans to avoid her and protect yourself on a more permanent basis. yanbu.

loopylil · 20/11/2009 20:41

out the whole bloody thing
tell her your really hurt she doesn't pay attention etc
tell her you feel left out etc
tell her you feel shes making excuses..
just do it cmon!, let the stress out then the
balls in her court.

MakemineaGandT · 20/11/2009 20:46

you can do what you like, obviously

One thing struck me from your post though - you weren't happy with her over-involvement in your first pregnancy/newborn, and now you're not happy this time with her lack of interest. You can't have it both ways!!

southeastastra · 20/11/2009 20:47

she sounds awful, i'd try to avoid her as much as possible. let her stay in the pub if that's what she wants

alicet · 20/11/2009 20:47

Def tell her that she is invited on Sat because you have other plans on Sunday so that if she can't make Sat then thats a shame but Sunday is not good for you so will have to rearrange at a time that suits you all.

As far as the other issues I think need to talk to dh about this - what is his take on the way his mum is behaving?

MmeLindt · 20/11/2009 20:52

She sounds like a loon. Her last chance to have a baby? Loony of Loony Towers.

Say you are busy Sunday. Especially as she is turning you down to go to the pub.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 20/11/2009 20:56

MakeMineaGandT- surely there's a happy medium?

Alice- DH is angry with her but sick of me bitching about it, hense me being on here. We keep rowing over her as he doesn't want to talk about it. He says just leave her to it. But it's so sad and considering his dad's dead, he wanted a good relationship with his mum.

OP posts:
eandz · 20/11/2009 21:01

oh my god, it sounds like we have the same mil.

today my mil (who refuses to give her own husband her cell phone number ((which she's had for 5 years))) called her husband to tell him she was an hour away and was stuck. then she told him she was going to walk home. she knew he didn't have a way to call her, so fil called my dh to tell him so my dh could call his mom that her dh would come find her. fil then talked about what a saint the woman is for walking and not complaining.

but it all kicked off when she called her own husband with a blocked number to tell him she was stuck far far away without a way home to begin with.

this was just soo unnecessary, wasn't it?

EldonAve · 20/11/2009 21:02

Maybe consider distancing yourself and letting your DH deal with his mother

When she phones he can speak to her etc make/cancel arrangements

waterbirthbaby · 20/11/2009 21:03

I'd def have DH talk to her and put her straight, in the way only a son can to his mom - you do it, and she'll probably have a lot to say about you!

I had an aunt like that. (Guess she's still my aunt, but I just don't have anything to do with her anymore) When I told her I was flying home for a holiday but didn't have money to bring presents for her and her boys, they were suddenly busy (read: at the pub) every night for three weeks, till I offered to take them for dinner on my last day - then their plans had 'fallen through' and they were free!

You don't need it in your life, specially not when you're pregnant!

paisleyleaf · 20/11/2009 21:04

I don't think I'd much fancy going round to watch someone's scan on a DVD myself tbh.
But she does sound particularly awkward. I think it'd be quite fine for you to say that Sunday's inconvenient.