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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not let MIL mind DS if she's not going to do it MY way

73 replies

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 16/12/2009 20:34

Ok the title is a little out-there so people will be itching to flame me, but get this..

DS is 1. MIL has been told since I was pregnant with him that she is not to smoke around him at all under any circumstances.

You will probably have read about her already- she is a MIL from hell.

When he was a couple of weeks old, we took him round on a sunny day and she wanted him to sit out the back in his buggy. I was feeling slightly twitchy as I knew what would happen, and low and behold, she lit up. 'It's ok, we're outside' she said, inches from my new born and puffing smoke all over.

Smoking is bad for children but I also HATE smoking. It has given my grandad cancer, killed my nana, it is unnecessary and stinky. DH smokes the sly one at work and he knows I can't stick it, but he always changes when he gets in from work so that it is not in the fibres of his clothes when he picks up DS (this is out of habit at this point as we were told this was important when DS was young and has apnoea/chest infections, etc. DH has carried it on which is fine with me).

I am pregnant again and the smell makes me physically sick.

MIL has 3 hours with DS on a Wednesday. She has picked this day and gets angry if we cancel for any reason (although it's fine for her to cancel when she so wishes). She wants him on her own specifically (well with her DH) so we can't be there. The past few times, DS has come home smelling extra smokey. SIL let slip that she sometimes holds him in the kitchen doorway whilst they smoke in the kitchen. I made it clear this was not ok as smoke doesn't go 'oh a baby, I'll steer clear and go over here by the open window'.

Today he has come home after 3 hours literally smelling like he has been chain smoking. Cue me puking after one cuddle as heavily pregnant and just can't help it. DH then sniffed him to see what the fuss was over and actully agreed when I could clearly see he desperately wanted me to be wrong/overreacting.

He's 1 for God's sake. She's been going on about how she wants us to take him round more, etc. I can't see how she can be allowed to mind him when she purposely goes against the one wish we have.

I let it go when she fed him 3 packs of crisps and half a packet of biscuits, etc as I thought I should pick my battles (even though she had been told he wasn't to eat masses of junk food as it's not good for him, he's none the wiser as to whether it's a treat or not and he can't poo!!).

But I feel this is a battle to fight. Particularly when we have another baby on the way. She used to kick off if we wouldn't let her have DS overnight when he was a few weeks/months old but he would just come back stinking. She's going to expect the new one to stay overnight too and she has been pushing the smoking boundaries more and more so she will think she can smoke around the new one.

She can't smoke around either. Why the hell would people smoke around babies?

What can I do about this?

OP posts:
TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 16/12/2009 20:37

*actually not actully.

And I must add that today, considering the smell, it is clear that her and her DH (DH's step dad) are smoking around him in the front room the whole time they have him.

OP posts:
ScaredOfEverything · 16/12/2009 20:38

YANBU. I would not let my 1 year old anywhere near this woman if she is willing to risk his health like that.

Tell your DH to tell his Mum no more unless she quits.

Georgimama · 16/12/2009 20:38

Not about smoking, no YANBU. I was itching to flame but about smoking I agree with you.

controlfuckingfreaky · 16/12/2009 20:40

my sympathies. with something like this that is an objective health issue i think you are right to insist that this is a non negotiable rule. smoking around babies is linked to sids and as you say apart from health concerns is DISGUSTING.

you need to have a family conference in my view and discuss this calmly and fully.

what does dh say.

good luck.

pyjamababe · 16/12/2009 20:40

omg YANBU. She sounds like a total nightmare. A difficult situation as your dh is obviousy in the midle but I think you need to agree a course of action with him and then enforce it. Not easy I know, but better if you can stick together on the issue.

Is there something you are willing to give on (I suppose you ahve already with the cr*ppy junk food) so you appear more flexible but insist then that the smoking rule sticks?

If it is so important to her she will stop when she realises she won't see your dc unless she cuts it out. Poor you . Good luck!

CMOTdibbler · 16/12/2009 20:42

Smoking around child = no having them over. End of.

Let her kick off about it all she likes, but it's just unacceptable in my view

Jamieandhismagictorch · 16/12/2009 20:42

MILIBU

saggyhairyarse · 16/12/2009 20:42

I wouldn't let him go there to be honest. She doesn't respect your opinion and it is dealbreaker of an issue.

Tell her she is more than welcome to visit him at yours.

rubyslippedonastraymincepie · 16/12/2009 20:43

YANBU about the smoking at all

we got a cab the other day and the driver had been smoking in there - we reeked after 10 minutes

DD is only 9 weeks old

horrid and stinky

pyjamababe · 16/12/2009 20:44

Sorry for the spelling errors! Obviously fired up and typing in a hurry.

Also meant to say I would be fuming (no pun...) if I let someone have so much as one of my handbags and it came back stinking of fag ash, never mind my baby ffs!!

SleighGirl · 16/12/2009 20:44

I think just stop your ds going, a months ban on sole care or something?

Heqet · 16/12/2009 20:49

Say she can't have him.

What can she do? Come to your house and take him by force?

No. you have the control here. If she can't or won't do this in order to have him to stay, then that's her own choice.

You're not asking her to not smoke at all, are you? Just to smoke outside when she has him to stay? I know it's her own house blah blah, but it's your child and those are your terms and I don't think they're unreasonable ones.

letsblowthistacostand · 16/12/2009 20:50

I wouldn't let him go over there any more unless you're there. Clearly she has no regard for his health and she sounds a nightmare anyway.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 16/12/2009 20:53

Thank God it's not me. I thought you were going to wipe the floor with me.

We've gone on and on about how she's not to smoke. If she smokes when we're there, we take DS away, etc.

I don't want her seeing DS as she does what she wants, ignores the only rule we put in place and he screams the place down when I leave him there.

But DH has it hard- his dad was his hero and he's dead. His mum is awful to him and so he sort of needs her approval. He said he's scared of annoying her and her being her- usual stubborn, nasty, shouting and screeching at DH til he gives in -self and him losing the only parent he's got, then her dying and him not having contact with her. Which sounds silly, but it's how he feels.

I have stopped going round if I can help it as she needs to be told and I will tell her. Plus she's not good for my blood pressure and this pregnancy isn't running smoothly.

OP posts:
BAUBLEnod · 16/12/2009 20:54

YANBU - don't let her have him.

I think you have every right to be very

nickytwotimes · 16/12/2009 20:54

Yanbu at all.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 16/12/2009 20:56

Sorry, cross posted. Yes, I'm just asking her to smoke outside instead of around DS which I suspect she is finding increasingly difficult now that he's toddling about. But she does have a playpen for him- so could put him in that if she's going to go out for a fag.

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 16/12/2009 20:57

I was going to come on and say YABU as your title is so militant.

But after reading your OP, I am absolutely on your side. She is risking your DS's health.

Can she not go for longer than a couple of hours without a cigarette or is it more of a 'totally is being so unreasonable, I will do this to annoy her'?

MrsMattie · 16/12/2009 20:57

Usually I would be screeching 'YABU!' at this type of thread, but a one yr old coming home stinking of smoke is disgusting.

You are pregnant and don't need the stress, so get your DH to go and have a word with her. She needs to understand the seriousness of this. You WILL NOT HAVE her smoking around your baby. It is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

MamaVoo · 16/12/2009 20:58

YANBU at all. I just wanted to say though that my MIL is a smoker and just being in her house is enough to make us stink of cigarettes. I know she does not smoke around DS - she is as precious about him as I am - but anyone who caught a whiff of him after a visit to her house would assume that she did.

GinandChocolate · 16/12/2009 20:58

She sounds toxic in so many ways - but the smoking is a definite deal breaker in my view.

On this one you are right to refuse.

SleighGirl · 16/12/2009 20:59

I wonder if it's got more to do with how cold it is outside now.

Georgimama · 16/12/2009 21:00

I do understand that about your DH because whilst my MIL is not that nasty, she is manipulative and my DH is desperate for her love and approval - something he has never really felt confident he had. However, since having DS he has realised that the most important thing now is his family - me and his child, and he is a lot less dependent on his mother's attitude and behaviour for his feelings of self worth. He is starting to think like an adult when around her rather than a hurt little child craving approval.

You need to point out to your DH, in a very non screechy way, that he needs to do the same thing.

MarianneM · 16/12/2009 21:10

Don't let your MIL have your child over without your supervision! She sounds insane! You have no obligation to let her have your son, why do you care if she throws a tantrum? Your son's health is more important than your MIL getting upset. Just think how much smoke he must have been exposed to! I would just stop any unsupervised visits - end of story.

pranma · 16/12/2009 21:11

I usually leap to the defence of grannies but in this case you are absolutely right.I wouldnt let her have yor son at all unless you are sure she wont smoke near him.

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