MIL and her nasty behaviour

[myfriendbill]

My MIL and her behaviour towards me and DH is quite frankly nasty.

As a bit of background my dad died recently and the funeral was 3 weeks before Xmas. My mum came to stay with us for her Xmas. I am the only child and my mum is 80.

MIL spent Xmas with her daughter. We phoned and texted her on Xmas day but she didn't answer her phone at all. DH got a brief text from her on boxing day, but no mention of Happy Christmas or any reference to what she was doing, Xmas or our dd or me or my mum.

Then an email was received saying she had sent emails before Xmas (untrue) and if we hadn't received them we had 'blocked' her from our email account.

DH sent a nice reply saying she wasn't blocked etc etc, asking about her Xmas etc etc.

Then pure vitriol back from her! Harping on about the past, how she knows what it's like to lose a father, accusing me of sending nasty text messages (untrue) - it went on and on.

DH ignored it. Then he started to receive the same content in texts from her. He replied saying if she can't say anything nice please don't bother.

More vitriol back and then saying she has had a coronary and has been in hospital for 48 hours.

It is all lies. How on earth do we handle this?? DH has not responded. She is 68, divorced and in good health. She is just incredibly selfish and twisted and wants to have the last word.

Is no contact the way forward? Thanks for any advice.

What's nasty bitch. So sorry to hear about your dad. Ct this woman loose, you don't need her in your life

Thanks pimpf. That is my feeling too. It's all just making me and DH miserable.

Can you go over together and discuss it with her face to face ?

not sure there seems any reason to stay in touch with her, sorry to hear about your dad. sounds like your dh is lovely and managing your mil well!!

I think your DH has it about right by treating the silly woman like a tantrumming toddler. i.e. 'when you want to apologise and be pleasant again, come and tell us and we'll talk'. Until she does, let her stew in her own juices.

It sounds like NC could be the way to go here. Texts / contact with so much spite and nastiness are just horrible.

What does your DH think? Is he prepared to go NC too?

If you have children, it sounds like she should not have contact with them.

Focus your energy and kindness on your own mum and dont let her take the attention away from someone who really needs it.

Is this kind of behaviour from your MIL relatively new, or has it always been like this. What does your DH think?

It sounds like she is very attention seeking and is stuck in a "victim" position where she believes that she is hard done by. If there is no evidence this is the case, then she invents things to fit her need to strike out at you and DH. My DIL has a DM like this and it's very difficult because she blows hot and cold on them and will often get "huffy" over nothing.