Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Mil....I've had enough!

61 replies

TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 18:36

I'll try to keep this short.
Me and dh have been married for almost 10 years, throughout that time mil has been difficult but I've been tolerant because I don't like confrontation and she's dh mum and I don't want him caught in the middle. I think I've been more than fair considering (and this is the short list)

she hijacked our wedding and when we arrived at the reception there were people that Neither me or dh knew, she'd invited friends from work.
When we got married I was 16 weeks pregnant, and she was telling everyone our child was going to be christened catholic and go to a catholic school, even though me and dh aren't religious and hadn't even thought that far ahead.

Dh earns a good wage and we have savings so decided between us that I would be a sahm, she's contantly telling me I should go back to work.

She slags off my mum.

She has made phone calls to the council pretending to be me to find out about information on our business rates, and how much we had to pay.

She's been into our house and shouted at us because we don't agree with her way if thinking.

Me and dh had a riw and I went to my mums for a couple of days fir a break, mil called my mum and told her she shouldn't be involved and should have made me stay at home.

This is just a small amount of info, lots more has happened, I could write a book.

Most recently, she kept insisting that 9 year old ds should go to karate or football lessons to toughen him up, we've asked him, he doesn't want to, he goes to art club and tennis. When dh told her no, she said "I'll take him and pay for him to go" dh said no again, but typical mil can't take no for an answer. She has been like a broken record for months going on and on about it. Because dh said no she asked me, and then a couple of days later asks dh again, it's like she thinks we'll give in under pressure.
On mothers day she came to ours she took him to one side, (where she thought we couldn't hear) and asked ds if he wanted to go to karate or football.Angry

I didn't say anything at the time but said to dh later that she was out of order, and was trying to undermine us, dh just did his usual shrug if the shoulders.

Two days later she phoned me and said, "I'm just calling to ask about football/karate" I snapped and said "Look, you've asked, we've said no, if ds wants to got to either of those thing he will tell us and we will take him"
she said "oh ok I'll leave it to you" and hung up. She text me later to say, sorry about earlier, I don't want to fall out, Ididn't know I was sticking my nose in, I won't do it again. I text her back saying it's ok I don't want to fall out either and we do appreciate all you do.

Yesterday dh went to see her, and she started going on about how much I'd upset her, she said If stitch ever fucking talks to me like that again, she won't get away with it, to which dh replied well you do go on mum. He said she got stroppy and said "Oh I do, do I?"

I'm upset, I'm angry, firstly that she slagged me off and I wasn't there to defend myself, and secondly because dh didn't really defend me either, he never has, in 10 yearsSad
I've always said that he'd sooner upet me than her. I don't want a battle, I don't want her to stay away either, the kids love her, but I've had enough of feeling disrespected as a woman and a mother.

Sorry I know it's long and ranty, please be nice I'm feeling pretty rubbish about evetything.Sad

OP posts:
TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 18:46

Sorry about typo's

OP posts:
momtothree · 06/04/2015 18:51

You are right to stick to your guns - your DH is in the wrong but wants a quiet life :( You have to stick with whats good for kids - tell DH how annoyed and upset u are with HIM not MIL

TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 18:55

Thanks momtothree. I know he wants a quiet life, and I can understand that, she's not an easy person to deal with, when you try to reason with her she cries, and makes herself out to be the victim. She's never wrong.

OP posts:
BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 19:03

TEN YEARS of this shit? You're a bloody saint!

"She slags off my mum."

For that alone, she should be banished from the bloody house. Who the fuck does she think she is? Well, unfortunately you've already established that she's a prize-winning Grade-A bitch.

Arm's length all the way. If she can't behave like a rational adult then there's little-to-contact, and she probably needs to be told why. By your husband.

TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 19:08

Thanks Bitter, Dh annoys me because whenever I bring up how I feel about his mums behaviour he either doesn't react or gives me a hug and shushes meAngry
I want him to support me, he chose to be with me, he says he loves me and I believe him. We're very happy in all other aspects of our marriage, but his mum will ruin usSad

OP posts:
BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 19:08

"when you try to reason with her she cries, and makes herself out to be the victim."

Bloody classic manipulative behaviour. Keep her away from you, and most especially your children!

Hidingmyidentity · 06/04/2015 19:09

Well you have made a start by standing up to her, she didn't like it but that is to be expected as she has been getting her own way for so long. Keep it up, say no & mean it.

Personally I would not moan about her to your DH, he should be backing you up but he needs to work that out for himself. Just be firm with her & him, she is crossing boundaries & you have had enough.

If she can't behave reduce contact so you see much less of her, let your DH do more, if he wants a quiet life he needs to handle his DM better.

What you are dealing with is an overbearing MIL & a weak DH who is letting you take the brunt of her interfering. Push the burden back at him & give yourself some space from her.

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 19:12

"Thanks Bitter, Dh annoys me because whenever I bring up how I feel about his mum's behaviour he either doesn't react or gives me a hug and shushes me"

Probably the only way he's learned how to live with decades of her appallingly cruel shit. She's woefully mal-adjusted and he's her captive and victim. Poor man.

TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 19:14

Thank you for backing me up, I've gone for so long thinking maybe I'm being unreasonable. You read so many stories about bad dil that are difficukt and don't allow their mil to be a part of their lives. I don't want to be like that, I don't want to be a bad dil, but things have got to be on my terms.

OP posts:
TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 19:23

I know she'll call again in a few days and behave like nothings happened, I don't want to talk to her. I won't be able to stay calm. And then she'll cry again making me out to be the villian.

OP posts:
BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 19:26

TSW: you are describing my sister's MIL to a T.

Sister pushed back and back and back, and then got all the blame for being unpleasant and combative. I witnessed some of her behaviour and she honestly wasn't normal. A highly repellant person. It all came to a head one day when MIL had my BIL in tears after a phone call with her, slagging my sis off for some invented wrong MIL had made up in her mind that sis had apparently done. My sister said to him "LOOK AT US! Look what she's doing to us. I will not let her cause unhappiness and anguish, and cause problems between us in our wonderful marriage. You are welcome to see her, you are welcome to take the children to see her but I will never see her, speak to her or have her darken our door ever again. And I don't want you to talk to me about her or tell me anything she has to say about anything. Ever." And peace reigned. Well, a kind of peace anyway.

TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 19:30

Why are these women so horribly controlling? I'll be a mil one day, I just want my dc to be happy, I wouldn't do anything to spoil their happiness. It doesn't make sense to me. Confused

OP posts:
YawnyMcYawn · 06/04/2015 19:33

Very bright and breezy. Very matter of fact. Lots of 'Oh we talked about this before. Do you remember? My decision hasn't changed.' And move swiftly and brightly on to something else.

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 19:33

No contact. No contact. No contact. It's the only way with people like that. They are so very manipulative that all of the world's ills could be laid at your door.

She can make you out to be anything she likes, but that does not make it so. Except in her mind and that's so warped as to be utterly unreliable.

No contact. No contact. No contact

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 19:39

"It doesn't make sense to me."

Angel, of course it doesn't make sense to you. That's because you're probably a normal, well-adjusted woman. She's not normal and her presence in your family's lives is not healthy.

bonzo77 · 06/04/2015 19:40

Why is it ok to send the DH with the DCs to see these poisonous MILs? I don't get it. If the DH cannot defend his DW, what hope do the DCs have? They listen to this damaging crap about their mothers. They probably get treated badly too. If the DH wants a relationship then so be it. But no need for the kids to be subjected to it. And if the must be, then the mother / DIL needs to be there to see first hand how they are treated, and defend them.

momtothree · 06/04/2015 19:40

Seems like a very nosey old bat ... be firm.... seems like she slags u off for nothing so.may as well make it worth while!

Joyfulldeathsquad · 06/04/2015 19:44

Shit do we have the same mil??

I'm NC with mine after a very similar situation. I also has the 'I'm not having joy fucking speaking to me like that" ( i asked her to quieten down as dd was in bed)

Before I went NC I just got very straight with mil as if she was irritating. She kept coming round five mins before dd went to bed every night so Dd bed time was extended by a bloody hour! In the end when she turned up I just said ' mil sorry but she is going to sleep can you not come at this time anymore. She hated me for it but she stopped.
She was really bad at emotional blackmail so I used to call her in it in a jokey way eg " oh mil, put your bottom lip away " (wink wink at every one else) . I stopped keeping my mouth shut - grew some balls and started sticking up for myself. It resulted in us going NC , she couldn't handle me speaking up and got nasty over it. Which I absolutely love as I don't have to have her taking root in here every weekend night expecting a take away.

Your in a really good position to keep her at arms length now and DH is putting himself in the middle not you.

Doingthedo · 06/04/2015 19:52

I put up with the same sort of shit for 12 years before I said enough is enough, it's me or her....DH took the kids on his own for a bit but 2 more years down the line she has driven him away too, we don't see her anymore

ilovemargaretatwood8931 · 06/04/2015 19:57

I'm quite angry with the way your MIL has treated you (and your DM, and DC, and DH), and am also angry that your DH is not standing shoulder to shoulder with you. And I don't know her! I imagine it must be very, very wearing and unpleasant.

I don't know what to suggest, because she's obviously very manipulative and stuck in her ways. No contact? Or reduced contact and try and make DH 'deal with' her ways, but how? Put it all in writing perhaps, make a plan, a checklist for what will happen if she says this or does that?

You have my sympathy op. I hope you can find a way through this peacefully, but am not sure how it can be peaceful iyswim.

ilovemargaretatwood8931 · 06/04/2015 19:59

I think joyfulldeath 's example may be your best option... Sad Flowers

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 06/04/2015 20:06

"Why is it ok to send the DH with the DCs to see these poisonous MILs? I don't get it. If the DH cannot defend his DW, what hope do the DCs have? They listen to this damaging crap about their mothers."

Because it's less difficult to say "I won't tolerate breathing the same air as that wicked old bag" than "Me and the kids won't be. Go on your own if you have to go at all." It's not a good situation to force a husband and father into. Never forget that the MIL has had decades of practice: they could pass exams in cuntitude and divide-and-conquer.

Plus, once the focus isn't physically present it's possible they're not spoken of.

Blazing88 · 06/04/2015 20:24

This sounds just like my MIL.

I am currently 2 years down to the line of not speaking to her.

However, I am about to send a 10 page letter to the old cow, because she has been spreading all sorts of vile crap about me to all the relatives - which technically doesn't bother me, but we have 2 kids.

I'm copying a few other people in too so she can't claim she didn't get it!

Won't change anything but it will of course make me feel better that I've been able to possibly expose her for the real bitch that she is!

You are not on your own OP>

TheStitchWitch · 06/04/2015 21:09

Thank you so much everyoneThanks
I'd honestly started to wonder if it was me.
A few years ago because I wouldn't listen to her yet again telling me what was best for our dc she arrived at our door with her sister and they both started on me, telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing. I snapped then and told them both they'd raised their kids how they wanted to, we are doing it our way and if they didn't like it they could leave.
They left and mil didn't speak to me fir 3 weeks, it was bliss.
She's trying it on with bil and his gf too and tries to get me on side.

OP posts:
Hidingmyidentity · 06/04/2015 21:49

Give her enough rope TheStichWitch, seriously, let her play her dramas out with your DH & his DB & stand back & watch the carnage.

I have a very tricky close relative. Toxic is an understatement, but I now look on with an air of detachment as he makes an idiot of himself to a wider audience. It can be quite entertaining.

Swipe left for the next trending thread