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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

Seriously thinking about NC with DH's side of the family

467 replies

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 22/02/2016 02:46

This is going to be long but think I need to post the background

I've posted previously about SIL's wedding. I have 3 DCs - age 3, 2 and 13 weeks. The oldest have just turned 3 and 2 respectively so still small.

SIL is getting married about 150 miles away on a week day. We have been told no DCs at the wedding. Mil has a difficult family background and her half-brothers children will be going however - albeit they are older than ours. I susir t ultimately that SIL will also permit her friends to bring small babies. I understand that it is SIL's wedding but I find it pretty hurtful that our children (who are actually her closest relatives) are to be excluded.

My parents are extremely supportive of us and will normally drop anything to help us out. Mil has form for being very difficult and has been very unhelpful at difficult times - eg looked after putt DS on the day of my grandmother's funeral (250 miles away) but refused to rearrange plans so I had to get out cleaner to come and look after DS (then 1 year old) as she had to leave at 5pm. The whole thing was horribly stressful and I still find it very upsetting to think about.

My parents normally drop everything to help us but normally go on holiday with friends around the date of SIL's wedding. They therefore told me immediately that they may be able to look after our DCs but that - in this instance - they actually won't cancel their holiday if the group of friends can only manage that date (they are all retired so tend to go quite last minute to get the best deal) and we should therefore get a plan B. I immediately highlighted this to DH and his response was - (massively fucking entitled) oh it's my sister's wedding. Surely they won't go away. I said they very well could and he should highlight this to his family now as we may not have any childcare and ultimately I wouldn't be able to go. Plus, I could very well still be feeding youngest DC. Really the only option would be to take someone to look after the DCs on site and I didn't even know if that would be feasible. But I was highlighting it now so that there were no amateur dramatics near the wedding if I couldn't go

Communication within DH's family is pretty piss poor so nothing was done.

At the weekend, SIL, MIL and FIL came ti visit and stay the night. SIL said something in passing about my parents looking after the DC and I said that actually they maybe away and there wasn't really a plan B. I said that I could perhaps ask my DS's key worker from nursery to travel to the wedding and look after the DCs but we would need to get him accommodation. And, in any event, I was uncomfortable about being away from my youngest DC even if I could get someone look after all DC at our house.

SIL told me that there were no rooms left at the hotel but if I got the key worker, he could perhaps stay at a local B&B. That she was having to lay £150 a head per guest and she wanted me to be able to relax and enjoy myself and also keep costs down - hence why our DCs weren't invited. I said that the best solution maybe to ask the key worker. And, if I did, would SIL like the DCs to be brought to the church (waiting outside during the ceremony) for a few photos as they would be in the area. Totally up to her obviously but thought she might like it. She said yes, but she was banning children from the church. I said I quite understood as FIL's brother's children had made a terrible racket during ours in the church (MIL insisted they were invited) and you could even hear the noise on the wedding video. MIL said she couldn't remember that but I said (nicely) that it was on the video. I also said that if my parents were looking after the DCs, they had also offered to bring them to the church (to wait outside) and take them home (a big thing as a huge drive) after if she wanted photos.

So - it was all perfectly pleasant and I thought the childcare issue was clear. More importantly, there was actually communication like normal people. DH then went to work in the morning and the DCs and I went out with SIL and the PILs for brunch - all perfectly pleasant. Nothing else said. I was slightly nervous about going out as the PILs had been invited to visit DC3 a few days after she was born and had been very late (with no communication). I was upstairs feeding the baby and DH had said something to MIL about it. She had started shouting and bawling at DH saying it was my fault Confused and I was manipulating them and being very rude about me. I decided the best thing to do was pretend I hadn't heard and gloss over things. But, again, everything perfectly pleasant at brunch

DH then arrives home and asks me what I had been saying to his sister? I explained the position about childcare and said that I had highlighted this to him already but his approach seemed to have been that my parents would have to just cancel their holiday. That wasn't very constructive so I had highlighted things to SIL so she could make ab informed choice about allowing the DCs to attend in the vicinity and be looked after off site (pretty pissing annoying that DH could have mentioned it earlier so we could have got a room for them and carers at the hotel but now we couldn't) as ultimately if we couldn't get appropriate childcare, I wouldn't be able to go and with a wedding of 60 people, that would be noticeable.

DH then says that obviously I had a chip on my shoulder about FIL's neice making a racket during our wedding Confused and that my parents were manipulating things by refusing to cancel their holiday (the irony after my grandmother's funeral and various other times that they have dropped everything and driven 300 miles to help us out after the PILs have let us down!). I susir t he had spoken to MIL on the way home.

I am absolutely fed up with this. I am fed up of rather than everyone talking civilly about things (as I tried to do) and resolve problems in good time, MIL then approaches DH behind my back. If she or SIL had a problem, why not discuss it with me at the time or the next day? I am fed up (and I think this is the crux of it) if DH not simply explaining that all I am trying to do is sort out childcare for the DCs (as basically he seems to have opted out of it and my parents - his indentured servants obviously - are to drop everything AGAIN to help out). Why is DH not able to actually support me (his wife) and make it clear - politely - to his family that if you have your wedding hundreds of miles away and don't invite your very young nieces and nephews, then yes, childcare will be an issue and that is not bring "difficult". It's a matter of fact. And, actually, if your "keeping costs down" banning your brothers children whilst letting others attend is actually pretty fucking hurtful

I actually don't know what to do. I've said tinDH that I think that actually everyone should just be honest and communicate clearly with each other now. So if he thinks my patents are "selfish"
and "manipulative" (the breath taking cheek!) he should say to their faces. Further, I will contact SIL and MIL and ask them if they need me to clarify anything about what we discussed. Further, another option is for me to not attend and look after the DCs which I think maybe the best option all round

I'm actually so so sick of this. I don't want to see the PILs again and I don't particularly want to see SIL again.

Should I contact them? Should I just decline the wedding invitation? I want to make it clear why

I also need to sort out the DH issue too

OP posts:
LionsLedge · 25/02/2016 22:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RandomMess · 25/02/2016 22:09

This "drama" is their life though.

It is a huge thing for Gobblino's dh to actually recognise and acknowledge his family's toxic behaviour.

I think he needs help Gobblino - relate may not be the best people to contact. Ring around some BCAP psycotherapists and discuss with them the issue and what you suspect an see who you "click" with and get DH to go see them. It does sound as though DH could do with a holiday with you and the DC far far away from his family, no phones, no texts just for both of you to reconnect and strengthen your bond.

NameChange30 · 25/02/2016 22:14

Yep, all your fault, not MILs, oh no.
He's on her side, not yours.
Great progress you made there Hmm

DoreenLethal · 25/02/2016 22:15

Your idea of being 'not restrained' is to say you have had a hard time since the birth of your child and then he tells you that it is your fault for falling out with everyone?

When are you going to wake the fuck up?

NameChange30 · 25/02/2016 22:32

Well said Doreen.

I just re-read (skim read) the thread to try and make some sense of it. The OP has gone from repeated mention of divorce to tearfully defending her husband. She keeps going back to the drama of the in laws and the wedding debate. Maybe it's easier to focus on how fucked up they all are than thinking about how fucked up the marriage is. Or maybe the OP actually enjoys the drama - or at least part of her does. Why else would you keep coming back to it? Why else would we be on page 19 of the thread with no real progress having been made?!

MypocketsarelikeNarnia · 25/02/2016 22:42

Um we are aware that '15 pages of comments', '19 pages of comments' aren't actually real world measures of time aren't we?

It is awfully gratifying when trolls posters take everyone's advice on P2, leave on P5 and lawyer up by P8. No one likes it more than me when on P15 stbx begs to have them back but they buy new skinny jeans and go OLD instead. But it may not be massively realistic...

Just sayin' Smile

Spandexpants007 · 25/02/2016 22:54

Op you need an sincere apology for his awful words. I wouldn't go otherwise

Inertia · 25/02/2016 23:02

Gobbolino, in his mind it has to be all your fault, because while it's all your fault he can blame you instead of actually facing up to what the real problem is. So you are being scapegoated by him as well as by his family.

It's of little consequence what you agreed tonight. That agreement will mean nothing when it doesn't suit MIL/SIL, and then you'll have got it all wrong.

You're a lawyer- you have to be rational and accurate in your job,which makes me think that you cannot be blind to what your H is doing. It's beginning to look as though your behaviour with respect to your husband mirrors his behaviour with respect to his family- you're placating him, sweeping unforgivable comments and behaviour under the carpet, facilitating the insane drama. Why would his behaviour towards his family change, when your behaviour towards him is the same?

NameChange30 · 25/02/2016 23:11

Mypockets
I'm not expecting the situation to change overnight. But the discussion hasn't really
progressed. The OP seems to be going backwards rather than forwards. That's what I mean. PPs have also referred to previous threads with similar events and dramas. I think the discussion could be fuelling the drama more than fixing it. I do think couple's counselling would be helpful but I don't imagine the OP's husband will agree to it. And I don't think the OP will insist on it either. So I don't think much will change sadly. I hope I'm wrong, of course.

YokoUhOh · 26/02/2016 03:19

As I pointed out up thread, your DH is projecting:

'You're always falling out with people' = MIL is always falling out with people.

Two clear examples of how your husband is entwined with his mother's self-created reality.

AcrossthePond55 · 26/02/2016 05:18

If I may offer something that was told to us during marriage counseling? When you're discussing arguing about something it's really important to stick to just that one thing (i.e. the wedding arrangements). Never bring in another 'sensitive situation' (i.e. his mother's treatment of you). Our counselor called that 'kitchen sinking' (throwing in everything but the kitchen sink). She said especially if you feel you've made a bit of progress on the one issue that started the 'discussion', you'll really lose ground because your partner will feel 'broadsided'. Especially if you've gotten them to agree/compromise on your point.

You definitely need to discuss his mother at another time, something tells me she's the root of the problem!

LionsLedge · 26/02/2016 08:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nauticant · 26/02/2016 08:42

Everything here is about the H and his family having plausible deniability. Whenever anything is arranged with the OP it's always hedged with some uncertainty so that if the whim takes them they can whip away the rug, make the OP go arse over tit, and look down on her saying "that's your fault you clumsy person".

Imagine going to all that trouble of attending the wedding when the best outcome to hope for is that it the end the OP can think "I'm very pleased that it wasn't an actual ambush".

elegantlygrey1 · 26/02/2016 09:47

Gobbolino - sorry, but you know that talk last night? How do you think he will repeat it at the weekend? He complete re-wrote everything about the wedding before, you know, about how you agreed you were not taking kids.

I really suggest you start taking professional standard notes on this or your mind is going to be completely fucked.

Sending hugs - you have little ones and a lot of stress. Even without this it can't be easy.

Joysmum · 26/02/2016 11:12

Gobbolino - sorry, but you know that talk last night? How do you think he will repeat it at the weekend?

Very good question

diddl · 26/02/2016 11:35

What a drama!

Who could be doing with it?

So he maybe wants to be at the wedding without the kids & his sister doesn't want them there?

So easy, don't go!

If he struggles with his family then that's his look out, he can't always be expecting Op to be on hand to support him, especially since they aren't a bed of roses for her to deal with either!

bibliomania · 26/02/2016 11:54

For heaven's sake, seize on MIL's lie with both hands. Don't go, and if questioned, just repeat with wide-eyed innocence what his mother said - "But I was told no children under 8 were allowed".

If somebody's lies work for you, don't challenge them, pretend to take them at face value.

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