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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:
MypocketsarelikeNarnia · 24/02/2016 13:49

Ok. Well at least we've identified what your main problem is op...

MypocketsarelikeNarnia · 24/02/2016 13:50

No it's an email FROM the Dh innit?

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 24/02/2016 13:54

That's some serious gaslighting. Sad

AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/02/2016 13:55

I presume that either his sister or his mother wrote you this e-mail. Toxic people often rewrite history to suit their own ends; their only "truth" that matters is their own. I am not altogether surprised by its content either sadly.

Re your comment:-
"How do you deal with someone living in an alternate reality"

You do not. You walk away.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 24/02/2016 13:55

IT'S FROM DH

sorry for shouting

Fuck me. I honestly don't know what to say.

This is mental. If the children were invited, why didn't SIL say that on Saturday, rather than saying she wanted a child free wedding and to keep costs down?

Why didn't DH say that on Sunday? He could have headed all of this off at the pass by saying, "Darling, don't worry. The children are invited"

OP posts:
tribpot · 24/02/2016 13:59

WTF, this is the response from your DH???? Is he mad?

You did absolutely right to call his bluff and tell him to let his SIL know you'll all be coming. I'd also let him know you've confirmed to your parents that there won't be any kind of babysitting problem for them to worry about (and you must stick to that, even if your parents are camping in your front garden with a sign saying 'WILL BABYSIT FOR FREE' on the day, you maintain the stance that they are not available).

You will naturally be re-asking for him to apologise for the hurtful things he said about your parents.

The accusations of wasting money, failure to be appreciative and of course failure to be obedient appear (based on reading MN) most often the weapons of choice for men with stay-at-home partners. I don't think you've mentioned whether you work, OP? To be clear, I'm not suggesting that if you don't his comments are deserved, of course they are bullshit regardless.

JessicasElephant · 24/02/2016 14:00

OP, is it possible that your DH told your SIL that you agreed it'd be fine without the kids, without consulting you? Now he's trying everything he can to not get caught out as being wrong and untruthful?

Tbh, I can't really offer advice because this "divorced from reality" behaviour is what led to me breaking up with my ex. Thanks and Cake to you though, this has obviously come as quite a shock.

tribpot · 24/02/2016 14:01

Sorry, cross-posted with you.

This is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting gaslighting]] now.

TheVeryHungryPreggo · 24/02/2016 14:02

OP has a 13-week old baby who is breastfed, it's reasonably safe to assume that she is not currently working I would think.

OP, I think you should ask him to book a visit to his GP and ask to be referred to see someone for his neurological issues, since he's seeing and hearing things that aren't there and his memory issues seem to be getting worse... He doesn't seem to know or care that reality isn't what he thinks it is.

rumbleinthrjungle · 24/02/2016 14:03

Oh bloody hell, I hadn't clocked that was FROM your DH!!! Shock

MypocketsarelikeNarnia · 24/02/2016 14:06

My in laws are terrible. But Dh knows that and he doesn't put up with any shit. So my in laws are not a problem.

Your problem is all Dh isn't it? Do you think it's solvable?

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 24/02/2016 14:07

I am a SAHM

And I can assure you of one thing, I don't get confused about conversations. I have excellent recall. I'm a lawyer when not on mat leave and appear regularly before the Tribunal. One of the skills you need is quick recall of the evidence and what the witnesses have just said. And why would I be confused about something like this?!

This is fucking barmy. I've also made much larger capital contributions than DH to our house etc - as he well knows

Apparently in an excessive worrier too and need to see things from other people's perspective.

He point blank denies saying these things about my parents

OP posts:
Gobbolinothewitchscat · 24/02/2016 14:08

How can I sort this out?!?!

He's nuts

OP posts:
AcrossthePond55 · 24/02/2016 14:08

Ok. This may sound nuts but is it at all possible that DH wanted the 'child free wedding' so he could party like a 20 yr old and things got out of hand because you weren't happy with the children not being invited? That he thought you'd jump at the chance and so ask your folks to cancel and babysit?

Could he have asked his sister to back his story?

That could account for the sudden about face and the defensiveness. He got caught in his lie.

exLtEveDallas · 24/02/2016 14:11

On 30 Dec your MIL told your DH that 'children under 8 would not have access to the wedding venue'. So how does that now equate to children being invited?

As for you wasting money - is DH still intending to go on the 'Sten' do? If that's not a waste of money, what is?

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 24/02/2016 14:11

If I imagined evidence to cross examine witnesses with, The Employment Judge (and the other side's barrister/solicitor) would be like, "Er, Gobbo, what the fuck are you talking about?!" Confused.

That has never happened in my entire professional career. Actually in my LIFE!

OP posts:
exLtEveDallas · 24/02/2016 14:12

And fuck me Gobbolino, just LTB.

gleekster · 24/02/2016 14:12

How does he explain SIL saying she was so happy she had insisted on a child free wedding etc etc?

And what about this "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 am so sorry you seem to have really serious issues with DH.

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 24/02/2016 14:13

gaslighting

Just fixing tribpots link, it's well worth a read

He's having a great go at making out you're the cause of this shit storm Flowers

Alibabsandthe40Musketeers · 24/02/2016 14:24

Oh wow Gobbo, WTF?

I would go and see a lawyer, see if you can shock some sense into him. What an arse.

JessicasElephant · 24/02/2016 14:27

gobbo, you don't need to justify it. He's making you waste energy proving that you're not insane. Do not engage. You know they weren't invited and that he's making that shit up.

MypocketsarelikeNarnia · 24/02/2016 14:29

I think Jessica is right. Fuck spending your time proving that you're not mad.

Not sure where that leaves you. Are you feeling that this is a point of no return? Has anything like this happened before?

petalsandstars · 24/02/2016 14:30

As an aside - you're on mat leave - not SAHM so don't let him get away with that bollocks.

Maybe he is so far in the FOG that he is also acting narc and is rewriting conversation as he wants to remember it.

tribpot · 24/02/2016 14:31

Thanks Raptor.

I am convinced he forwarded the email to MIL and SIL and they will all now stick to the story that the dc were invited but you declined. I suspect that if you investigated the restaurant saga in more detail you would discover the official line is that you failed to notify DH that the plan was to meet there rather than at home. Hence why that was your fault too.

He's not on your side.

elegantlygrey1 · 24/02/2016 14:34

I wonder if he bcc MIL/SIL to the email

hugs

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