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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

Living under my Mums shadow, ruining our lives.

110 replies

sugarplumfairy28 · 01/06/2016 07:13

Sorry in advance this is most likely to be long winded.

I used to have a very very good relationship with my Mum. She would look after our children 2-3 days a week while I worked full time. If I didn't see her in a day we would call each other.

3 ish years ago DH and I decided we were going to emigrate (rent in Germany). We went to my parents to tell them of our decision. The plan then changed due parents needing to sell their house and wasn't going to be left with enough capital to buy in the UK. Long story short, parents would buy a house (specifically a 2 generation house, very common here) which suited both our needs. DH and I would pay household bills. The house in my inheritance.

So 2 years ago, we came house hunting, we found a house but it didn't meet mine and DH's needs. In the long run it could do, but even in the short term it wasn't good. My parents really wanted the house, and promised that certain things would be done within 2 or 3 months to make it livable. I took them at their word and agreed we would go for this house.

It's hard to explain, the house is 4 story's in total. Cellar, ground floor, 1st floor and 2nd floor which is only part converted. Mum has the cellar and ground floor. The only entrance is on the ground floor. The 1st floor is sort of split in two. There are 2 bedrooms off the landing, and a partition with a door, behind this door is our living room, kitchen, bathroom and one bedroom. This is what we have to live in. The children hate the door and both have expressed feeling isolated being in either of the 2 bedrooms. Last week, I single handily finished installing a kitchen (a gift from my Uncle), we have had work benches and no cupboards for 2 years, Mum actually had a tantrum because it's nicer than hers. The bathroom still isn't finished and is beyond my knowledge to do it, my Dad has given up. I have decorated the living room and all the bedrooms (twice due to a reshuffle) I feel that we have put up with a lot. We had no sink anywhere for 9 months, until one was replaced in the bathroom. The bathroom is mostly covered in bin bags to try and keep it dry. I had no oven or cooking device for 6 months, until my MIL got us a travel oven thing with two hobs on top and have used that for a family of 4.

My Mum has turned into a controlling and manipulative obsessed person. She constantly nags me about paying more than what the bills are, for reasons unknown. She screams and shouts if she doesn't get her way i.e apparently the garden is my problem (despite having no direct access to it) if the grass, which is around a third of an acre, isn't cut, edges and all, we get the slamming of doors, shouting and filthy looks until it is done. They go to bed very early (9pm) and complain endlessly if we are out past that. Mum has told me several times that we can NOT! have any more children, or pets. When DH is at work she talks to me in the horrific way. She completely take the children for granted but Mum actually has a go at the children for 'ignoring' her when my in-laws are over (who the children haven't seen for months). My Mum made a huge huge fuss for my brothers 30th birthday, for mine (in Feb) I literally got nothing, in fact I got a lectre about how it's no big deal, and that when she was 30 it was no big deal, her gift to me was babysitting the night before so DH and I could go to someones housewarming party, I hadn't been out socially since the July before... which was actually a BBQ we hosted and my parents actually offended our guests so much they left.

DH has a 3 hour each way commute and is very tired. Our children are not happy, I think partly because Daddy is basically a weekend Daddy and this constant bad air in the house. We are waiting for a call on a new job for him. We're not in a position to move out due to money, and if we do, I will lose my Dad (who isn't the problem but seems like a beaten down shell of what he used to be) and DD will lose her very special relationship she has with him.

I just need a friend, I feel so bullied and low in general

OP posts:
SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 01/06/2016 13:10

Why on earth didn't you get a house nearer to your husband's job. A 3 hour commute is ridiculous.

You need to have a serious rethink. I would be out of there renting something nearer to work.

It's definitely not workable as things stand.

CodyKing · 01/06/2016 13:15

I'd agree - cut your losses and move out -

Are you the lady who wanted another child?

You aren't happy - and if moms not happy neither are the kids

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 01/06/2016 13:25

Stop effectively writing blank cheques for her. Decide how much you think is reasonable for bills. Give her that much, paid into her bank account so there is a paper trail. Not a penny more. What's she going to do? Make your life miserable?

TBH I would probably refuse to pay any bills for a month or two on the grounds that she has not stuck to her side of the bargain: you are not going to inherit, she hasn't done the building work promised and on top of that she is taking the piss with the bills. Use that money for a new place. If she kicks off, are you really any worse off? Especially if you live elsewhere soon after she kicks off.

ChoccyJules · 01/06/2016 13:26

I'd find a tiny rental nearer your DH's work and just go. If you acn stretch to any kind of rent it will be preferable to this.

Your Mum might moan that her income is stopping (what you've been paying on bills) but she's still won financially because of the additions you've made to her house.

Your Dad will have to arrange to see his grandchildren, I wouldn't stay for that. No-one is happy and it's not getting any better.

I know saying 'just leave' is easy when you're not in the situation but if DH has a job I would do it, hopefully the kids will cope with moving schools and everyone will breathe out. No doubt your Mum will kick off but you'll be prepared.

sugarplumfairy28 · 01/06/2016 13:29

Sissy Both DH and I had jobs closer to home, but both were made redundant, DH had pretty much no choice but to take the job further away, on the basis a job is a job. The job he is waiting on a call for is a lot lot nearer.

Cody I have always wanted 3 children and have posted previously about it. I'm not sure if my Mum is making my life so miserable in the hope that we will not want another child, she thinks more than 2 is just wrong plain and simple. I now don't know what to think. I do want 3 but do I want a 3rd for the right reasons, or just to prove to my Mum she doesn't get to make that choice for me. Think it's fair to say, I can't answer that at present.

The overall plan, I want to make is, DH gets this new job, that I can talk to my Dad is such a way that he knows I'm not making this decision easily. Because the new job would be so much closer I can't try and say we have to move because of it, try and get a rented place that is within the 5 village catchment area for school.

Obviously a lot hangs on this new job. The villages are 5 tiny villages and property doesn't come up frequently. We may still be too close for comfort seeing as my Mum is kinda the newspaper and some post delivery person for 2 of those villages.

OP posts:
AndYourBirdCanSing · 01/06/2016 13:32

It sounds so difficult and incredibly stressful. Sorry if I've missed this, but his old are your children? Do you work? The 3 hour commute sounds horrendous for you all. Depending on whether you have a job to consider I would look into moving closer to DH's job in anyway you can.

AndYourBirdCanSing · 01/06/2016 13:33

Sorry cross posted OP!

sugarplumfairy28 · 01/06/2016 13:47

BirdCanSing The children are 7 and 5. DD is still struggling and is super clingly and has suffered a lot with separation anxiety. My in laws (who are wonderful) are always on stand by on skype for when we have "I miss Nanny", Grandad or whoever melt downs.

I was working but was made redundant. My parents did have to look after the children, but they weren't working at all at the time and DH and I were paying literally everything at the time. While I would like to work, I think the children need me here and my parents had absolutely no regard for what the children did when upstairs. Example, a very expensive guitar DH was given as inheritance, was found lying in the middle of the living room with juice on it. There was a puddle of water next to an extension lead, windows had been opened and my parents, well Mum just pleaded ignorance and didn't care. We weren't told of things happening at school and were expected to know through telepathy or something. I don't think I can go to work knowing this happened last time.

OP posts:
EarthboundMisfit · 01/06/2016 16:22

She was always controlling. That's why their house problem came up. To stop you emigrating.

AndYourBirdCanSing · 01/06/2016 16:22

No I don't blame you, it sounds like you can't rely on them to help with that anymore.

I hope you hear about your husband's job soon. Is it a better job in general? Or was it for the location. I'm just wondering whether you like the area/schools etc of his current job as I would be tempted to move further from your parents

sugarplumfairy28 · 01/06/2016 16:40

Ironically he is working where my family is from, I know the place like the back of my hand, it's where I spent summers and is my home from home, we are where we are now though to be nearer to 'long lost' family. It is however a big city and priced as such and while I love the place a couple of weeks in a big city is more than enough for me. I worked in London for 4 years and hated it. The job is just a cust serv job, and a badly managed one at that. Without sounding big headed, but it is incredibly basic for DH, something he can do very very easily, he is bored and despite them acknowledging his mass of experience they are not listening to any of his reasonable suggestions. The job he has gone for is much more his thing, and will bring him back towards normally priced property.

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityyhat · 01/06/2016 17:13

I'm sorry if I've missed this but I can't work out why you and your dh have no money? Does it really cost £10,000 to move to Germany? You pay bills but no rent and the house belongs to your parents and you didn't contribute to the purchase at all? So where has your money gone? Where does your dh's salary go at the moment? Right now you don't even know where your dh is going to be working in the long term so surely all you can do is grit your teeth and get on with it and detach emotionally as much as you can with your parents. Offer to mow the lawn and do the edges every other week (you arent working so should have the time?) If your mum disagrees then so be it. Do it fortnightly. What sort of rent would you be paying privately in Germany? Are you sure you can afford it?

sugarplumfairy28 · 01/06/2016 18:08

The removals cost 7,000 and with tickets, pet passports, having to pay 2 months of rent in the UK to pay our minimum 6 month contract it totted up to about 10k. Oh our car was also written off 3 weeks before we left and we had to pay out for a cheap (cost a grand) car to actually get us here.

We pay 2 lots of electric and water bills, over the top buildings insurance. You don't specifically have council tax here but there is something similar, part of which is based on how much road frontage you have. Because we have a third of an arce of garden to the side of the house, this part is particularly expensive. We have oil heating (plus hot water) in a poorly insulated house spanning 4 floors, so that is also very expensive, around 300 a month, the boiler is very old and is simply an on or off option. We have 2 cars to run, and DH's commute is costing us 800€ a month. We also have to pay for bins, dog lisences, phone bills, internet, TV licence. Then to top it off of course, shopping. Over the last year I have had to run Mums car, and their shopping, plus because they weren't working they have to pay (or last year we did) their health insurance. It's not surprising we don't have any money.

Here you can get cold rent, which is just the 4 walls you live in, or warm rent, which includes electric, heating, the 'council tax' and water. Warm rent, we can get a 3 bed place for around 800€.

My children are in Kindergarten and school, with different starts and finishes, so effectively I do 4 school runs. I have to do everything around the house by myself, but DH is particularly messy. What I did miss out when I started a new thread was that I'm under pressure to start my own small crafts business, to bring in a little extra money. My mum chooses the time DH is at work and the kids are out, to nag me about anything and everything, lectre me on what I can and can't do in life, and actually takes up a massive amount of my time. I do cut the grass, but it takes (this time of every year) around 8 hours to do it. Although I don't have direct access to it, and cannot make any changes to it without permission. Without wanting to sound rude, just because I don't work doesn't mean I'm not running around doing things all day.

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityyhat · 01/06/2016 18:34

Ok I think I understand better now. But what is it you want advice on again? There is such a lot going on in your posts that I've lost sight of it. Your mum appears to be angry and stressed too. She must also be regretting the decision to all move in together? Is it time for an air clearing family meeting?

CodyKing · 01/06/2016 18:43

Sorry but the £800 commute and £800 rent stood out!

Plus you'll pay one set of bills and food - and maybe afford the new baby should one appear

AndYourBirdCanSing · 01/06/2016 18:45

So for the cost of your husband's commute you could rent with most bills paid? They must be incredibly frustrating! If course there's the issue of upfront costs for moving though.

I would wait to hear from this job then depending on the outcome, put a plan into place. It's a shame that where his current job is expensive and a place you don't want to live- you could at least have moved there and tried for another job for your DH in that area. But fingers crossed he gets this position he applies for.

Do you know how long it would take to save up if he does get new job? How far would you be from your parents then?

AndYourBirdCanSing · 01/06/2016 18:46

Sorry excuse typos, bloody phone

sugarplumfairy28 · 01/06/2016 19:07

bibbity I'm not expecting anyone to have an answer for me, but more just needed a 'friend' to maybe tell me I'm not insane feeling this way, and I'm right to be frustrated and upset. Everything everyone has said has been things going round in my mind, but with no-one to talk to and even bounce ideas of, it's just me and as you can probably my head is a mess right now.

Cody It's maddness isn't it!

BirdCanSing It really is frustrating! DH has had 3 interviews now, and was told at the last one, it was all positive and the feedback would be positive, we should be hearing any day now. How long it would take to save really depends on the salary offered. A lot of jobs aren't advertised with a salary, your covering letter is meant to outline what you want, then it gets negotiated when you are offered a job. If we move to where this job is, it would put us 45 minutes away.

OP posts:
clearsommespace · 01/06/2016 21:31

I do so hope your DH gets this job and you have the means and courage to get away. You sound incredibly sane considering everything you are going through and have every reason to be frustrated and upset.
Please let us know when you hear!

GlassBlobbery · 02/06/2016 11:25

Sugar this sounds like madness. I feel really desperate for you just reading this.

Can I ask - Why don't your parents work? Aren't they able to find a job to at least put more money in their pockets? It would seem that you have become the catalyst for your mother to vent all her dissatisfied emotions. She sounds fucking awful incredibly unhappy and instead of talking to you like she used to, she's totally blaming you. Have you ever asked her what's happening to your relationship? Have you ever reminded her now close you used to be?

sugarplumfairy28 · 02/06/2016 12:13

Glass' Between them they now have what is called a mini job, it doesn't include health insurance and to qualify as a mini job must pay less than 450€ a month. They got this because my Uncle basically landed it in their laps, he got it for them. My Dad is being so incredibly fussy about jobs, he won't just do anything, it has to be something he wants to do. He doesn't drive, so the distance is an issue and us being in the sticks and the commute they have established as 'fair' is tiny. Mum just doesn't want to work, no ifs or buts just doesn't want to...

Any discussion always goes wrong very quickly. DS wanted a veggie patch in our new house, as did Mum, it was meant to be their thing because I'm not green fingered and don't really enjoy it, but since being here she hasn't lifted a finger and is always nagging me to go and do stuff with the patch. Also it's not really a 'patch' it's about 10ft by about 40ft. Last year it was all root veg and beans, which was hard work and didn't yield much for the amount of effort it took.

Today I bought some strawberry plants, which is something we had talked about and wanted to do. We decided we would go down a fruit route. We already had a redcurrant bush, last year I put in raspberries, and this year I've put in thornless evergreen Blackberries, blackcurrants and the final thing was Strawberries. It's been a pain to get hold of them but today I got some. Mum was unimpressed and had nothing positive to say about it at all. I mean wtf, I really don't know what to do with that. I asked her if something was wrong, and if she was OK, and just moaned at me for asking her that.

OP posts:
GlassBlobbery · 02/06/2016 12:40

Sugar if it were me, I would have lost my shit by now. Really - she is treating you with contempt and maybe a good shouting will make her realise.

sugarplumfairy28 · 02/06/2016 12:59

I did shout once, and came off worse for it. She is vicious vicious person.

DS was a late one to grasp the potty, it was so difficult and it was on his 4th birthday, after many many failed attempts with him, I agreed with everyone, Mum, DH, Nursery that this was going to be it, he will be in pants and we're not going back to nappies. The day after his birthday I was at work, he was with Mum. I he a number 2 accident, and she shouted at him, and then made him sit in it because she refused to deal with and told me my son my embarrassment. This was when we were on good terms! I completely lost my rag at how she had agreed to the plan and then at his expense backed out. DH and I actually split up for about 3 months, and my mother has not and will not apologise for what she called him and her reaction. She brings things like this up in a shouting argument to tell me how I am a bad parent.

OP posts:
GlassBlobbery · 02/06/2016 13:22

Bloody hell - she is abusive.

Read it again. She is abusive.

You have to get out OP. Are there any jobs your husband could take that provide accommodation? Could he take a civilian job in the army for example and you could request accommodation?

She has potential for damaging your DC - the soiling incident with her has left me cold. Yet you say she hasn't always been like this?

AndYourBirdCanSing · 02/06/2016 14:00

Oh Sugar it gets worse Sad

That incident with your son is awful. Well done for confronting her about it and sticking up for your son.

I agree you NEED to get out of there. I know that is easier said than done, but is there anyway you can get the money to secure a rental as soon as you can? What about your in-laws, are they in England?

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