My MIL is competing with me?

[Transformer123]

I'm starting to wonder whether my MIL is competing with me. Would be good to hear from anyone who's experienced similar?

My MIL showed no interest in sewing. I bought some lovely fabric to make my baby daughter a blanket. When I showed her the fabric (we bought it whilst visiting her), she acted oddly - stared at it blankly and said nothing. Then, she booked herself onto a sewing class and made my daughter a set of clothes for her doll.

Next, I said that I wanted to become a Pilates instructor. Next thing I know, she attends Pilates three times a week and it has become her 'thing' - she talks about it all the time. Previously she attended no exercise classes. As it happens, I had an illness which meant I am limited physically, so I dropped that idea.

My illness means that Yoga is a better option. I mention to MIL that I am doing a bit of Yoga instead. She started doing Yoga too, and is now posting photos of herself on FB in Yoga poses....

Whilst it's great that she's achieving things, I just have a feeling that she wouldn't be doing it if I hadn't mentioned that I was! It's starting to feel like she's trying to compete, which I feel uneasy about.

Mine is like this too! I think it’s when they do feel like they could do that too / inspired but also because they don’t have their own brain to think of it themselves. It’s more annoying because they don’t say oh I thought it was great you do that so I’ve started too! They just pretend it was their idea, my sil does it too.

Wow this thread has had loads of messages since I last looked, thank you for all of the feedback. Jollymollyx - yes, it's the impression you get that they are making out they got the idea themselves, and they never mention that you told them it was your plan first.

I must say that up until now, I've not really processed what's happening properly. I've innocently discussed interests and plans - mainly because it's difficult to keep conversations going, and you have to talk about something! She's also very keen to know everything going on. And judgmental. When I told her I was attending band rehearsals again, she told me that I don't have enough time in my life to do that - the insinuation being that I should be at home looking after the children. I was a SAHM, so, at home all the time.....

I'm going to be a lot more careful about what I say from now on.

Aren't you doing a great new cookery class on how to cook with roadkill OP?

Answer every question with a question. Make it your mission to know everything going on in their lives. That keeps a conversation going without you revealing anything.

I have one of those. Weirdly, she even tries to compete in areas I'm professional. I worked as a chef and patisserie chef for many years. DH takes her groceries up each week. If I've made a cake, bread or pie you can guarantee her crap version of it arrives back with him the next week. They're usually burnt or undercooked and never get touched. She's been like it our whole marriage. She also competitively breast fed, apparently producing so much milk she also fed all the babies in SCBU, not what you want to hear when you're struggling to establish feeding with DC1. I could go on for hours...