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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

The in-laws are making our lives miserable

21 replies

joselyne · 25/10/2007 12:42

Basically my in-laws do not like me and have told me so. To begin with we used to get on fine when I first started seeing dh(I should also say at this point that dh is an only child, I've been married before and have 2 children from that marriage). The main problems I had were mainly with my MIL. She would do things like continually phone dh when we had week ends away, and once we were away seeing his family and he switched his phone off, so she would ring round the family to find out where we were and when confronted as to why she keeps phoning him she would say she was short on company. We rented the house next door to the in laws (which they owned) and she just made my life a misery. One minute she would be ok with me the next ignoring me, I even caught her hiding behind a tree once trying to avoid me. She would make snide comments to me when no one else was around and one of them was that she always gets what she wants and that she'll lie and do whatever it takes to get it. When the in laws went away we were always expected to feed and look after their cat, which we didn't mind doing until dh and I managed to get the same week off work and planned to go away with the children but low and behold they decided they wanted to go away at the same time and we were expected to cancel our plans so we could look after their cat. When we refused they tried to make us feel guilty. When we got engaged we took a bottle of champagne around to their house and told them the news. They took the drink, said a half hearted congratulations and carried on watching Coronation Street. MIL was then quite nasty to both of us for about a week afterwards making it quite clear she wasn't happy for us. In birthday cards to me or the children we get 'from',or just their names at the bottom,dh gets 'lots of love'and if its a Christmas card addressed to all of us its a 'from' (how pathetic is that. I usually write the same thing in a card no matter who it's to).
The list of things just goes on and on. They just made me feel like a complete outsider and I was totally miserable. It may not sound like very much to anyone else but when confronted by this day in day out it really ground me down, myself and dh were arguing a lot about it and there were a few times I even contemplated suicide it got me down so much. Dh, I felt thought I was making it up or exaggerating it because the majority of things would happen when he wasn't around, until one night when I was out FIL had been round to see him and had basically been slagging me off saying that I'd landed on my feet and I always ignored them, they said not very nice things about my children as well. Obviously we decided to find somewhere else to live and when dh told his parents FIL stormed around to our house and proceeded to shout and point his finger at me calling me a witch, a trouble maker. Saying I wasn't happy unless I was causing arguments (I'm the type of person that will do anything to avoid one) and the list goes on. The next day FIL was trying to creep roung dh in fact they both would everytime I was out of the house they'd be round trying to give him money and all sorts. Dh asked FIL to apologise to me but he refused, so when we moved dh told them that in light of what had gone on and had been said that they would not be welcome to come to our new house and in time when he was ready he would contact them. So 5 days after we moved FIL turned up at dh's work and continued to do so and would not get the message thatdh was still cross that no apology had been made to me.
The day of our wedding arrived and the photo's tell the whole story. Any photo that with them that I'm in (which is quite a lot with me being the bride!) they weren't smiling just had a grumpy look on their faces, FIL had to stand next to me but is at least 2 foot away and wouldn't get any closer even when asked by the photographer. It was embarrassing on the day but more so for my dh as everyone at the wedding noticed that they were behaving this way. Neither of them spoke one word to me the whole day, even when dh put FIL on the spot by saying "doesn't she look beautiful today?" with that came silence.
Dh was really hurt that his own parents couldn't make an effort for him just for one day.
I can pass them in the car and I get blanked as if I don't exist yet if dh is in the car they wave.
MIL's father died a few weeks ago and we travelled 370miles to go to the funeral and because I was there MIL wouldn't speak to dh and completely ignored him, yet a week ago she sent him a birthday card "with lots of love". I think this is an absolute cheek seeing as she couldn't bring herself to speak to him before. I think that the in laws think that things can carry on as normal with them and dh as if I don't exist but I don't think that they can. I think that they need to either except that we are married and be civil or if they can't do that then get lost(to put it politely). I can see that it hurts dh for his parents to be acting this way and he misses not having his parents around but I can't go on for the rest of our lives together with them acting like this towards me. We're at a stale mate and I want to try and do whats best for my husband and not tell him what to do but what I really want is to never have anything to do with them again because they're never going to change.
I'd be really glad of anyones opinions on this matter. Has anyone else had problems with the in laws? Sorry to have waffled on.

OP posts:
peskipixie · 25/10/2007 12:48

they sound like gits, but they are dhs gits not yours. i would totally avoid them tbh, make it clear to dh you will support him if he chooses to see them but you are not going with him. if he decided not to see them it has to be his choice. i think the only thing you can do is try to stay calm and not get involved, it will only cause dh more stress if you are stressing about it. you have my sympathy, my ex-ils were even worse so i know how you feel!

joselyne · 25/10/2007 12:57

I do try and stay out of it most of the time but it just gets me so cross that they make dh feel this way. I think the way he's feeling right now, he doesn't want much to do with them either. I'm glad I'm not the only one with not so nice in-laws because it has made me question myself at times as to whether I am as awful as they make out I am!!

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peskipixie · 25/10/2007 13:01

lots and lots of stories on here about not nice inlaws, i have no idea what turns normal people into this but i hope it never happens to me!

hope you dont mind me saying, you would probably get a better response if you spaced out your post more so its not as hard to read, am surprised none of the resident pedants have been on here yet to mention it lol

joselyne · 25/10/2007 13:10

Yeah sorry just got fixated on writing and getting it all off my chest, didn't even think

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Indiechick · 25/10/2007 13:22

It is hard to read, but my God, they seem absolutely horrible. I agree with peskipixie, don't spend time with them and enjoy DH and your kids. They're obviously idiots to behave like this, you're better off without them.

hifi · 25/10/2007 13:37

i think you are fighting a losing battle with them. i have cut off from bil and sil for similar reasons, any family get togethers dh takes dd on his own, what would dh response be if you did the same?

joselyne · 25/10/2007 13:41

It still seems to be coming between myself and DH (which I know is what they want)because they have obviously been saying not so nice things about us to other members of his family and they then phone dh and have a go at him for falling out with his parents as if its all his fault and he won't defend himself.

This winds me up because I think he should turn around and say actually we've fallen out because they...............but he doesn't he just seems to take it.

I think dh's family should know what his parents are really like instead of blaming him, which inevitabally gets him down.

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hifi · 25/10/2007 13:50

joselyn, he has to make a stand on who is the priority in his life, you or them, not saying he should cut them off but he needs to sit down and explain you are his priority but he cares for them but they are making it difficult for him. they sound as though they want to keep in touch with him so im sure they wont want to lose him.

dh had this kind of conversation with mil and her attitude changed overnight when she realised she wasnt number one anymore.

he has explained i dont want anything to do with his family socialy but ther is no animosity between us, just dont get involved.

fruitymum · 25/10/2007 14:07

They need to grow up . Your husband probably needs to stop contact with them and tell them why . They are manipulating him and making life miserable for you, he has made his choice -YOU ! He needs to stand up to them and say if they don't start behaving themselves - thats it ............... easy for me to say but the sooner he does it the better.

joselyne · 25/10/2007 14:19

I completely agree with everything you are saying. Dh has never been any good at standing up to them and when he has they haven't taken him seriously.

I've suggested to him that he writes them a letter saying that they either accept that me and dc's are the biggest part of his life and that they should be civil and polite to all of us or if they can't except it then not to contact him again.

What do you think?

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tryingfortwo · 25/10/2007 14:24

Your mil sounds like a nightmare - has she ever told you what her problem actually is?

If you MIL is a manipulator then she will have been doing it all your dh's life and will probably be doing it to your fil too. The best thing to do is ignore her, completely and utterly - do not enter into any of her games, don't get involved. Don't get upset at her exclusion/inclusion, playing hot playing cold etc etc - it all feeds the monster - she will love it all - it ensures she stays centre of the picture.

You are letting her win by ever arguing with your dh about her. Just don't. Include mil and fil in things like birthdays etc until they ruin something then make it clear the reason you won't be inviting them to the next one, do it by letter or something to avoid arguments and then stand by what you say.

I know it sounds a bit mad from where you are sitting at the moment, but you are allowing her to manipulate you, you are joining in with her games. Just stop thinking about her, ignore her, laugh at the stories she tells the family - they will eventually figure out what is going on - but this is likely to happen only when you stop playing her games. They are getting manipulated too, I'm sure they don't really give a monkey's whether or not your dh is talking or not to your mil but she will have involved them.

try hard not to talk badly about your dh's parents to him, after all - he only has one mum and dad and it may be the case he is able to have a relationship with them which doesn't impact on you. As long as you have some kind of agreement that he will make sure never ever to discuss you or your relationship with his mum or dad.

The difficult thing is to accept you are not going to have a good relationship with this women ever, just make your own decisions regaring what kind of relationship you want to have and have it on those terms.

It really is a rubbish horrible situation to be in - I think its somehting to do with the loss of control, you realise this horrible women could be saying all kinds of horrible things about you which you can never ever do anyting about. I think though, if you kind of just accept the loss of control and stop thinking about it then you can kind of move on. Not easy though at all. Poor you.

joselyne · 25/10/2007 14:37

I agree she is manipulating us and she definitely loves to be centre of attention.

The only (and very pathetic) reason i've had for her behaviour towards me is that dh is an only child and I would be exactly the same if my ds was the only one (so basically is she saying that anyone with an only child has the right to make their life a misery and you can be as rude as you like to any girl/boyfriends they might have?) and that I came along at the wrong time when her mother died (I'd been seeing dh for 6 months when her mother died and she wasn't saying it was the "wrong time" when they were away at the funeral and I was driving miles each day to feed her cat!!).

OP posts:
joselyne · 25/10/2007 14:41

I'm just sick and tired of this situation. I want her to know that she hasn't won and that she can't speak to me the way she has done and behave like this and get away with it.

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BarbieLovesKen · 25/10/2007 14:52

oh God, you poor thing.

I could have wrote your post myself, I won't get into it but if I started on ils I would be here all day long.... seriously.

They have made our lifes hell - first year of dd's life, we're a young couple - trying to start out in life, alot of stress, both work full time, trying to build a house and plan a wedding - they have just added and added and added to the pressure

Its not just his mother and father but his sister, brothers girlfriend, and his 3 brothers (so all of them!!) that have given us shit (really bad - I know I could shock you!!) and do you know something (and this is so genuine) - I dont have a clue what we did wrong!!!! not a notion. Its funny though because one brother has a new girlfriend who is so loud, rough, mouthy, bithcy and crude but everyone loves her!! (I think they could be afraid not to be nice to her as she would eat you without salt!!) - think that was the problem with me.. wouldnt stand up for myself - easy target to bully.

Anyway, it has went on for years, completely took over my life, time and energy thinking and obsessing about it... horrible. I have tried reasoning with them, being overly nice to them, not speaking to them... nothing worked (even when recently, OH (23!!) had a mini stroke!)

But do you know something? people used to tell me to forget it and ignore them... etc.. which I used to think "easier said than done!!" but that is exactly what I would advise you to do!! seriously, why waste your time and energy on these people? do they mean enough to you, for you to? ... I have absolutely nothing to do with "that side" and am more than content never to...

wishing you all the luck in the world x

hifi · 25/10/2007 15:00

sometimes its best to let it go, be the bigger person. you can waste so much energy on these people for what? abuse. cut all ties but make it clear to you dh that you dont want it to affect his relationship with them, i would let him keep in contact if he wants to.

joselyne · 25/10/2007 15:12

Friends and family keep telling me that it's not personal as such that it would have been the same with any woman he had married.

I honestly don't care that they ignore me, thats fine because I don't want to talk to them. I think its just their bare faced cheek that gets to me, that they think they can ignore dh one minute and then think everythings normal with him and them the next.

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hifi · 25/10/2007 15:13

you do whats right for you, he has to make his own decision and stand up to them.

joselyne · 25/10/2007 17:01

Hve tried to talk about it with dh but he just buries his head in the sand. Will let you know what happens.

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ally90 · 26/10/2007 16:52

Hi Joselyne

This is impacting on you, therefore it is your business. He is your dh and you are related to them now. So you do have a say in how he deals with this, I also suspect your dc are aware of the situation. I feel a talk with him is needed.

ie

I feel really angry that your parents are talking to me/ignoring me (state other behaviour here) and I want it to stop. I also feel really angry at the way they are repeatedly rejecting you/refuse to respect you and your choices. This situation will not/is not going away. The issue needs to be addressed. I would like you to decide you want contact in which case I do not feel able for me or dc to be around them or send a letter stating how you feel and telling them what you do want from them ie polite, non aggressive, accepting of choices, respectful, etc. I find it hard to be in a relationship with someone who lets his parents show his partner in life no respect...(maybe leave that bit out...?)

or along those lines. Something has to be done, situation is untenable as it is. And he is the one to do it.

gotta go...dd awake!

xx

joselyne · 26/10/2007 18:48

Thanks Ally90 you've given me the confidence to know i've done the right thing because last night I collared DH and made him talk about it even though he was reluctant at first.

I basically said pretty much what you have written and told him that we need to sort it out once and for all. I told him he's got 3 choices, he either phones them, goes to see them or writes a letter and he has chosen to write a letter as he can do this and get everything off his chest without being challenged or interrupted.

I think he is going to issue an ultimatum to his parents that they accept that we are together and be civil and polite to both of us at all times or if they're not prepared to accept this then he doesn't want them to contact him again.

I think by him giving them this choice the ball is in their court and if they decide not to accept that we're together then at least when dh's family have a go at him he can turn around and say that he's given his parents a chance but they've chosen not to take it.

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Sakura · 27/10/2007 00:23

Your dh sounds truly lovely though (a mutated gene?) I wish my dh would have seen through his parents as quickly as yours has seen through his. Im sure that youll be fine with your dh on side like this.
I don`t visit my un-laws anymore- dh goes by himself. why waste your life on people who enjoy misery and want everyone miserable like them?

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