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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

My relationship with my mother

35 replies

Turnitupto11 · 02/03/2022 03:22

My mother is now elderly and I've been spending more time with her than before. I've realised I don't like her very much. She is very judgemental about people, especially about their weight, for example. She has told me on a number of occasions that I'm overweight or getting very grey.
She complains (to me) that her friend talks too much about things she's not interested in. She's very conservative.

I've also realised I'm angry that she never spent time with my middle and youngest dc, only with the eldest. They consequently have no relationship with her at all.

When I was a child she didn't play with me and she didn't play with my children either. I don't think she knows how to.

I feel like nothing I've done has been good enough for her, that I'm a disappointment. She can't understand that I'm depressed and have anxiety and she refers to it as me being "the way I am ". She still refers to her parents as mummy and daddy and tells me she cried when she got married and had to leave home. She has strange names for bodily functions like tinkle and doing a business or bizzy Blush that meant I was laughed at and bullied at school. She never talked about periods really, except to say I had my visitor.

I'm so fed up of it all and wish I could never see her again. From the moment I get there I just want to leave, she drives me mad, all she talks about are TV programmes I'm not interested in or classical music I'm also not interested in, but if I try to talk about something she'll say she can't stand that racket or rubbish.

But I'm an only child, there is no one else to visit her. Her nieces don't visit because they live a couple of hours drive away. She lives in semi sheltered accommodation and has many friends, more than I have. She's independent, can look after herself, has a cleaner once a fortnight.

I don't know what I'm asking for really, advice maybe. I'm not sure if this is a toxic relationship, or if she's a narcissist, or just a bit shallow and unable to think outside her box.

OP posts:
Hbh17 · 02/03/2022 13:42

Err, just stop visiting her - you are under no obligation to do so.

Turnitupto11 · 02/03/2022 13:46

@Hbh17

Err, just stop visiting her - you are under no obligation to do so.
But I have felt under obligation to do so, I felt it's what my dad would have wanted, I thought it was what dutiful daughters did.
OP posts:
ESGdance · 02/03/2022 14:03

You need to step out of the FOG (fear, obligation and guilt) that is trapping you in this toxic dynamic.

She doesn’t sound happy to be in your company - it seems to trigger her into negative behaviour and bitter comments - so I would keep out of her way - might well be mutual…..just accept that you are not compatible - exposure to her is eroding your MH - you need your emotional energy for you and your DCs - not drained by this emotional vampire.

Honestly she doesn’t give a shit about you.

I can’t see why you would choose to spend a whole day in such dreadful company and not with your DCs, friends, on a hobby or even just clipping your toenails.

Can you move away again?

ravenmum · 02/03/2022 14:36

she was staying at ours and looking after ydd who was 6 and dd cried and said she missed me and my mum cried too and said she missed her mummy too. That could sound cute to some of you, but it's not really how to behave around a 6 year old who was scared a bit by it. She didn't give her cuddles or anything, she just told her she missed her dead "mummy
It doesn't sound cute to me as an outsider. I'd just think that seeing your dd crying for her mum made her feel really sad about missing her own mum. Did she have a very good relationship with her - is that what upsets you? I don't understand why her using the word "mummy" hurts you, when talking to a child or even in general? What is it that makes you feel so bad?
The not cuddling sounds familiar; my mum was not good at cuddling at all. She had a shit upbringing. Took me a while to learn to do it naturally!

Lsquiggles · 02/03/2022 14:44

You've made a routine of going weekly so stepping outside of that will be uncomfortable at first but for your mental health you really should. She sounds like hard work but I wouldn't freeze her out completely. Maybe visit once every 2 weeks for whatever time feels natural instead of a whole day and call her once a week just to keep the peace

Turnitupto11 · 02/03/2022 22:15

@ravenmum

she was staying at ours and looking after ydd who was 6 and dd cried and said she missed me and my mum cried too and said she missed her mummy too. That could sound cute to some of you, but it's not really how to behave around a 6 year old who was scared a bit by it. She didn't give her cuddles or anything, she just told her she missed her dead "mummy It doesn't sound cute to me as an outsider. I'd just think that seeing your dd crying for her mum made her feel really sad about missing her own mum. Did she have a very good relationship with her - is that what upsets you? I don't understand why her using the word "mummy" hurts you, when talking to a child or even in general? What is it that makes you feel so bad? The not cuddling sounds familiar; my mum was not good at cuddling at all. She had a shit upbringing. Took me a while to learn to do it naturally!
But my dd was 7, my mum was 70, her mum had been dead for 7 years. She always calls them mummy and daddy, I've just never heard an older adult call them that apart from my mum. It doesn't hurt me, although I'd expect her to comfort my child, not bring everything around to being about her again, I just find it irritating somehow, but then everything about her irritates me. Sad
OP posts:
GlamorousHeifer · 03/03/2022 07:26

No advice for you OP other than visit less.
I have only popped onto this thread to say I find anyone above primary school age calling their parents mummy and daddy so cringe worthy it makes me blush for them!
Absolutely none of my business and makes no difference to me whatsoever but it just sounds awful to me Confused

TirisfalPumpkin · 03/03/2022 07:37

Honestly OP - you’ve gone over and above on the ‘dutiful daughter’ front. What do you want? ‘Never see her again’ is a valid answer, so is ‘quick visit twice a year’.

You say you’ve moved to a depressing coastal town to be closer to her which is expensive and you have no support nearby. If I were you, I’d start making a plan to move back to where you have friends and will be happier and healthier. You matter too in this interaction, you need to look after yourself.

Ukholidaysaregreat · 03/03/2022 07:52

I have no idea why you moved to be near by. Move somewhere you would like to live. That is probably fueling some resentment to your mother as you have massively put yourself out for her and she doesn't realise. You aren't alive to make your mother happy. You would probably feel happier in yourself living where you want to live and then you have a valid excuse not to visit too often as it will be too far. Win win.

Turnitupto11 · 03/03/2022 09:38

I genuinely thought it was my obligation to move closer Sad She'd been saying for a long time she wished I lived closer.

Anyway, thank you for all the replies. Maybe I did just want someone to say I don't have to visit every week Confused

I can't really move back to where I used to live, I can't afford to now and my bf has moved to be close to me too. He doesn't want to move again either.

OP posts:
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