Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Can't cope with in-laws anymore

12 replies

shininglight16 · 13/11/2023 03:40

ADVERTISEMENT

Mumsnet Logo
Black Friday
1

Talk
>
South Asian Mumsnetters

This board exists primarily for the use of South Asian Mumsnetters. Others are welcome to post but please be respectful.

South Asian Mumsnetters
Unfollow topic
Can't cope with in-laws anymore
0 replies

shininglight16 · Yesterday 22:17

I've never liked my in-laws, they were a red flag from the start.

My MIL is a typical bitchy cunning woman, who plays all sorts of games to show she's a Ms. Goody two shoes when she's not.

I went through deep depression early on in my marriage and she knew that yet, she created a big scene when I refused to go to to her other daughter-in-law's brother's engagement party. I was in a bad state, I couldn't think right, yet, all she cared about was what would others think. Typical Asian mentality. She not only spoke to me rudely then, I caught her bitching about me with her son, who's wife's brother's engagement we were invited to.

She was also never there for me emotionally or morally during that time. All she cared about was playing cards with her friends.

There was also another time when I was completely ill with a bad flu and couldn't get out of bed. She came over to stay with me as DH was out of town for work. She cooked but never spent time with me. I'd have dinner alone, in pain, whilst she was out playing cards, drinking and smoking. She came home at 12 or 1 in the night and made pathetic excuses of being stuck in traffic, when the pub/club she went to was just a 10 min drive away.

She's constantly put me down, belittled me, criticized my way of parenting, told me I'm not fast enough in bathing my newborn (I'm a FTM), interfered in my breastfeeding journey and basically criticized every little thing I've done. If someone else bitches about me, she agrees with them too. However, when she needed money for something, she said I was there to give money and looked at me in a dominating way as in, you will give it won't you?

Her other son borrowed money from me to pay some bills and did not return for a year. I lost my cool and instead of telling him off, she got upset that I brought up the money topic in front of my mom, because according to her what happens at home stays at home and in-laws is home but my mom's an outsider.

She's done loads of other things like wait till my husband comes home from work to criticize me infront of him and look at his reaction. She even did loads of drama when we were choosing our wedding venue. She told her son she wouldn't come to our wedding if we didn't pick a fancy place. We ended up spending so much to invite people who haven't even been in touch with us since.

She made faces at me at our wedding too, she was discontent about something not sure what, I think she was expecting dowry?

There's lots more but my FIL is pretty pathetic too, although not as bad as her. My daughter is down with covid and has had a reaction to her 16 weeks vaccination and I fear she will blame me for it, like she does for everything that goes wrong in our lives. In her eyes, her son is perfect and I'm no good. She loves her other daughter-in-law who treated me like shit when I was newly married. I've tried speaking up but my MIL won't even listen to what I have to say. She shoots me down and tells me she won't believe a word of what I say about her. That girl comes from a rich family and the MIL stays at her house cos she (my in-laws) had to sell off their home to pay off her debts. This DIL has played dirty games with me and DH but MIL is blind, she will never go against someone who's rich.

I could go on and on but what a pathetic toxic family I've been blessed with after marriage. I despise them to the core. Their ego, arrogance, sick attitude, lack of support, bitchiness, gossip, high handed behaviour, lies, playing with my money and not being apologetic about anything makes me hate them even more. I feel stuck due to society and being isolated, need advice on how to tackle this situation. I have no privacy even, they like to blabber every little thing to relatives. Hate them!

OP posts:
MacarenaMacarena · 14/11/2023 00:23

They sound awful... So sorry to hear all this.
Can you be strong and stand your ground? Call out poor behaviour? Focus on your own little family, and develop your own career... Don't let them "keep you in your place" as they seem to see it - they like seeing you as the newest and weakest addition to their clan - it will be hard to change this dynamic, but good luck xx

shininglight16 · 14/11/2023 01:24

They do treat me like I'm not good enough and a weak person who should be shot down even further. I do suffer from low self esteem and have had mental health issues, instead of supporting me, they have always looked down on me and made me feel a lot worse. I absolutely detest them from the bottom of my heart.

OP posts:
justasmalltownmum · 14/11/2023 01:42

For your own inner peace, I would just let it all go. Go low contact.

shininglight16 · 14/11/2023 02:06

It's not so easy. In our culture, in-laws tend to keep contact regularly and want to know everything about their kids and grandkids. They're overbearing and interfering, in a very old fashioned way.

OP posts:
shininglight16 · 14/11/2023 02:13

How do I edit the first part of my post?

OP posts:
user2466 · 14/11/2023 02:14

@shininglight16 I feel for you. Have been in a similar situation to you. What does your OH say about all of this?

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 14/11/2023 02:26

Is your DH supportive of you or does he side with his DM?

shininglight16 · 14/11/2023 02:32

DH doesn't understand certain things, his mom is a cunning manipulative woman who does things in a very sly manner. She also pretends to care and acts fake sweet which makes my husband think that I'm overthinking or misinterpreting her behaviour. I'm not, I'm sharp and I know exactly what she is. She does on her son, he's not going to feel negatively about her.

OP posts:
Zanina · 14/11/2023 23:37

Hi OP. I'm south Asian as well. For years my in laws, namely older sil was being a bully towards me. Took me time by after a few years I realised my lil angel mil was fueling it from behind. Though I would tell my husband things and he would try to make excuses for them. My experience tells me, that eventually the mil / sil turn on their son / brother. And that's when shit really kicks off. It's inevitable. In my case, in laws we're giving husband shit for some time and I was making him see how they are deliberately using him as a scapegoat. Anyway, about a year ago now, one of my sils ignored me in a family gathering but she was looking angry and flaring her nostrils etc and everyone noticed it. Yet again I saw my mil acting sweet (she shit stirred few months back and then sil didn't want to speak to me). Well that was it. When we got in the I was quiet. Husband asked me my thoughts and I was crying and angry. We got home and I just told my husband that if his family don't stop bullying me then I will divorce him. I told him that I don't give a flying fuck anymore. That day he really realised that I was fucking serious. He had had enough himself but this time, he just couldn't make any excuses to cover up their bad behaviour, way too much had happened.

In your case, i would say its time to start getting angry with your husband. He is being passive and not protecting you. You can either wait until they start on him which could be years yet. Or you can kick off now and threaten to divorce him. What you want is to not see them, and if you do then you are not left alone. They do not go to your house etc. It takes time but once you get the ball rolling in that direction, things start to fall into place.

You need to find some strength and learn to deflect. If she wants money, say ask your son. She wants you to go somewhere, on the day you fall sick and let husband be the messenger of that. Instead of feeling weak, just use that energy to piss her off. If she is going to say shit about you, give her something to talk about for real. Once your husband gets stuck in the mess (because right now you keep it calm) he will notice it more and he will get it in the neck from his mum.

You did the right thing about bringing up the money infront of your mum. Feel free to bring up other issues. Let it kick off. Don't let her ruin you, you ruin her game. Let your mil feel her losing control of her family. And if she loves her rich bitchy daughter in law that much, then hope that they eventually wouldn't want to see you. Make them get tangled in the Web they weaved for you.

I know I'm giving you very sly advice, but sly bitches deserve what they dish out.

shininglight16 · 15/11/2023 01:41

Zanina · 14/11/2023 23:37

Hi OP. I'm south Asian as well. For years my in laws, namely older sil was being a bully towards me. Took me time by after a few years I realised my lil angel mil was fueling it from behind. Though I would tell my husband things and he would try to make excuses for them. My experience tells me, that eventually the mil / sil turn on their son / brother. And that's when shit really kicks off. It's inevitable. In my case, in laws we're giving husband shit for some time and I was making him see how they are deliberately using him as a scapegoat. Anyway, about a year ago now, one of my sils ignored me in a family gathering but she was looking angry and flaring her nostrils etc and everyone noticed it. Yet again I saw my mil acting sweet (she shit stirred few months back and then sil didn't want to speak to me). Well that was it. When we got in the I was quiet. Husband asked me my thoughts and I was crying and angry. We got home and I just told my husband that if his family don't stop bullying me then I will divorce him. I told him that I don't give a flying fuck anymore. That day he really realised that I was fucking serious. He had had enough himself but this time, he just couldn't make any excuses to cover up their bad behaviour, way too much had happened.

In your case, i would say its time to start getting angry with your husband. He is being passive and not protecting you. You can either wait until they start on him which could be years yet. Or you can kick off now and threaten to divorce him. What you want is to not see them, and if you do then you are not left alone. They do not go to your house etc. It takes time but once you get the ball rolling in that direction, things start to fall into place.

You need to find some strength and learn to deflect. If she wants money, say ask your son. She wants you to go somewhere, on the day you fall sick and let husband be the messenger of that. Instead of feeling weak, just use that energy to piss her off. If she is going to say shit about you, give her something to talk about for real. Once your husband gets stuck in the mess (because right now you keep it calm) he will notice it more and he will get it in the neck from his mum.

You did the right thing about bringing up the money infront of your mum. Feel free to bring up other issues. Let it kick off. Don't let her ruin you, you ruin her game. Let your mil feel her losing control of her family. And if she loves her rich bitchy daughter in law that much, then hope that they eventually wouldn't want to see you. Make them get tangled in the Web they weaved for you.

I know I'm giving you very sly advice, but sly bitches deserve what they dish out.

Thanks @Zanina and sorry to hear the shit you've been through too. I've made up my mind, no more being calm and taking shit from all sides. They're now going to see the bitch in me and boy the games I'm going to play with them. They think they're too smart? I'll outsmart the bitches. I've done enough of crying, husband's gonna have a tough time but it's high time I stood up for myself. I'm also going to ensure I keep proof of everything and do not allow anyone to bring me down.

I know I deserve better and I am way better than them, pathetic losers.

I used to be very naive but not anymore.

OP posts:
financialcareerstuff · 15/11/2023 02:58

Sorry OP, but I find the tone of your posts really unpleasant - the majority of it is very bitter, disrespectful judgement, without an ounce of empathy or nuance, or without much concrete detail on what your ILs have actually done to you. So your MIL came to stay with you when you were sick and cooked for you. But she didn't stay and hang out. Why on earth would she if you despise her to the core?

Based on your posts, you sound horrible.

shininglight16 · 15/11/2023 03:12

financialcareerstuff · 15/11/2023 02:58

Sorry OP, but I find the tone of your posts really unpleasant - the majority of it is very bitter, disrespectful judgement, without an ounce of empathy or nuance, or without much concrete detail on what your ILs have actually done to you. So your MIL came to stay with you when you were sick and cooked for you. But she didn't stay and hang out. Why on earth would she if you despise her to the core?

Based on your posts, you sound horrible.

@financialcareerstuff are you kidding me? I am being unpleasant when my MIL has treated me like shit? I need to lay down each and every thing word by word that she's done to destroy my mental well-being and exercise authority over me? I need to justify to you, who doesn't know me one bit, how badly she's treated me, with her bitchiness and nasty comments, demeaning, belittling, putting me down and criticizing me for everything?

You know nothing and yet you think it is appropriate to leave a silly judgemental comment based on you poor understanding and interpretation of my post? Stay away if you have nothing positive to say please! Don't need people like you to drag me down even further.

I'd love to see how you'd feel if you were in my place, I was suicidal at one point and have been through major mental abuse by my in-laws.

Kindly do not leave your footprints on my post if you have nothing positive to say. Thank you.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread