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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 mum is my biggest issue- update

29 replies

Helpmeout99 · 30/09/2024 13:54

Hi all I posted a couple of weeks ago about how my mum was staying with us while her new house was being built and how difficult our relationship is. My mum has, I am sure, a personality disorder and has always been very controlling and highly critical. We have come to blows over this many times and I have tried to instill boundaries while she is with us but she sees them as a personal attack on her. Any time I try to discuss our issues she throws back all the childcare and help she has given us, I have always thanks her for this but the fact remains that the issue is her emotional immaturity and her critical and controlling nature.
We have been trying to be a nice as possible and tiptoe around her and she has seemed a little better over the last week or so, promised she would get therapy although I know this is likely a lie as she has said this many times over the years. I have already decided minimal contact when she is gone and to just grit my teeth for the next two weeks until that time.
Anyway fast forward to today and she left her phone at home and my teenage daughter who has also been on the receiving end of her wrath opened up a message from her friend. The messages were all about how awful we all are, how she hates me, my brother and now my daughter and wishes she had never had children. They contain downright lies about her time with us and also about things like she has paid for our holidays etc and we just “see her as a cashcow” which is just an absolute lie!! She is painting herself to be the victim and us to all be awful people despite the never ending support i have given her over the last 25 years. My entire adult life has been supporting her from one perceived crisis to the next.
my brother refused to have her in his home so we have had her for months and I would not take a penny off her for utilities, food etc as I wanted her to be comfortable and enjoy being with us, despite her past behaviours I did not think she would behave like this.
she has also sent messages to my Uncle who says he will inform my cousins of what a terrible person I am and how badly I have treated her 🙄 this breaks my heart as I havel always put her needs first and supported her and tried to help when she has yet another crisis! To think she sends these messaged while sitting in my home with me cooking her meals 🥺
I know my daughter should not have opened her messages but she has and I now know what she truly feels about us. None of what she has said is a shock as she will always be the victim and I suspected she would start a smear campaign against me as she is losing her control over me and her living with us has taken the blinkers from my eyes. I know see that the nice side of her is the mask and she is a narcissist. She will not accept any criticism pf herself and I am done with her- I truly feel she is unhinged.
I dont feel I can let her know what we have seen but I also kind of want her to know that her behaviour has resulted in this.
I know I am a good person and have done everything I can to help. I am bow in therapy but need advise on what to do regardIng my daughter opening her messages. I asked her what prompted it and she said because she hears the awful things my mum says when on the phone to others she wanted to see if there was evidence in writing.

OP posts:
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 01/10/2024 09:47

In your position I would ...

Copy all the messages.
Arrange to see uncle and show him what has been going on.
Tell mum that daughter has overheard her negative comments and looked at her phone.
I'd show her the evidence and ask her to explain herself.
I would likely then ask her to leave within the next 2 hours.

AutumnCrow · 01/10/2024 10:04

I think people like this are likely to tell others than you 'wrote awful words' (i.e. planted the messages) on their phone, so be prepared.

I find, 'if you believe that you're as fucking mad as she is' (as my BiL once said of another relative) quite effective. And then stop caring. Stop running round defending yourselves. Let others have a turn at dealing with her, if they're that minded to not believe you. Trust me, the ripple of guilt is worth the waves of relief and the following breeze of peacefulness.

TorroFerney · 01/10/2024 11:46

Helpmeout99 · 01/10/2024 08:30

Because my mum will lie black is white and say they dont exist so I will show her and tell her this is why she has to go.

But it doesn’t matter, it’s not a court of law you know they exist. I know why you are doing it to prove to her and others but she doesn’t care it will never be her fault. It ties you to her they are there for you to look at pouring salt in the wound.

Glooop · 01/10/2024 13:48

AutumnCrow · 01/10/2024 10:04

I think people like this are likely to tell others than you 'wrote awful words' (i.e. planted the messages) on their phone, so be prepared.

I find, 'if you believe that you're as fucking mad as she is' (as my BiL once said of another relative) quite effective. And then stop caring. Stop running round defending yourselves. Let others have a turn at dealing with her, if they're that minded to not believe you. Trust me, the ripple of guilt is worth the waves of relief and the following breeze of peacefulness.

Agree with all of this.

Dont fall into the trap of trying to rectify the smears....shes a master at it - and its only playing into her hands by giving her words power and it will somehow exhaust you and backfire on you.

Indifference is the way to go.

Detach. Detach. Detach.

Leabe her and her scheming in the dust in your rear view mirror.

Erase her and her antics from your finite headspace and consciously replace your thoughts with positive, constructive plans for emotionally healthy life and relationships with others.

Leave your uncle to make his own mind up. Dont get drawn intp the crazy.

He might believe her, more likely he has the measure of her, or he will given time - dont get in her way!!

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