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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

It's offical, my MIL is BARKING!

46 replies

Queenie · 07/07/2003 10:46

I haven't got a close relationship with my MIL though we are pleasant enough to each other. I have always thought that she thinks she should still be no. 1 in DH's life with his "new" family blending into the background when we visit. She has even hinted that when DH visits for weekends he needn't bring us - his children are her grandchildren!! I have found I don't want to speak to her on the phone as time has gone by as she is so self centred. She can have an entire phone call with you without asking anything about the children but she always asks how the weather is. I have decided she is mental and now she has proved it - I am so relieved as I thought perhaps I was evil minded. She rang DH in the week and said she had arranged for a family grave for 4 - for her and her dh and 2 of her sons (apparently couldn't get one for 5). She was asking who wished to be included. DH said he thought he would like to be buried with his wife (that's me for the moment) and felt his brother(s) would also. She was surprised apparently. She obvioulsy feels her sons will return to her in death or something!! How do you deal with a person like this without causing major friction? Any views??

OP posts:
whymummy · 10/07/2003 11:06

eefs you should have said to her,"oh it`s a bit too small for your son!!"

eefs · 10/07/2003 11:13

...and normally she's lovely (just a bit intrusive, but I think that goes with the job), so I think it was more of a thoughless present than a deliberate dig. Although she did follow up with a comment on how big I am (I'm currently pregnant with #2 and am actually concerned at how small I am! still in normal clothes at 20 wks). Oh bless.
Regardless of the intention, that t-shirt is destined to become a duster I can use it on the naff xmas presents she get's us

eefs · 10/07/2003 11:14

whymummy, lightening wit strikes again.

Lara2 · 28/07/2003 19:25

My MIL has just suggested that her mum (nanna, who we love to bits) comes and visits when I'm visiting my sister in Wales with the children!!!?? MIL is also completely barking, hyperchondriac, attention seeking and has decided that my house is "disgustingly filthy"!!!! FUME!!!!!!!! She has decided to stay in a hotel next time. YIPPEE!!!!!!

lou33 · 30/07/2003 22:42

If anyone saw a woman in her 30's standing in Gatwick Airport's South Terminal today, shouting out at another woman in her early 60's that she was a poisonous witch...that was me shouting at my mil.

beetroot · 30/07/2003 22:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

lou33 · 30/07/2003 23:13

God it's such a long story! She's very difficult, will never answer questions about dh's past,there is a lot he doesn't know. Anyway he asked her a question while we were checking in her and dd1, just an innocent one. She went mad, saying she refused to answer loaded questions like that blah blah blah. Then dh says but i only wanted your opinion, I am your son I should be able to ask your advice. She said I have no son, you are a grown man now. The dh tries to apologise to her (which imo he had no reason to do but didn't want to make things worse) and she just started shouting at him. I at this point got a bit fed up and said that he was trying to apologise and couldn't she just leave it there, at which point she turned to me and said to keep out of it as I am always stirring things (?!) THEN told me and dh to leave her and dd alone. Obviously I told her no way she is my daughter etc etc. Anyway I left her and dh to sort it out, dd comes round the corner in floods of tears after seeing all this, followed by dh and the poison dwarf. She made a half hearted attempt to apologise, but tried to add a big but onto the end, as if I had done somethign to justify her outburst. So I told her that quite frankly I wasn't interested, that she should be ashamed of herself, that I have spent 15 years trying to keep the peace between her and dh, not to mention trying to undue all the damage she did to him in the past. She spat back that I was all about revenge, and when I asked what that was supposed to mean she mentioned my dad! I haven't seen my dad since I was 9, so what she means by that I have no idea. So then she instructs dh that I am not to come to the airport next week to collect dd, but I overheard this and said I will not be told by you what I can and cannot do, but she should be aware that when dd returns she is not going to have any more contact with her or the others (not that she cares about any but dd1) and not to contact us again. She was saying a lot of things that were completely unnecessary and spiteful, and I suddenyl had enough after 15 years. So as a last retort I yelled after her that she was a poisonous witch. Was furious that she was trying to stop me saying goodbye to my daughter too btw.
Personally I didn't want dd to go after that, I thought she was v wrong to start all that in front of her, and maybe I shouldn't have reacted, but I couldnt bear to see dh being treated like that again. Earlier in the day she was making comments too, but as usual I let it pass, but not any more. She is the only person I know who can comment on how close a family we are and make it sound like a bad thing. She doesn't believe there is anythign wrong with ds2 (who has cp) and when dh mentioned that he may also have sensory problems or mild asd (under investigation) she just made some other throw away comments about us keeping our children too cossetted, that she had seen autistic children in her village and ds was not like that. How stupid she is. Argh it's making me shake with anger just thinking about it all. And dd called us tonight to say she had arrived sounding v shaky poor thing. Then told dh that milfrom hell had told her she couldnt speak to us every day because of the cost! It's only Ireland not Thailand! We told her to call us whenever she wants.

As you can tell I am still boiling about this, and the hurt she always causes when she visits. We have tried for the kids sake to ignore this trait in her but it's impossible now.

WideWebWitch · 30/07/2003 23:42

God Lou, she sounds horrible. FWIW I think you've done very well to keep your temper for 15 years and I'm afraid I'd have probably snatched my daughter off the plane, slapped the old bag and marched off, never to speak to her again. But you didn't so well done, since she can't accuse you of anything but speaking your mind and you didn't back out of a deal re your dd's break with her. Much sympathy.

Rags · 31/07/2003 07:53

This will probably keep the threads rolling but.. Now imagine you work with them...

EmmaTMG · 31/07/2003 08:06

Lou33, I had a 'run-in' with my MIL when PG with DS1, she said some really bad things about me and my family, and I have to say I would have loved it to happen in such a place like an airport. All those witnesses so that DH couldn't now question all the stuff that was said.

It is better now but I still DO NOT trust anything the woman says. MIL's AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH what a horrible breed!

Boe · 31/07/2003 09:23

I really think you should weigh up what happiness she brings to your family against the upset and bad feelings that she causes - if she were a friend you would have got rid of her ages ago - IMO you should only have people in your life who bring good things and happiness in to it.

Think I too would have slapped her though and not let DD go.

sis · 31/07/2003 10:04

Rags, do you really work with your parents in law?!! does it work or have you ground all your teeth into a fine powder?

lou33 · 31/07/2003 11:14

Boe I made it very clear that she was not having anything to do with us again, and this morning dh has said he agrees. I am of the same philosophy, and think it's not good to have her dripping her sugar coated poison into their lives. I only let dd go because she was so looking forward to going over and seeing her friend, who lives locally. I still feel like going and getting her though.

We are off to Cornwall in a few hours for a short break to visit my Fil, wonder what will happen there?!

Batters · 31/07/2003 11:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rags · 31/07/2003 12:15

Hi sis,
I work with my mother. my biggest mistake ever. she is a very controlling woman, she replied to an ad for typing from home, realised she couldn't cope with it all on her own and asked if I would like to help. I was looking at going back to work as I am allergic to houswork, and i thought this would be ideal for me, I am supposedly my own boss (self employed), here for my 2 kids when sick or on school holidays and around when DH is off from work. the people I work for are absolutely lovely, couldn't ask for nicer employers but my mother has to know every job I have, knows how much i earn and throws a temper tantrum if I get any extra on the side. she is very controlling with us all, me, my brothers, my dad and I suspected a while ago (well i know I just can't physically prove it) that she has a drink problem. she will phone during the day and hold a reasonably pleasant conversation, then after her soaps have finished and she gets bored she phones in the evening and all my past is brought up, I am an f-ing this, and f-ing that, how many people I have slept with, unpaid prostitute, whore and all that, my brother and her fell out about a year ago after years of verbal abuse and him trying to kill her a few times, and she kicked him out but because he still comes round to see me and my family she insists i have taken his side. My other brother is handicapped and they are in the process of sorting out their will so that if anything happens to them I will have custody of my brother so he doesn't go into care but after a bad arguement of her telling everyone that I steal the work (even though she gives it to me)I have been told I have been written out of the will because I am only after the house to sell and bugger off overseas.

Boe · 31/07/2003 12:21

My god she sounds like a complete looney!!!

Lou 33 maybe you could have your DD's frind over to stay with you next time.

Rags · 31/07/2003 12:40

comlete looney is an understatement. my thoughts are a lot stronger!!

sis · 31/07/2003 14:39

Good grief, Rags - a medal to you for having put up with it. I just know that I'd have had a huge bust-up and refused to speak to anyone who said things like that about me! Any chance of getting another job?

Abbey · 31/07/2003 14:59

Hells Bells, my MIL sounds like a pussycat in comparison. she is just tactless and unintentionally hurtful - I hope. When about to drop DS she commented that it was a good job that it was not her daughter that was about to give birth as she would be very worried about her being in pain etc. Me in pain seemed to be acceptable

Rags · 31/07/2003 15:13

I keep looking for other work but I love working from home, couldn't afford to go out and get a child minder and I am definitely not asking her to mind my kids (i think as they are growing up and seeing things for themselves they are slowly disowning her)I love the work I do and am just waiting for the day she retires. With our last arguement hubby came with me to see her and he asked her why she hated me so much and her reply was "well she hates me", this is after i helped out with my handicapped brother for the weekend, brought her a lovely bunch of flowers for her birthday and done her tax return form. All work that comes in gets dropped off to her house, I wanted it that way because as i told hubs whatever i get is because she has given it to me. she went away not long ago for a couple of days to Ireland, i was told I could go round and collect any work that came in, when she came back I got a bollocking for snooping. at the moment she is being nice to me, which most people would think was good, but her, my dad & brother are going to Ireland in just over a week so there is an ulteria motive to it all, she wants me to keep an eye on her house and animals, but I know we will be back to the slaggings when they come back. I just find it really hard to understand why people can be so evil, i mean its not as though some one has a gun pointed to their heads or something.
But on that note I have a wonderful bloke and 2 wonderful kids who tell me i'm the bestest mum in the whole world and just with that I can keep smiling

Chinchilla · 31/07/2003 18:59

Rags - tell her that you are not looking after her house, and to get stuffed! Why should you? Lou33 - Your MIL sounds nasty. Your dh seemed so lovely when I met you both, I really feel for him

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