Fasten your seatbelts because this tale of family drama and boundary blurring is about to take you on a rollercoaster ride! Her mother-in-law (MIL), fresh off her global gallivanting, is set on shaking things up, demonstrating that passport stamps aren’t the only things she collects – a knack for causing domestic discord comes naturally too.
Mother-In-Law’s Uninvited Arrival
Fresh off her jet-setting trip abroad, MIL decided to land, not just in the country, but directly in our Original Poster’s (OP’s) house – and without so much as a heads up!
The audacity to state, rather than inquire, about her visit certainly tickled the wrong funny bone in OP, a firm believer in the sanctity of personal space and prior intimation.
With three young children under the age of four, including a newborn with a health issue, OP’s household was a secure location that insisted on preserving its inhabitants’ health.
But to some people that did not matter, MIL had an extensive resume of playing virus delivery, bringing over unsolicited gifts in the form of flus, colds, stomach bugs, and even the dreaded shingles!
An Unreasonable Reaction
You’d think a simple question about her health status would have gone smoothly, right? Not for someone so entitled!
When OP’s husband tried to inquire about her health, his mother went ballistic.
She questioned the audacity behind such a query, spitefully comparing her son’s practice to that of his brother, who conveniently never pressed the health issue.
Interestingly, MIL’s short notice and utter disregard for their personal space never even surfaced in the heated discussion.
The mere fact that they had the audacity to inquire about her health seemed to be an Everest of an issue for the MIL.
Emotions Ran High
After being stuck on the receiving end of another rant, OP and her husband found themselves embroiled in a petty disagreement.
The brewing storm gained momentum thanks to OP’s heightened postpartum anxiety, which amplified her apprehension regarding cleanliness, managing visitors, and hosting, making for a perfect emotional cocktail.
Suddenly, the narrative took a wild turn, and OP was accused of being the architect of the MIL’s discomfort.
Her husband, trying to defuse the tension, ended up alleging that OP’s suggestions and insistence on boundaries had poisoned his relationship with his mother.
She Was a Puppet Master
But wait, there was more! MIL’s uncanny ability to bend situations to her liking didn’t go unnoticed.
Her sensitivity to boundaries coupled with her persuasive skills seemed to have influenced her son’s stance, making OP feel like an outsider in her own family drama.
The entire debacle brought to light some unsettling revelations for OP – the lack of backbone displayed by her husband in setting boundaries with his parents, and his readiness to disregard her legitimate concerns for their newborn’s health.
Her husband’s insensitive comments put her in a tight spot, balancing between being a wife, a mother, and a daughter-in-law.
Cry For Validation
At her wit’s end, OP reached out to anyone, seeking a sense of affirmation that her expectations for basic respect and boundaries were not misplaced.
She needed advice on how to handle her husband’s accusations and reinforce the priority of their family’s health over the whims and fancies of the MIL.
Some People were nice enough to offer advice.
“It’s fine to not want sick people around your vulnerable newborn, and it’s fine to ask. It’s reasonable to expect that your husband will be the one to ask when it’s his family. She’s being a pain about this but if you and your husband were a united front that wouldn’t matter.”
“Your husband is the problem and the weak link here. If he won’t get on the same page with you about setting reasonable boundaries with his family, and it’s a recurring problem that you’ve failed to solve together, that’s a couples therapy issue.”
Similar Experiences Were Shared
“My daughter had a cold, my Infant is immunocompromised and he caught the cold from her. He spent 15 days in hospital because of a cold. I had to stay with him the entire time.”
“I was lucky in that my 2 eldest are teenagers, but with young children? Nah, that would mean you husband would have to take time off work. Can you afford that? Can he?”
Another commenter shared “We have an 11 week old. When he was 2 weeks old, my in-laws went to a large family wedding and then immediately upon their return wanted to see the baby.”
“I said no and set the boundary that they needed to wait 4 days and then test for Covid before seeing the baby. Guess what?! The next day my mother in law was sick and tested positive.”
“She was pissed that I set the boundary of waiting, but if she’d had her way, she would have given my whole family including the 2 week old! Stick to your guns and tell your mother in law to piss off if she doesn’t like it.”
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The post Her Toxic Mother-in-Law Brings Unwanted Gifts: Viruses and Drama! Did She Overreact? first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Asti Mak. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit