Crazy Mother in Laws

[NHdisneylover]

We've never lived close enough to family to have them babysit----which is probably why it is relatively easy to "get over" things and not harp on them--we don't have to put up with whatever annoys us on a regular basis

 

[luvsJack]

My first MIL threatened to physically jump on me. She was 5 foot nothing and could be mean as a hornet. But she loved her kids and grandkids fiercely. Her husband was as good as gold and the only reason I wasn't terrified to go to their house.

I had a crazy dil too. We just refer to her as "she who shall not be named". Ds has since found his happily ever after and we love his wife as our own daughter.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I cannot stop laughing at this article because my very own MIL is kind of crazy too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...58ae4b072e9d1c7cbee?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

What is the craziest thing your MIL has said or done?

When DH and I were engaged, after we had registered for everything for the bridal shower, my MIL went to the store with FIL(same name as DH) and changed everything on my registry........because I was "young"(26!) and registered for all the wrong stuff and the wrong colors. I didn't know she had done this till my shower when I was getting all kinds of stuff I hadn't registered for and in colors that did not match anything in the new house we had just bought. She was just trying to be helpful. It was great. @@

 

[NHdisneylover]

When DH and I were engaged, after we had registered for everything for the bridal shower, my MIL went to the store with FIL(same name as DH) and changed everything on my registry........because I was "young"(26!) and registered for all the wrong stuff and the wrong colors. I didn't know she had done this till my shower when I was getting all kinds of stuff I hadn't registered for and in colors that did not match anything in the new house we had just bought. She was just trying to be helpful. It was great. @@

Oh that is really awful! (and I can'T believe the store let her).

 

[lovin'fl]

DS was on ADD meds and we lived out of state from family. On one visit to MIL/FIL's for a holiday I'd put DS's meds near his breakfast drink and told him to take his meds. Later I went to throw something in trash and there were his meds. I asked DS, around 8 at the time, why his meds were in the trash and he told me 'grandma threw them away because she said that I don't need them'. There is other stuff but I've let go and don't let it bother me [edit to add] anymore. My own mother isn't perfect and I can still love her unconditionally and I think after all this time I feel the same way towards MIL. One day they won't be here anymore and I will miss when they were a pain in the butt.

 

[mom2rtk]

When DH and I were engaged, after we had registered for everything for the bridal shower, my MIL went to the store with FIL(same name as DH) and changed everything on my registry........because I was "young"(26!) and registered for all the wrong stuff and the wrong colors. I didn't know she had done this till my shower when I was getting all kinds of stuff I hadn't registered for and in colors that did not match anything in the new house we had just bought. She was just trying to be helpful. It was great. @@

LOL, that's terrible!

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Oh that is really awful! (and I can'T believe the store let her).

They allowed it because FIL showed his ID and it matched my husband's info so they thought it was his registry.

 

[NewRVLady]

My crazy SIL was a terrible judgmental MIL-who contributed their divorce by constantly putting her DIL down to others.
DIL called her "monster-in-Law" on facebook....

Whenwe asked early on in the marriage about the DIL (none of us met her)...she cant accept her because she
"Isnt from here" and "She isn't one of us"-this a few weeks after my son married a girl 1500 miles away! She was such a bigot and small minded

 

[mom2rtk]

My crazy SIL was a terrible judgmental MIL-who contributed their divorce by constantly putting DIL down to others.
DIL called her "monster-in-Law" on facebook....

Sounds like they deserved each other.

 

[cabanafrau]

I bet there are equally many stories about daughters in law as about mother's in law.
I don'T know what it is about that relationship that seems to lead to so much strife so much of the time--but dang does it ever.

It's so sad as the decades roll on and you realize that, no matter how hard you try, you're never going to be able to make things nice, pleasant and happy. I decided a long time ago to stand my ground with a smile on my face and will myself to be impervious to whatever nonsense rolls my way. I've accepted it is what it is.

 

[NHdisneylover]

They allowed it because FIL showed his ID and it matched my husband's info so they thought it was his registry.

So they were both very much in on it. I hope the store let you return everything.

 

[NHdisneylover]

It's so sad as the decades roll on and you realize that, no matter how hard you try, you're never going to be able to make things nice, pleasant and happy. I decided a long time ago to stand my ground with a smile on my face and will myself to be impervious to whatever nonsense rolls my way. I've accepted it is what it is.

Sometimes that is all you can do--and it must be sad; I'm sorry.

 

[wilkeliza]

I think the hard part for me is my mother died when I was 15 so the idea of a MIL was great. Sometimes my future MIL is amazing. She has really gotten better over the years but then she suddenly flips and gets crazy. Her kids say it is normal and after 28 years for my fiance and over 40 for his sisters they say they have gotten use to not letting it bother them. They also told me every single in law is treated like I am, son or daughter. None of us are good enough for MIL's kids no matter what. We could be award winning doctors and it wouldn't be enough because none of her kids married who she picked for them. I'm slowly learning to live with it and realize that when we really need her she is there for us and does step up when it matters but when she starts trying to pit the kids against each other it is time to step away and take a breather.

 

[Turn the Page]

My MIL always gives me really weird wives' tales as advice, especially when my twins were babies. You know what??? 90% of the time she was right. Turns out that after raising three boys she knew a little more about babies than I did.





Not that I'd ever admit that of course

That's nice to have. Any time I have a question about the kids I ask my mom. I have tried both mothers in law (one ex, one current) questions about the kids and it absolutely floored me how it is possible to raise multiple children (3 and 2 respectively) and still know absolutely nothing about kids.

My ex MIL raised 3 kids and had no idea what a onesie was or that it wasn't a good idea to give a 10 months old baby pop. My current mother in law raised 2 kids and had no idea that it was not normal for a 3 year old to still drink out of a bottle or that it was not ok for a 4 year old to still wear diapers or walk on her toes. I genuinely don't know how you raise children to adulthood and still not know some of these things.

My mom loves to tell the story about how when I was in the hospital after giving birth to DD9 she and my dad were standing outside the nursery looking at her. There was this little old lady looking in the nursery also and she had a piece of advice to offer me and that was if I put a bit of whiskey in her last bottle of the night she would sleep really good for me. Now, I don't doubt the woman was wrong, I'm sure if you give infants a shot of whiskey they DO sleep really good..... but who does that?

 

[luvsJack]

That's nice to have. Any time I have a question about the kids I ask my mom. I have tried both mothers in law (one ex, one current) questions about the kids and it absolutely floored me how it is possible to raise multiple children (3 and 2 respectively) and still know absolutely nothing about kids.

My ex MIL raised 3 kids and had no idea what a onesie was or that it wasn't a good idea to give a 10 months old baby pop. My current mother in law raised 2 kids and had no idea that it was not normal for a 3 year old to still drink out of a bottle or that it was not ok for a 4 year old to still wear diapers or walk on her toes. I genuinely don't know how you raise children to adulthood and still not know some of these things.

My mom loves to tell the story about how when I was in the hospital after giving birth to DD9 she and my dad were standing outside the nursery looking at her. There was this little old lady looking in the nursery also and she had a piece of advice to offer me and that was if I put a bit of whiskey in her last bottle of the night she would sleep really good for me. Now, I don't doubt the woman was wrong, I'm sure if you give infants a shot of whiskey they DO sleep really good..... but who does that?

Actually a lot of older women did that. It wasn't actually a "shot" but a teensy amount. I never did it but did have it suggested when ds was teething. That and/or rub whiskey on his gums. I am going to take a wild guess and assume that a lot of folks grew up after having this done and are just fine, but it wasn't something I was willing to risk with my babies.

My in laws make a little necklace for all the teething babies out of nettle root (I think that is the name). Its threaded on a piece of sewing thread and its around their neck not tight but tight enough so that the child doesn't get his/her fingers twined in it. Now we are talking 20 now adults that wore this thing when they were babies and another 10 children but I just couldn't get the visions of this thing hanging my baby in the middle of the night! Every one of my sisters in law swear it works to sooth teething babies but that is one old wives tale I will never check out.

Not sure what you do about a child walking on their toes, I do know barefoot is best and some tend to walk on their toes?? Never knew a kid that didn't naturally grow out of it.

 

[Turn the Page]

I think the hard part for me is my mother died when I was 15 so the idea of a MIL was great. Sometimes my future MIL is amazing. She has really gotten better over the years but then she suddenly flips and gets crazy. Her kids say it is normal and after 28 years for my fiance and over 40 for his sisters they say they have gotten use to not letting it bother them. They also told me every single in law is treated like I am, son or daughter. None of us are good enough for MIL's kids no matter what. We could be award winning doctors and it wouldn't be enough because none of her kids married who she picked for them. I'm slowly learning to live with it and realize that when we really need her she is there for us and does step up when it matters but when she starts trying to pit the kids against each other it is time to step away and take a breather.

As to the bolded, I know people like that. Actually, DH and my SIL are like that. Usually MIL is ok but she goes through these spells where she just flips out and acts like a lunatic. DH and SIL will just shrug and say that's what she does, they have just learned to ignore it. I never understood why you let people treat you like that. MIL's excuse was that sometimes when she says things they just don't come out the way she means them. Well, if that's the case, then she should think about what she says before she says it to avoid saying hurtful things. I'm not sure that's the case. I think in most cases she knows exactly what she is saying but then when she catches blowback over it she tries to back peddle and pull the "oh no, that's not what I meant" thing and everyone buys it.

 

[Turn the Page]

Actually a lot of older women did that. It wasn't actually a "shot" but a teensy amount. I never did it but did have it suggested when ds was teething. That and/or rub whiskey on his gums. I am going to take a wild guess and assume that a lot of folks grew up after having this done and are just fine, but it wasn't something I was willing to risk with my babies.

My in laws make a little necklace for all the teething babies out of nettle root (I think that is the name). Its threaded on a piece of sewing thread and its around their neck not tight but tight enough so that the child doesn't get his/her fingers twined in it. Now we are talking 20 now adults that wore this thing when they were babies and another 10 children but I just couldn't get the visions of this thing hanging my baby in the middle of the night! Every one of my sisters in law swear it works to sooth teething babies but that is one old wives tale I will never check out.

Not sure what you do about a child walking on their toes, I do know barefoot is best and some tend to walk on their toes?? Never knew a kid that didn't naturally grow out of it.

It can signal neurological problems. The point is she had no idea what is normal developmentally and what isn't.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I could write a book. I'll just say, my MIL has severe anxiety and a huge need to control everyone and everything.

 

[Liberty Belle]

My ILs are notorious for doing that; they'll often give DH money for Christmas, sometimes thousands of dollars. On the check, they put his name and then write ONLY after (as in, John Smith ONLY"). Then they'll give me something like a $10 gift card to Starbucks. Once they dug up some plants from their yard and gave them to me in a black plastic trash bag. I always make it a point to gush over how wonderful their gift is - It's a joke amongst DH and I to see what they'll do next!

Sounds like my mother in law. Until about ten years into the marriage everyone (my dh and both my sons) got money for Christmas, but I didn't get any. She always cooks everyone dinner for the birthday and they get to choose the menu. We've been married for twenty three years and I still don't get to choose, though she does cook a meal for me.

 

[PghPiratesGirl]

She isn't officially my MIL yet, but my fiancé's mom always asks really odd questions when we are out together like.. "what would *ex wife's name* think of Gary's beard?" or "what would *ex wife's name* think of you all living together?