MIL- I just don't get it...

[UnderTheMistletoe]

MIL knows how early he has to be up on Fridays. He has to leave the house no later than 5:30. So, naturally, Thursday night is a fairly early bed night for us. We have getting everything ready for the next day during commercial breaks down to a science. So, AT TEN, we are in bed with the lights out.

At 11:36, the phone rings. We rock/paper/scissors. I lost and went to get the phone. I answer, "Hello?" in that groggy-I-just-hit-REM-why-are-you-calling-me-now? voice. It's MIL in her usualy chipper self. She then proceeds to ask if she'd woken us. When I says yes, she replies, "OK then, I won't keep you too long.... how are you doing?" I'm trying to hold it together, but I'm absolutely furious. What can you possibly have to tell me at 11:40 at night that couldn't be sent over email (that we check first thing in the morning) or wait until tomorrow?! SEVEN minutes later I ask, "Why was it that you're calling? I'd like to go back to bed." This is the killer...

"I just wanted to let you know that a package I sent will be arriving on Monday."

Are you serious?! This just couldn't possibly wait? And even after you knew you woke me up, you wanted to have a regular chat?

 

[kbkids]

Oh my!! I can't imagine calling ANYONE that late. I've got to know someone REALLY well to even call them after 9:00. 9:30 is my limit with everybody.

 

[sajetto]

I'm not Ms. Sunshine when someone wakes me up. It would tick me off even more knowing someone just wanted to shoot the breeze when they know full well that its practically the middle of the night and I have to rise early. What did your DH say about it???

 

[Mermaid02]

If my phone rings after 9 pm- somebody better be dead.

 

[Ranatra]

You need to have a talk with your MIL. That was ridiculous! There's no reason that coudn't have waited until the following day.

9:00 is my limit for making phone calls to anyone.

 

[lbgraves]

You need to turn off the ringer when you go to bed. I am NOT nice to anyone who would wake me up at night...no matter what the reason. If there is an emergency with family they are all too far away to go to immediately so leave a message & we will deal with it in the morning when we are well rested.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I think the receiver would have issued a loud BANG!!! as I hung up from that call!

Some of the special features from the phone company might be your friend?

Seriously, if my MIL were that meddling, then I would make my DH deal with it. Midnight phone calls and all. And, while I would hate to turn off my ringer, I think on those Thursday nights, I would definately consider it. Or, at least turn down the ringer volume and the volume on the answering machine.

 

[canwegosoon]

She's in her own little world.

 

[Poohnatic]

A GREAT line from When Harry Met Sally can be used in this situation

"Nobody I know would call me at this hour!". It works like a charm (yes, I've employed it quite a few times over the years!

Suzanne

 

[Tigger&Belle]

If my phone rings after 9 pm- somebody better be dead.

Or they soon will be?

My limit is more like 9:30-10:00 unless I know that the people stay up later, but I try not to call past 9:00.

If I know that someone goes to bed early, as in this case, there is no way that I would call to chit chat long past when I know they go to bed.

 

[kilee]

OMG, last night must of been the night for it. My MIL called me (which we don't even get along) around 8pm. She then told me if I talked to dh (who works out of town) to have him call her if it's before 10pm (because something she wanted to watch was on at 10pm). I told her dh is pretty sick w/ a cold/flu and he already went to bed for the night so he could get a really good nights sleep. Since, he had worked all day, and was feeling really lousy. BUT- that he'd be home by lunch time the next day and I'd tell him then. (Now, I'll admit 1/2 was a little white lie. DH is really sick, but I knew he wouldn't be turning in until about 10pm. It's just his mom is going to bug him to borrow more money from us again and he just didn't need the stress last night.) So, at 10:30 we were on the phone saying goodnight. His mom rang in not once, not twice, but 3 times. Leaving VM's that she really needed to talk to him this weekend. So, she's knows he's sick, but she's trying to wake him up, after it's so hard to fall asleep w/ so much congestion and coughing. I don't get the witch.

 

[liamsaunt]

That's really rude. Is she in a different time zone than you? Maybe she did not think how late it was.

 

[ILUVMYBRIT]

I grew up with the rule NO CALLS AFTER 9 and that has stuck with me. I will not call anyone after 9 and if someone calls me after 9 and its not an emergency it bothers me enough to usually say something.

 

[nliedel]

No calls after 9 here but maybe she just likes you and likes to talk to you? I had the mother in law from you know where during my first marriage. The woman hates me, literally. I now have a mother in law that is not perfect but one I really like. I thank god for that and just try to be a good girl when she irritates be because she is not trying to, sometimes she just does not think (the big secret here is sometimes neither do I )

 

[horseshowmom]

Oh my!! I can't imagine calling ANYONE that late. I've got to know someone REALLY well to even call them after 9:00. 9:30 is my limit with everybody.

Same here!

 

[horseshowmom]

You need to turn off the ringer when you go to bed. I am NOT nice to anyone who would wake me up at night...no matter what the reason. If there is an emergency with family they are all too far away to go to immediately so leave a message & we will deal with it in the morning when we are well rested.

FIL doesn't call late at night, he calls early in the morning (between 6 and 7) and doesn't care what day of the week it is. It doesn't matter to him that you say you were asleep or that you don't get up that early. As far as he's concerned, he's up, so he can call whomever he wants. I've told DH that the days his dad calls in the morning, DH needs to call him that night before we go to bed (FIL will be sound asleep at that time).

 

[MBeds]

I would have answered the phone and after finding out nothing was wrong, i would have said i'll call her back tomorrow...especially after she said "i won't keep you too long - how are you?"
Or, i would have called her back at 3:30 am to see how SHE was doing...

 

[Jennasis]

Dh just recently laid down the law with his mother. We have ONE morning off each week (meaning it's the one day a week we can sleep in...we both work 7 days a week so this time is precious). It NEVER fails that his mother will call that mornig around 8:30-9am, knowing full well that we are sleeping. Most of the time she begins her conversation with "were you sleeping?" to which DH answers "Yes. What do you need?" in a rather curt tone. It's always something stupid she calls for (want to have dinner tonight with her? I need you to come over a fix something etc...always stupid little things that can wait). Finally DH snapped and told her to never call before 10am on unless there was an emergency....and it better be a darn good one! She got the idea finally.

We have call ID. DH won't answer if it's my Mom and I won't answer if it's his. It's easier to let each of us deal with our own moms.

My personal favorite phone rudeness came 2 nights ago. DH had been interviewing for a job. They called him in FOUR times for interviews as they narrowed the list of applicants down. After the 4th interview with the CEO the job was between him and one other candidate. The promised to make a decision on Wednesday. Well Wednesday comes and all day we hear nothing, so DH is assuming they must've picked the other candidate. We were watching American Idol at a little after 9pm when the phone rings....YUP, it's the company chick. She says to DH "Could you do me a favor and call me back first thing in the morning in the office?" (she was calling from her home number...thanks call ID).

What the heck??? You promise to make a decision on Wednesday...then the WHOLE day goes by and we hear nothing and then you call after 9pm .....FROM HOME....telling DH to call YOU back in the morning...STILL having no answer for him?????

PS...he got the job. My theory is that the woman simply forgot to call him all day and then realized at 9pm that Oh sh*t I'd better call this guy and cover my butt!

LUDICROUS!

We have a rule. No phone gets answered in the house after 9pm (unless it is somebody we want to speak with...thanks call ID!). Our business phone doesn't get answered at all after 8:30.

 

[Michie]

We turn off our phone about midevening; just seems to make it more peaceful. I leave my cell phone on, but it is on vibrate, the DH leaves his business phone on. The only time I get to sleep late, which is 7:00 am at our house is on Sundays. Now my MIL calls the DH on his work phone on Sundays about 6, which is starting to annoy me

 

[diznygirl]

Oh gosh, if we instituted the No Calls after 9 pm rule, we'd never speak to anyone!! We have lots of family and friends on the west coast and that's the only time we get to speak to them.

But I'd be beyond furious is someone woke me up just to tell me they mailed a package.

Make sure you call her back late LATE Monday or very early Tuesday to tell her you received the package!!