SIL Vent

[PUZZLDY5]

This woman absolutely infuriates me sometimes. I have become a master at holding my tongue.

I have 3 children. She has none. Somehow she has convinced my middle son that he needs and deserves a $50 hair cut. HE"S 16! I asked her is she was going to pay for it! Well of corse not.

She somehow ALWAYS manages to one up me. On EVERYTHING. I went through a phase not to long ago where I baked and decorated cakes. (They weren't to bad either) Well She picked up on that and is now doing cupcakes. She brings these darn cupcakes over for a family function. Not a problem. She proceeds to hand them out and ask every single person that tried them if they were better than mine. Really!

I have always loved photography. Have always done it so it's not a "phase"
Anyway, I recently have been able to purchase a DSLR camera. I brought it out this weekend to take my photos of the family function and she said "Where'd you get that" My reply "Best Buy" Her respose"I'm going to get one here real soon." Now to my knowledge this woman has never taken a picture in her life that wasn't related to her cell phone.

I maybe am being oversensative but trust me this is 17 years worth of her one uping me.

Vent over.

 

[Jennasis]

Maybe you should tell her your going to gain 50lbs.

 

[tlbwriter]

I maybe am being oversensative but trust me this is 17 years worth of her one uping me.

Attempting to one-up you. And if she's really running around handing out cupcakes and asking if they're as good as your cake, she looks like a moron. So let her go ahead and look like a moron.

 

[Swank]

Maybe you should tell her your going to gain 50lbs.

 

[LuvOrlando]

 

[horseshowmom]

Attempting to one-up you. And if she's really running around handing out cupcakes and asking if they're as good as your cake, she looks like a moron. So let her go ahead and look like a moron.

Absolutely, she's embarrassing herself even more than she's annoying you (and I do understand why you're annoyed). As far as your son goes, tell him that when either Aunt or he comes up with the money, he can cut away, but I'm with you, I wouldn't pay $50 for a haircut for me much less a teenager.

 

[kathie859]

OP, I think your DSIL sounds pathetic. Has she no creative outlets of her own that she has to copycat you?

I'd just take it as a huge compliment (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery) and ignore her except when her interference causes problems with other family members-- like the haircut incident with your DS.

 

[Jeafl]

My younger sister is the same way, so I can sympathize. Whatever I do, or buy, she has to have a better one. I feel like there is constant competition and I am not interested in competing with her or anyone else. It drives me crazy!

If you find a way to deal with it, let me know. I've been trying for years.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Maybe you should tell her your going to gain 50lbs.

Yes, put her to the test.

Try to remember that imitation is the biggest form of flattery.

 

[NaLisa]

Maybe you should tell her your going to gain 50lbs.

OP, SIL is trying to get your goat. She only succeeds if you let her. Ignore it and go on about your business. Chances are, everyone else knows what a you-know-what she is already.

And be glad she doesn't have kids, or else she would have spit them out shortly before you just so she could steal the names you had picked out.

 

[tlbwriter]

I'd just take it as a huge compliment (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery)

In fact, any time she announces she's going to do/has done something you're already doing, I'd respond with "Well, they always say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I guess I should say thank you!"

 

[ols386]

Attempting to one-up you. And if she's really running around handing out cupcakes and asking if they're as good as your cake, she looks like a moron. So let her go ahead and look like a moron.

This.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Of all the things that could possibly irritate me when it comes to my childless SIL...advice to get a $50 is not really on my list.

Just tell your kid no and if he insists anyway, he can save his allowance. Problem solved.

THe one up stuff...okay. Advice on hair stylists...not so much!

The rest of her stuff...well....she very much has some insecurity issues, doesn't she?

 

[Disney Doll]

The $50 haircut is pretty simple. You say to your 16 year old "I don't really care what Auntie Crazy Woman says. I'm not spending $50 on a haircut for you".

As far as the other stuff...it's irritating, but try to look at her as pathetic, because she is. Think of it...the only way she can feel better about about herself is to think she's outdoing you. And in reality, she's not outdoing you. And everyone, other than her, knows she's not outdoing you.

I have a friend like that. She is the wife of my husband's best friend since high school, so I did have to learn to tolerate her because I didn't want to color our DHs' friendship. When we bought our house, she had a major problem.

My dining room is bigger than hers. Now mind you, we bought an 1800SF Cape Cod style starter home. The room we decided to use as a dining room was originally intended to be the Master bedroom. We just decided that we wanted the "entertaining" areas of the house to be the biggest rooms, so we chose one of the smaller bedrooms as our bedroom and made the MBR the dining room. Meanwhile, she bought a 3000SF house with a built in pool and cabana. So who do you think, overall, has the more impressive home? Clearly not me. But the size of my dining room irks her so much to this day (16 years later) that if I have people at my house and she is one of them and someone makes a comment like "Oh what a nice dining room" she HAS TO say "Well, it's really supposed to be the MBR but they use it as their dining room. Can you believe THEIR dining room in THIS house is actually bigger than the dining room in MY house?". Of course, the tone of the words "this house" make it seem as if I am living in a ghetto when, in fact, my house is quite cute and in a nice neighborly neighborhood.

Of course, because my dining room was bigger, she had to make sure her dining room light was more expensive. I got a new fixture. The next time she came over she admired it and asked me where I got it, which I told her. A few days later I got a call from her telling me that she went to the store and got a new fixture also. She said "I saw your light. It was $300. The light I bought was $350". I just said "I'm sure it's lovely".

And I truly do feel badly for her because it must be awful to walk around thinking you never have "enough", or that someone else has more than you and it bothers you or that you're inadequate.

 

[Andtototoo]

I think you should try and think up some hobby or activity that is expensive or really messy or really smelly or really hard to do. Tell her you are engaging in it, but never bring stuff to show anyone. She'll either spend her time/money/energy on the activity and/or get messy/dirty/smelly. Plus --best part is that she'll also be frustrated when you never play show and tell, so she can't do it better than you. If you never give her something to one up, she can't win.

I suggest this strategy because this is what worked with MY SIL, who sounds like a twin to yours.

 

[dis-happy]

Maybe you should tell her your going to gain 50lbs.

Between this comment and the Osama-thread comment, I want to say today: I love you!!! Horse people are defintiely the best people around!