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Can I be ugly for a sec? MIL content.


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I think he would see this as a betrayal of his mom. He has a much kinder heart than I. To a fault at times.

 

What would be a betrayal?

 

I must be tired. I don't know what you mean by this. I should go to bed. Maybe it will seem clear in the morning, or maybe I will not be curious in the morning. :001_smile: I hope it all works out for everyone and you can all have fun together on your vacation.

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What do you mean?

 

I'm too tired for any political or intellectual debate, but for some reason this interests me.

:tongue_smilie: Sorry.

 

What would be a betrayal?

 

I must be tired. I don't know what you mean by this. I should go to bed. Maybe it will seem clear in the morning, or maybe I will not be curious in the morning. :001_smile: I hope it all works out for everyone and you can all have fun together on your vacation.

 

Because her DH bought the tickets.

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"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that MIL. The boys were so looking forward to it. Here, let me put you on speakerphone so you can explain it to them. They are going to be so disappointed."

 

I'm not nice sometimes. ;)

 

 

This. Oh I get the mil drama. My mil is Queen of Passive-Aggressive Land. I invited her to my kids' piano recital in April. Now, dh was working non-stop and our house was in the midst of a bathroom renovation, but I invited her. She told me she was coming. I told my kids she was coming. She called me TWO(!!!!) days before the recital and told me she decided not to come because, and I quote, "You didn't seem excited enough to invite me, so I decided not to come. Can you tell the kids for me?' :glare: And while we did not have a first communion debacle, she was so darn cranky and passive-aggressive during the kids' baptisms ("I'm not going up for communion. I won't play that game") than I almost shot her. I get the mil drama. I am right there with you. You have nothing to feel guilty about. This just seems like a really stinky situation. I would follow the advice quoted and make her tell your kids that their vacation is ruined because she cannot stand the thought of sharing her grandkids with their other grandparents. Yep. That is what seems like the root of the problem.

 

:grouphug:

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Thanks Ellen. I appreciate your understanding.

No problem. I struggle with my feelings in this area, too. Take my words here with a grain of salt.

 

If you were throwing a fit b/c you couldn't go to Disney again, that would be one thing. But from what I understand, you were promised the tickets, you told the kids, made the plans, and the rug was pulled out from you. (Correct me if I got it wrong ... I'm on Benadryl and prob. shouldn't be posting.) It seems like you are feeling more upset about the reversal on the tickets than about not actually going to DW (and I wouldn't blame you for being sad about that either. I hear it's fun!) so I don't see your feelings as ugly.

 

Anyway, vent, take the sympathy hugs, and I won't call you selfish. Take up the suggestion to make her explain it on speakerphone. (I know, I'm awful.) But you know well enough that you can't be "ugly" over this for too long without making yourself more miserable than the one who hurt you and your family. Hope this works out somehow, if that's even possible. :grouphug:

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Hold the phone. I get it. She is not going. You're going without her. I see. She's jealous. Could you invite her to come along? ;) ' cause I'm sure you'd enjoy het company after all this.

 

You do not know how glad I am to have figured this out. What can i tell you? I had a long afternoon and evening. :) I don't even know why I try to post late at night. Or at all. Lol

 

MIL isn't being nice. She wants to use these for when you all go together again. She didn't really mean for you to go without her. Some people are really ...confounding.

Edited by LibraryLover
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MIL isn't being nice. She wants to use these for when you all go together again. She didn't really mean for you to go without her. Some people are really ...confounding.

 

Or - she was fine with you going without her until she heard that your parents were coming too - then it wasn't ok anymore because you didn't know it, but there is a contest going on between her and your parents for your attention - even if the only contestant is your MIL.

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Or - she was fine with you going without her until she heard that your parents were coming too - then it wasn't ok anymore because you didn't know it, but there is a contest going on between her and your parents for your attention - even if the only contestant is your MIL.

 

:iagree:

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:grouphug: I agree with the others, you should make her explain it to the kids.

 

 

Or - she was fine with you going without her until she heard that your parents were coming too - then it wasn't ok anymore because you didn't know it, but there is a contest going on between her and your parents for your attention - even if the only contestant is your MIL.

 

Welcome to my world. <sigh> Most of our dating and early married life we had a close relationship with my IL's, then 3 years ago my parents moved into our neighborhood. You'd have thought the world ended. There is so much passive aggressive animosity about this from my MIL I could scream. It doesn't seem to matter that we suggested many many times that they move here too. (New construction, new neighborhood) It is very hurtful. Thank goodness my Mom doesn't take it personally, for me it's not quite so easy.

 

Sorry OP for taking over your thread with my vent but this comment really hit home for me.

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She thinks that we should all go again together IN A FEW YEARS. Maybe.

 

Need I mention that they were not interested at all in doing anything together except a few meals. Otherwise it was totally us (DH, me & the kids) & them (MIL, her DH, SIL).

 

Yuck! That is just like my ILs. MIL didn't talk to us for 6 months one year because she was renting a house in FL and we didn't feel we could afford to go that year. The next year, we made sure to get there for a week but my husband told them that we were coming to visit with them and we wanted them to spend some time with us and go to the parks with us one day. They agreed. Mind you, they were going to be in Florida for 6 weeks.

 

On the day we arrived, my MIL said to me, "I know we promised to go to one of the parks with you, but we really want to play golf instead (with their friends, not us)." :confused: They play golf almost every day they are there. During the week we were there, we saw them for a couple of dinners and that was it.

 

And that is just par for the course. :001_smile: I will never, ever understand them.

 

Lisa

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This is just classic, manipulative and controlling behavior. You are not being ugly, your MIL is being ugly.

 

And I get it, because I have struggled with feeling "guilty" about things like this for years. I'm the good doormat, er child, I have always done everything that was asked of me. And if I was upset about something it was me and not them. The "Boundaries" book has changed my life. I also read in another book by these same authors that adults trying to control other adults (and often it's the parents of adult children) cause more problems than any other relationship problem out there. Your parents are no longer your authority when you reach a certain age.

 

Your MIL is being petty, it's obvious. I don't know what you can do about it except never give her the benefit of the doubt in your own mind again. You may not be able to get those tickets, but you do not have to feel guilty that you are the "mean'" one!!!! :grouphug:

 

And the best thing to do would be to go and have a fabulous time!!!

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I would go to Disney, buying my own tickets.

 

Then, in a year or so when mil tells you that everyone is going, and you won't have to pay for tickets because she still has the ones you didn't use up the first time, you can say,

 

"Oh, thanks! But we just went, and don't really want to go again so soon."

 

Maybe that's actually what she's afraid will happen.

 

Anyway, although you are disappointed and she's being weird and selfish and vent-worthy, go and have a fabulous time.

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Thanks for all the support guys. Im getting over it. DH wants me to just let it go - I think he's embarassed for his mom. He thinks we should just go anyway even though it will be more than we originally budgeted for. I would argue that we cant afford it but under the circumstances it'll be DHs call.

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:grouphug:Big, big hug; I'm so sorry.:grouphug:

 

If there is any way possible to find the money and take your kids, do it.

 

 

I'm going to be a bit pessimistic (in my loudest indoor voice), and forewarn you. Your mil has now included hurting your kids as means of hurting or poking at you. Please be on the look out and protect them and their hearts. Mean often gets easier and escalates as the years go by.

 

I know that my feelings are selfish & ungrateful. I just need to vent.

 

background: I don't have a great relationship with MIL. At first I thought we'd be OK but over the last 15 years it has only gotten worse. The latest big thing is her taking my then-6-yo for his "first communion" at her church without saying anything to DH or me but telling my BIL & SIL & her sister so they could come & "support him". That was almost 2 years ago. I've done my best to move foward from that even though there was never a sincere apology.

 

 

A few months ago, her husband took the extended family to DisneyW for his birthday. She bought (she decides, uses his money, separate finances, just the way they work) 8 day tickets for us even though we were only there for 4 (they don't expire) & explained to me that they were to use in case we were able to go again if DH is there on business.

 

 

Well, DH is going there on business in Nov. She hears about it & we talk about using the tickets. She seems very excited for us. We tell the kids & make all plans except flights. My parents decide they will join us (on their dime). She decides we can't use the park tickets.

 

 

I'm not having nice thoughts right now.

 

Feel free to flame away. I'm not proud of myself.

 

No. They aren't in our physical possession.

 

She thinks that we should all go again together IN A FEW YEARS. Maybe.

 

Need I mention that they were not interested at all in doing anything together except a few meals. Otherwise it was totally us (DH, me & the kids) & them (MIL, her DH, SIL).

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Try to go if you can. If she doesn't offer up the tickets, it will be like a light on her selfishness.

 

 

My apologies...I'm sorry everyone....My mean-in-law is acting up again.

 

Thanks for all the support guys. Im getting over it. DH wants me to just let it go - I think he's embarassed for his mom. He thinks we should just go anyway even though it will be more than we originally budgeted for. I would argue that we cant afford it but under the circumstances it'll be DHs call.
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What if you contact Disney about the tickets and tell them you had tickets that don't expire, you used them on xx date? You can't locate them? What can they do for you? Can they tell that you were there and used them since no one else can due to the fingerprint scanning? They might do nothing, but you never know :)

I would be mad too. However, I wouldn't show her I was mad because than she would get some satisfaction. I guess I would be passive aggressive, that was nice that you were willing to give us the tickets, but you know Dh already had bought some forgetting about the others...Petty I know....

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I'm going to be a bit pessimistic (in my loudest indoor voice), and forewarn you. Your mil has now included hurting your kids as means of hurting or poking at you. Please be on the look out and protect them and their hearts. Mean often gets easier and escalates as the years go by.

 

Yep. My in-laws don't have a relationship with my kids at all. A big factor is the fact that mil is such a control freak. She was mostly appropriate with them when they were pre-schoolers, but once they hit school age it all went down hill fast.

 

Of course there was that whole disbelief in allergies thing, and letting her **** dog knock over my toddler leading to a fear of dogs, but I digress.

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:grouphug:Big, big hug; I'm so sorry.:grouphug:

 

If there is any way possible to find the money and take your kids, do it.

 

 

I'm going to be a bit pessimistic (in my loudest indoor voice), and forewarn you. Your mil has now included hurting your kids as means of hurting or poking at you. Please be on the look out and protect them and their hearts. Mean often gets easier and escalates as the years go by.

 

Yep. Passive aggressive jealous mil= evil grandmother. My mil now realizes she can't bother the oldest anymore so she's starting on theyoungers. Needless to say, my kids won't be visiting her in the nursing home. It's so sad that this woman begged for grandchildren but will not be a gm unless we follow her every demand. It's currently been 9 months since she saw them. Her choice. An one is a baby/toddler/little boy. He's changed so much in this time.

 

Your mil doesn't want your parents there. It's classic!! Go and if you can afford to, get your own tickets. And tell your hubby,if he doesn't want to fix this and call her out for poor Behavior, the children will never again go to DW with her ever! It's not right and she's being petty.

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I read many pages thinking that your MIL was crazy, but then it dawned on me that she probably bought the tickets thinking that you'd use them with her. She's probably on a message board somewhere else complaining that she spent all this money on Disney tickets and her son and DIL are trying to use them to go with the other grandparents. If you think about it, you can see why that might leave someone a little miffed.

 

Maybe her problem here is that she didn't properly communicate her expectations for usage of the tickets.

 

Heh. I'd still be mad about the first communion thing though. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: Was she invited to join you this time? That would make a big difference.

Edited by Parker Martin
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I read many pages thinking that your MIL was crazy, but then it dawned on me that she probably bought the tickets thinking that you'd use them with her. She's probably on a message board somewhere else complaining that she spent all this money on Disney tickets and her son and DIL are trying to use them to go with the other grandparents. If you think about it, you can see why that might leave someone a little miffed.

 

Maybe her problem here is that she didn't properly communicate her expectations for usage of the tickets.

 

Heh. I'd still be mad about the first communion thing though. :tongue_smilie:

According to the OP, MIL specifically mentioned their family using the tix if the dh had another business trip to the area, so I don't see where the MIL gets to be offended, considering she offered exactly the situation that's arisen.

 

Yeah, I think jealousy that the other set of grandparents are going is probably at the root of the matter.

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According to the OP, MIL specifically mentioned their family using the tix if the dh had another business trip to the area, so I don't see where the MIL gets to be offended, considering she offered exactly the situation that's arisen.

 

Right. But now others have been invited to join. If she was not invited, and she's the one who bought the tickets, one can see why she would be upset.

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She seems very excited for us. We tell the kids & make all plans except flights. My parents decide they will join us (on their dime). She decides we can't use the park tickets.

 

I don't mean to be rude. . . but she's yucky.

 

Awful behavior on her part.

 

And, I can tell you, that my dh and I never would have gotten over the communion thing. We probably couldn't have gone forward w/ this woman after that. (Or, I'm guessing, we would have never left her alone with the kids again.)

 

Alley

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:grouphug: You're not being at all ugly, you've been treated horribly.

 

I really don't know what MILs think they're achieving when they pull such stunts. To give and then take back shows how little they understand the love implicit in healthy family relationships. All they understand is control and manipulation, coldness and meanness.

 

You go be as ugly as you like, you'll never be anywhere near as ugly as your MIL.

 

Best wishes

 

Cassy

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Right. But now others have been invited to join. If she was not invited, and she's the one who bought the tickets, one can see why she would be upset.

I honestly don't see where she has the right to decide that going on their own is ok, but if other grandparents go, its not.

 

I guess, for me, it boils down to, don't make offers on a contingency basis, esp when it involves young kids.

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I honestly don't see where she has the right to decide that going on their own is ok, but if other grandparents go, its not.

 

I get that, but I think it's also good to expect people to be human. I think most grandparents would balk a bit a paying for a trip where they are not invited but the other grandparents are. I would not feel entitled to the tickets, regardless of how they were offered, if I weren't inviting MIL along.

 

Maybe the whole thing can still be salvaged. What if DH called and said, "Since we already have everything planned, and the kids are really looking forward to the trip, why don't you just go again with us now?"

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I get that, but I think it's also good to expect people to be human. I think most grandparents would balk a bit a paying for a trip where they are not invited but the other grandparents are. I would not feel entitled to the tickets, regardless of how they were offered, if I weren't inviting MIL along.

 

Maybe the whole thing can still be salvaged. What if DH called and said, "Since we already have everything planned, and the kids are really looking forward to the trip, why don't you just go again with us now?"

 

I definitely appreciate seeing the other side as you do. Oh, how I wish my MIL's friends would listen to my side instead of just hers!

 

But I wonder ... how many tickets did the MILs husband purchase with extra days on it? And even if there were enough tickets with extra days for the MIL to assume she would be joining them, was it clear that the extra days were only to be used if the MIL joined them? It sounds like (although not clear said) the tickets with extra days were available for the OP's family to use on their own since the MIL was happy for this upcoming trip.

 

And it sounds like that was fine until the OPs parents were joining on their own dime. And it sounds like the MIL & husband aren't paying for the upcoming trip (airfare, hotel, etc.) but had already offered unused days on Disney passes. Does that make sense?

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I it sounds like that was fine until the OPs parents were joining on their own dime. And it sounds like the MIL & husband aren't paying for the upcoming trip (airfare, hotel, etc.) but had already offered unused days on Disney passes. Does that make sense?

:iagree: unused days on disney passes that can't be used by anyone else except the orginal users - OP, OP's DH, and children. (according to those familiar with how disney passes work.)

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Need I mention that they were not interested at all in doing anything together except a few meals. Otherwise it was totally us (DH, me & the kids) & them (MIL, her DH, SIL).

 

There's also the above. Even when they went with MIL she doesn't seem to have been at all interested in actually being with them and doing things with them.

 

Cassy

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I would follow the advice quoted and make her tell your kids that their vacation is ruined because she cannot stand the thought of sharing her grandkids with their other grandparents.

 

:grouphug:

 

In the end, the kids are the only thing that really matters when it comes to a WDW vacation. If MIL won't give the tickets but DH wants to just pay for them, let him. Everyone wins that way. DH preserves his relationships with his Mom, kids still get a great vacation, maternal grandparents have fun. Yes, you would be out the money, but if your DH is willing to do that, do it. No reason to cause heart ache for the kids in order to make a point.

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In the end, the kids are the only thing that really matters when it comes to a WDW vacation. If MIL won't give the tickets but DH wants to just pay for them, let him. Everyone wins that way. DH preserves his relationships with his Mom, kids still get a great vacation, maternal grandparents have fun. Yes, you would be out the money, but if your DH is willing to do that, do it. No reason to cause heart ache for the kids in order to make a point.

 

:iagree:

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And it sounds like that was fine until the OPs parents were joining on their own dime. And it sounds like the MIL & husband aren't paying for the upcoming trip (airfare, hotel, etc.) but had already offered unused days on Disney passes. Does that make sense?

 

Yes, I do think it sounds as though there was no problem until she heard that the other grandparents were coming. I can, however, see how she would be hurt if she paid for the tickets and found out that other grandparents were invited but she was not. If I had been the OP, I would have asked my DH to invite his mother after my parents decided to come. If she doesn't want to do anything with them while they're there, no big deal. I just think it would be more polite to invite her if others were invited as well since she paid for the tickets.

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I get that, but I think it's also good to expect people to be human. I think most grandparents would balk a bit a paying for a trip where they are not invited but the other grandparents are. I would not feel entitled to the tickets, regardless of how they were offered, if I weren't inviting MIL along.

 

Maybe the whole thing can still be salvaged. What if DH called and said, "Since we already have everything planned, and the kids are really looking forward to the trip, why don't you just go again with us now?"

 

I hear you. Really I do. The thing is, either set of GPs are always welcome on family trips. Always have been. MIL & FIL are not retired. My parents are. I can't take all 4 kids to Disney during the day by myself since DH will be working. She wasn't interested in joining us.

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Maybe this will help.

 

Say you pay for a girls' spa weekend with your best friend. There are extra days on the spa passes, so you tell her that you'd love for her to use them if she's ever in that city on business. One day she calls you and says that she is going to be there on business and can use the passes. Yay! Later she adds that it's going to be a girls' weekend with some other friends. You apparently are not invited.

 

Ouch.

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Maybe this will help.

 

Say you pay for a girls' spa weekend with your best friend. There are extra days on the spa passes, so you tell her that you'd love for her to use them if she's ever in that city on business. One day she calls you and says that she is going to be there on business and can use the passes. Yay! Later she adds that it's going to be a girls' weekend with some other friends. You apparently are not invited.

 

Ouch.

 

Again, I understand your point. She was never not-invited. I agree, your scenario is ouch.

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I hear you. Really I do. The thing is, either set of GPs are always welcome on family trips. Always have been. MIL & FIL are not retired. My parents are. I can't take all 4 kids to Disney during the day by myself since DH will be working. She wasn't interested in joining us.

 

I posted my last post before reading this.

 

That makes sense. Have you explicitly invited her since the other grandparents decided to join you?

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Did you ever contact the priest and ask him why he gave your child first communion without your permission? Most likely he was unaware, because a child needs to be prepared (religion classes) so he can understand what communion is all about, learning how to be reverent, etc. Your mother-in-law must have lied to the priest. I don't know of any priest that would go behind a parent's back to do this. If he did do that, then you should probably talk to the bishop.

 

In any case, you still have three kids. What is to stop her from doing this again? I think you should at least call the priest and let him know that none of your children are to receive communion again without your permission.

 

Good luck to you with all of this. I hope you have a great time on your trip! :)

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No. There will be no invitation. Ain't happenin'.

 

I would bet, in that case, that she's feeling sorry for herself and justified, even if she would still not have agreed to go. In her mind, she is not invited. Obviously that was not your intention, but I guarantee that's how she's thinking about it. "They want to use my tickets to go with them and not me!" :tongue_smilie:

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Did you ever contact the priest and ask him why he gave your child first communion without your permission? Most likely he was unaware' date=' because a child needs to be prepared (religion classes) so he can understand what communion is all about, learning how to be reverent, etc. Your mother-in-law must have lied to the priest. I don't know of any priest that would go behind a parent's back to do this. If he did do that, then you should probably talk to the bishop.

 

In any case, you still have three kids. What is to stop her from doing this again? I think you should at least call the priest and let him know that none of your children are to receive communion again without your permission.

 

Good luck to you with all of this. I hope you have a great time on your trip! :)[/quote']

 

No, that's one of the weird things about the communion incident. Neither of us is Catholic. There is no official "first communion" in either of our denominations. It was a completely manufactured event. She thought it would be "fun" for him. She is no longer allowed to take the kids to church.

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I would bet, in that case, that she's feeling sorry for herself and justified, even if she would still not have agreed to go. In her mind, she is not invited. Obviously that was not your intention, but I guarantee that's how she's thinking about it. "They want to use my tickets to go with them and not me!" :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm sure that is how it is in her mind. That's often how it is in the minds of people who are manipulative. But the facts don't support her pity party. She offered the tickets. The tickets did not have strings, as far as her son and dil knew. She was excited for them to use the tickets and had no plans for going too. It was only after initial plans were finalized that the other grandparents decided to come along on their own dime. Then she withdrew the tickets, knowing full well that it would cause problems for her son, dil, the grandchildren and the other grandparents. Nope - no cause for me to throw her a pity party.:nopity:

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I would bet, in that case, that she's feeling sorry for herself and justified, even if she would still not have agreed to go. In her mind, she is not invited. Obviously that was not your intention, but I guarantee that's how she's thinking about it. "They want to use my tickets to go with them and not me!" :tongue_smilie:

 

There might have been an explicit invitation beforehand eve though she expressed disinterest in coming. There will not be one now because of her behavior. Despite bow it sounds, it isn't all about the stupid tickets. Its about the manipulation.

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No, that's one of the weird things about the communion incident. Neither of us is Catholic. There is no official "first communion" in either of our denominations. It was a completely manufactured event. She thought it would be "fun" for him. She is no longer allowed to take the kids to church.

 

Ok, that's really weird then! I'm glad to hear that a priest didn't go against a parent's wishes, and I'm even happier that you aren't allowing your mother-in-law to take the kids to church anymore.

 

Perhaps she has lost privileges of taking them anywhere by herself. You can trust her anymore. Who knows what she will do next!

 

Good luck To you!

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