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It all ties in together...

Lilywen's picture

I need opinions/advice about my MIL, update on Navy boy, and really H - where are your priorities??  Trust me, they all tie in together....

 

So, my MIL and I are very different people.  I can't say anything negative about her really but she and I are almost polar opposites in the way we think, act and speak.  She is not someone I look forward to spending time with.  I don't have any strong negative feelings toward her, but she annoys me in more ways than I can count.  Hope that establishes where I am with her.  She watches the 2 girls H and I have in common, I have to stress, at her request.  I let my daycare situation go after months of pressure from H and MIL.  MIL lives with BIL in his house.  BIL and MIL have a very dysfunctional relationship but it is not my business (or it wouldn't be if MIL would stop complaining to me), goes back to the beginning of time, and BIL isn't exactly my cup of tea either.  Yesterday I call H and ask him to grab a few things from the grocery store on his way home.  He is delayed and when he gets home he tells me he ran into BIL at the store and they talked for a half hour.  BIL is apparently "done" with MIL living with them, he says she is mean to his kids (I know for a fact that MIL singles out one of BIL's kids and badmouths her constantly, to her face, denies her things the other kids get, etc).  I have repeatedly told MIL how I feel about how she treats this girl.  BIL also says MIL does not contribute financially to the house (I know that she does - though I do not know what their agreement is - and she also watches his kids, his soon to be ex step kid, cooks and cleans).  It is safe to say that when MIL and BIL tell the same story, the truth lies somewhere in between.  H then matter-of-factly says that BIL said that MIL is also mean to our girls, pulls them by the arms and yells at them.  He may have said more.  My mom-vision started to go red and then black with rage.  Our girls are 4 yrs old and 20 months old.  They weigh 36lbs and 28lbs.  I do know that my 4 yr old has often told me that her grandmother yells at them a lot.  I also know that both of my kids can be a handful.  I sat on the edge of my seat, ready for H to start talking about what was going to go down, given this information but....

 

My last blog was that H's son would not be completing bootcamp.  Turns out his wittle leg hurt.  Over a decade of PlayStation fueled sedentary lifestyle followed by 6 days of bootcamp will probably do that to you.  He has been cleared medically, there is nothing wrong with his leg and they were all set to send him back in to the routine when he got a wittle cold and is having "really bad headaches".  That bought him another medical day and he is back to training today (unless he comes up with something else).  

 

...This is what H starts talking about after telling me BIL said MIL has pulled my toddlers around by the arms and yells at them.  At my damn dinner table I have to listen to how BM called H today and spawn is doing this and spawn said that.  BM was all upset but H told BM she has to be strong for spawn.  H told spawn he has to decide to be a man and work hard to accomplish this.  Blah blah BM.  Blah blah blah spawn.  I let it go on for a bit while I sat listening silently for a minute before asking H what he though about what BIL said about MIL about the girls.  He dismissed it as BIL dislikes MIL and has his own issues.  H is the same person who has told me countless times about how MIL is so permissive as a grandmother, but used to hit him and his brother with belts frequently when they were children.  

 

I'm so pissed off... pissed at MIL if any of this is at all true.  I do not get physical with my kids and she knows this would not be ok with me.  I am also not a yeller.  My kids respond terribly to yelling.  Pissed at BIL that if it is true that he has never said a word to me about it when he sees me almost every day picking up or dropping off the girls.  Pissed at H for dismissive and nonchalantly bringing up that our toddler girls might be being mistreated (by our standards) and then delving into great concerned detail about poor little adult spawn, who is so big and brave and honorable to have joined the Navy, has a wittle headache and his leg hurts... 

 

I dropped the girls off this morning and my 4 year old clung to me like crazy, crying and carrying on.  She does it from time to time when I leave her with MIL... but my mind is racing at work.  Part of me wants to pull aside the preteen child of BIL's that MIL has singled out for poor treatment and ask her about MIL and my kids - she is around a lot when MIL has my kids.  The other part of me knows not to rope her into it, she is a child and this is an adult matter.  My 20 month old is not old enough to give account and my 4 yr old is very dramatic and I don't know how much weight to put into her account either.... Help.

Comments

SteppedOut's picture

I get your anger... you are feeling "what about OUR small children, IDC about adult SKID". Your children once again pushed aside for the "ever important" skid.

That aside, if there was ANY chance my baby was being treated differently than what my expectations were, more suitable care would be found. Doesn't matter if it was family or not. If it wasn't MIL and instead a daycare provider, would someone that maybe treating your children in a manner you didn't approve of still be watching your babies? Just because it's MIL, does not mean she deserves a pass on her treatment of the babies. 

justmakingthebest's picture

I agree with steppedout. It is just time to find new daycare arrangements. Don't make a big deal about it. You can use that fact that you feel a 4 yr old needs more structure to be ready for school and you just want them to be in the same place. 

Lilywen's picture

I fully intend to switch the daycare situation.  I couldn't do it today and it is just eating me.  I might work from home for the rest of the week.  But I feel like I need to know the truth.  I can change daycare, but what about when H asks her to babysit so we can do something?  Whe she is over my house for the holidays or there is an event.  I have witnessed her correcting my children on such occassions and I wounder how far it goes when she is out in the yard and I am inside, she is in the playroom and I am in the kitchen.  

I know it might be a little dramatic, but I feel like because it is family... she is always and will always be around and we run the risk of sides being taken or feelings being hurt... I NEED TO KNOW.

Lilywen's picture

And yes, I am doubly annoyed that H is not bothered in the least about our girls and stops a conversation like THAT about OUR girls in the middle to talk to ME about HIS son.  His son once said while watching an ad on TV for medication for women of a certain age, "I get hot flashes a lot too".  He is a blinking hypochondriac.  I don't care about his leg, his head or his hot flashes, douche.  Back to my girls.

SteppedOut's picture

@his hot flashes! Literally I LOLed.

SteppedOut's picture

Without asking your niece, if she wouldn't exaggerate or play down, you will never 100% know. 

Do you have a video baby monitor in the playroom? Maybe consider putting one in - they are about $150. If they are outside, be sure you also are. If you are uncomfortable with her being alone with your babies, don't allow it. Is neice old enough to start doing some babysitting while you and dh have date night?

justmakingthebest's picture

Yep... agreed, if it is really eating at you, you will have to ask. 

Nanny cams are always a good idea, no matter who is watching your kids. It is well worth the $.

ndc's picture

I would probably have a conversation with the niece.  I'd be as subtle as possible about it.  And then I would NEVER tell anyone, including DH, what she had said, because I would not think it fair to involve a child, especially one who is already mistreated by your MIL.  However, if she confirmed what your BIL told your husband, I would be especially vigilant when MIL was with the kids.  I would probably follow the advice of a prior poster and put up a camera if MIL was watching the kids in your home.  It may be that when she's not watching them all day every day, things will be easier and she won't need to pull them or yell at them all the time.  Or it may be that you get your "evidence" to show your husband so that you have a legitimate reason to not leave your kids with MIL.

ndc's picture

Dup

amyburemt's picture

from MIL. If she is treating kids this way, disengage from her and keep your kids away from her. Adults are kids advocates. be that advocate for the kids who don't have a voice.