15 things your in-laws do that make you want to scream
I consider myself very lucky that I don’t have irritating in-laws. I do have a mother who would cut a child’s fringe as soon as look at it, if your back was turned, but fortunately my children are old enough now to run away or put on a hat if they see her wielding a pair of scissors.
Friends aren’t so lucky.
I’m forever listening to horror stories, in real life and online, from friends whose in-laws have done awfully irritating, or sometimes downright shocking things, to undermine their parenting. Often it’s meant to be ‘helpful’, but with some things you can’t help but wonder if it’s a little more intentional. It seems that when you have a child of your own, it’s almost impossible to escape the ‘help’ of in-laws, no matter how well meant it might be.
I asked around, and pulled together 15 of what I thought were truly cringeworthy examples of irritating in-laws. For obvious reasons, my contributors have all asked to remain anonymous, but I promise that these are all genuine anecdotes…
Holiday havoc
‘The in laws rang us last night to ‘let us know’ they’ve booked a holiday for them and my kids next year. Fair enough, but it would have been nice if they’d ask first. ‘Oh by the way it’s in term time’. Hmmm. I stayed calm and asked the dates so I could put it on the calendar and have a think about it. They gave me the dates, which included my birthday weekend!! I know some people would like to have their birthday weekend kid free but I love having the kids around on my birthday! Of course now they’re now acting like the injured party because I’ve said I need to think about it!’
Bathtime baptism
‘This one didn’t happen to me, but it’s a cracker! My husband’s parents didn’t have him baptised, which was a source of deep consternation to his Granddad. He offered to babysit the kids while the parents went out, and when they got back he cheerfully informed them that he had taken matters into his own hands and baptised both his grandchildren in the bath!’
Vitamin violations
‘My mother-in-law is a bit of a health nut and she once gave my girls multivitamins when they were visiting, without asking me. They weren’t a brand I liked, they’d already had multivitamins that day and they were two years too old for my youngest! It was well-intended but I was pretty freaked!’
Present palava
‘On birthdays and Christmas my in-laws ask us what we are getting my son, then they go out and buy double the amount! Often it’s a more expensive version of what we got, and totally undermines us – every time.’
Firm friends
‘My five year old daughter was told by my father in law that it was time for her to make ‘real friends’ as her home ed friends, that she’s had for more than two years, are not real as they don’t go to school.’
Fizzy fiasco
‘We don’t do or have ‘pop in the house – I’ve explained to my mother in law that I don’t want him drinking things like Coke, yet I know she gives it to him as soon as my back is turned!’
Fire power
‘My parents in law are so frustrating – I am very anti-guns, and yet it feels like every time they see my son, he comes home with a realistic gun toy! It’s a major source of irritation for me.’
Screen time
‘My in laws will hand my son the iPad for hours when he’s with them, and then when I pick him up he is so wound up! They then make comments like ‘is he so hyper because he doesn’t socialise enough?’ No, he is hyper because you literally shoved a screen in his face and loaded him full of chocolate even though I asked you not too!’
Getting the chop
‘My mother in law cut my daughter’s hair once when she was looking after her, without asking me first obviously. I was speechless!’
Breastfeeding booboo
‘My mother in law once threw a scarf across the table to me because I was breastfeeding in a restaurant. I hadn’t asked for one, and needless to say I didn’t need or want it!!’
Formula horror
‘Whenever my in laws would look after my baby for a few hours they’d keep trying to give her formula, even though I was breastfeeding! Despite expressing and explaining I didn’t want her to have formula, my mother in law was convinced she wasn’t getting enough nutrients and it would drive me mad!’
Terrible tears
‘My mother in law has always refuses to hand my baby back when she’s crying her eyes out. She’s six months old, she still seeks the comfort of her own mum, but my mother in law has always treated it like a challenge and will not pass my baby back to me even when I ask. She’ll just walk off with her trying to calm her, or worse, hand my baby to my sister in law, and then they’re both fussing over this already agitated and crying baby.’
Traumatic tea party
‘When my first baby was born we said no visitors or big groups whilst we got settled – fair enough we thought. Second week in and we go to visit the in laws and my mother in law has thrown a tea party for three of her friends plus her sister, husband and cousin to meet the baby – my new mum hormones that day were absolutely shot!’
Burger bonanza
‘I swear my mother in law delights in feeding our son McDonald’s. My husband, (her son), is a vegan and she now takes her Grandson every Friday. We don’t make a big deal out of it, as she thrives on drama and didn’t even bother with tea of any sort before that, so we’re staying quiet for now.’
Lookalikes
‘My mother in law constantly says my three children are ‘the double of their father’ and that they have their dad’s exact eyes, even though their eyes are blue, like mine, and my husband’s are green! She also looks at my ironing pile in disgust every chance she gets. I have three kids – show me a none existent ironing pile in any home!’
If you have any irritating in-law examples of your own, please do share them!
Photo credits - David K and PawPaw67
