It’s difficult to foresee how you’ll get along with your mother-in-law. Almost every daughter-in-law seems to have a story or two about her husband’s mother, and some of them are more fascinating than a good Netflix series.
Story 1
I (32F) am a mother of a 6-year-old daughter who was quite pleased to visit a new cafe that sells “princess cakes” and is famed for its high tea. I reserved a table for us, my mother (60F), and my mother-in-law (64F), even though it was not Mother’s Day but rather an early celebration. My daughter dressed up like a princess, but my MIL, who is frugal and dislikes splurging, instantly condemned the entire event, calling it a waste of money and the cakes ludicrous.
She even stated that princesses wouldn’t desire such small quantities. My daughter was unhappy, so I took my mother-in-law aside and urged her to keep her comments to herself. My MIL insisted that I was overvaluing my daughter’s emotions and that she should learn the value of money. I eventually asked her to go if she couldn’t allow my daughter to enjoy herself. My MIL is now telling the family that I shut her out because she is too frugal, and my husband believes I should have simply preserved the peace. Adventurous_Ant1546 / Reddit
Story 2
My SIL Alice, a single mother, moved into the condo next to us after I offered her a place to stay. My mother-in-law, Pat, has always mistreated Alice, and one day while visiting her, she screamed at the 7-year-old. I was outraged, telling her to go and never return. Alice was furious, claiming that her mother frequently addressed the children in such a manner.
When I told my husband, he believed we were overreacting, but I believe her language was terrible, and she is not allowed here for the children’s mental health reasons. His family thinks I’m being dramatic, but I trust Alice and understand what she said. My MIL is still denying it, and my husband and I are debating whether her anger justifies her words. I don’t think it does. Traditional-Yak2096 / Reddit
Story 3
I was 19 when I discovered my father had a second family. My mother had no idea. One evening, my dad’s second wife contacted me. She replied, “I had no idea about you or your mom. I thought I was the only one.” She then informed me she would never speak to my father again, and she apologized not only for her role in the problem but also for my father’s decisions. She claimed she was caught off guard and left him as soon as the truth was revealed.
Over time, we began to converse more as two people who had been harmed in different ways by the same person, rather than as enemies. She even came to my college graduation to cheer me on when my dad didn’t.
Story 4
I (29F) and my hubby (31M) have been married for two years. When I first met my mother-in-law, she was not particularly accepting of me, labeling me “loud and obnoxious” behind my back. I decided to disregard it. She was too involved in the wedding planning process, wanting to control everything from the flowers to the cuisine, which drove me nuts. I snapped at her once, apologized, and attempted to move on. On March 16th, we welcomed our daughter Andromeda into the world.
My husband and I chose the name because we both enjoy astronomy, but MIL wanted to keep the family tradition of naming the kid after his grandparents. She pushed for the name “Mary,” after herself and her mother, but I thought it was selfish. MIL continued to refer to my daughter as Mary at a family function despite several corrections from me. My husband is considering changing the name to keep the peace, but I do not think it is appropriate. Fantastic_Cow_1594 / Reddit
Story 5
I (27F) gave birth to my first child six days ago and sought support from my mother during my recovery. She has been visiting regularly, accompanied by my best friend, who assists with meals and walks. MIL was irritated with my mother’s visits, so we asked her over on day six postpartum. She brought gluten-filled food although I have Celiac disease and grumbled about having to make gluten-free meals.
I snapped at her for being nasty, especially because my best friend’s husband had delivered gluten-free tiramisu. MIL became unhappy, started whining, and is now attempting to turn the family against me. My husband supports me, but the majority of my in-laws are angry. Certain_Fan_3991 / Reddit
Story 6
I (24m) and my girlfriend (23f) are expecting our first child and her mother has been extremely judgmental of our relationship. She overheard us telling my girlfriend’s father about the pregnancy and insisted we use the name she had chosen for the baby. I informed her that we would choose the name ourselves, and she had no say. She threatened not to be part of our child’s life, which we agreed could be best. I informed her that if she believed I would let her near my child, she was deluded. My folks believe I was overly impolite, but my girlfriend supports me. Unhappy_Plankton_287 / Reddit
Story 7
I (32F) work while my 7-month-old naps, but I’m fatigued from teething. My MIL routinely disregards boundaries, so we agreed she couldn’t come unless my husband (34M) was present. After 1.5 months, they came over, and MIL tried to feed my baby cake despite my refusal. I took the baby to my husband, and when MIL arrived, I left without saying anything and went to my sister’s to rest. My spouse is outraged, claiming I was impolite and should have waited. Glittering_Way4037 / Reddit
Story 8
I’m pregnant (36F) and live with my hubby (41M). My mother-in-law is generally kind, but she is overly controlling and lacks limits. When she arrived to assist with the baby, she began cleaning and clearing away my personal belongings, including items I gathered from garage sales. I told her I did not want her to do this, but she believed it was dangerous for the baby. She then attempted to flee with even more belongings, and I lost them, told her to leave, and booked her a hotel room. My husband is outraged, claiming that I mistreated his mother and was ungrateful. NoMaybe3163 / Reddit
Story 9
My husband and I are expecting our first kid. My MIL kept calling the baby “hers” and insisted on giving me a baby shower for her friends. At the shower, she ignored my register and gave us all circus-themed items instead of what we requested. She also made a register for “her” kid and intended to design a nursery at her home.
I lost it, urged her to stop calling the baby hers, and informed her that she would not see our child. Now, his family accuses us of being selfish. Unknown author / Reddit
Story 10
I have two young children and Christmas is my favorite time of year. Last year, when I invited my mother-in-law to join us for Christmas Eve, she took over everything—making cookies, playing games, and even acting as “Santa” without our permission. It felt like she was attempting to take over my role as the mother, which upset me. This year, we’re having Christmas at her house, but I requested that Christmas Eve and morning be just our family of four, with a few hours in the morning for the Santa experience.
She was enraged and vowed to notify Santa to come to her house. My husband supported me initially, but then defended her, claiming she simply wanted to be a part of the magic. I don’t mind her being present, but I want to be the one who creates that particular time with my children. Is it wrong for me to hold firm on this? Striking-Day1044 / Reddit
