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Mother-In-Law Stories

September 1, 2003
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Worst gift:  I registered, because our wedding had to be sped up, because my fiancé got stationed overseas unexpectedly.  So, for us to get married with our families around, we threw together a small, but very elegant wedding at my parent's house about 1 week before he got shipped off.  Well, my ILs gave us every cheap piece of cr@p kitchen item that they could find.  The toaster that they gave us was something that you would of see in the late 70's early 80's.  They gave us things that were very outdated looking, and I don't mean to sound b!tchy, but the stuff was that outdated looking.  I mean, their son was getting married, and you'd think that they could buy something a little nicer and more pleasant to look at.  It looked like the possession of a person who hadn't shopped for new appliances since 1970 something.  Either way, I'm thankful.  But, I just wonder if they were trying to say that they didn't think we were going to last, so why buy nice stuff?  From the looks of it, it's been 2 years and we are ...

        Signed - Still On Our Honeymoon

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Strongly Disagree 
                                                           
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Worst gift:  My in-laws are a special breed.  My FIL is WORSE than my MIL.  For years now, they have been coming to my home, and they are always empty-handed.  For 23 years they have brought NOTHING.  They spend the day and have 2 plus square meals (I spend lots of money on steak and goodies, etc.).  FIL is always demeaning to me for NO REASON at ALL, especially since I am the breadwinner, the mommy, the housekeeper and the gardener.  And, basically, I am the one who has kept, and always will keep, MY kids together.  MY DH does as he pleases, who knows what that is???  DH hasn't had a job, nor an income, in 20 years.  And, again, I used to take cr@p from these lowlife, useless freebies till I put the ka-bosh on that and said "later" to those unappreciative, and useless @sses.  They never have given my kids anything of value or anything memorable.  They come over, swim in my pool (they used to hang at the beach with their entire extended family of 14), eat my food, drink my booze, and read my papers.  They never even TALK to my kids, let alone interact with them (now 14 and 20), SAD, but TRUE!  Helping out and cleaning up has never happened.  Bring a gift?  What is that?  Bring a cheesecake?  How about the back and forth bottle of $3 champagne that I have etched a notch in now for the past 12-15 years?  They bring it for every special occasion - Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, anniversaries and birthdays.  I give it back every year on the KING'S birthday!  The FIL, GOD knows, I can't overlook that special day in history!!!  Grandiose presents - 2 to 3 cameras (ALL LOST), 2 televisions, a digital camera, tennis rackets - every year we gave him something else.  Every year the gift was lost or stolen.  They give wonderful gifts to my children - the baby bra and panties in a size 1 (to fit a 24 lb. baby, not a 14 year old freshman in high school) that was purchased from a discount department store or the check for $5 to a college sophomore.  Unfortunately, these items are never missing and or stolen.  It's amazing how that works.  The big presents are LOST, the little ones are not.  What is wrong with this picture?  On to the next story.  I have a billion.

        Signed - On To The Next Story

        Per the poster's request, no responses collected.

Worst gift:  FMIL gave DF (her 24 year-old son) a kite for his military graduation.  She also gave him one of those slap on bracelets with the cameo print.  Obviously, she doesn't understand that he is 24.  When we got home, we just laughed!

        Signed - Annoyed DIL - A Kite?

I am engaged to be married in four months to the best guy in the world.  He is an only child who is living with his parents until the wedding.  His mother, however, scares the bejeezus out of me.  Since the first time I met the FILs, she has been telling my FH all of the things that she doesn't like about me.  He had been passing these along to me, not to insist that I change, but just so that I'd be aware of the situation.  Then, last week, she ambushed him at 11 o'clock at night with a two-hour onslaught.  Among my offenses are:  Not wearing make-up, not graduating from high school (I left early to attend college and I have a master's degree in math from a major university), not being close enough with my own family, not offering FH food from my plate when we all go out for dinner (he's welcome to take anything he wants), purposely excluding her from the wedding planning just to be mean (the FILs are not paying for anything), not wearing the correct kind of shoes with dressy outfits, and many others.  The next day he told her that she had to stop saying those things and keep them to herself.  When she found out that he had been telling me about her complaints, she was very upset with him, and insisted that the rift between us is his fault.  She told him that she will keep things to herself from now on, but now I am more terrified than ever that I will do something wrong whenever we get together.  My stomach is in knots.  She says that I haven't done anything to make her and FFIL feel welcome, even though I have twice invited them over to my apartment for homemade desserts, and took them to meet my family last year at Thanksgiving.  I have never been invited to their house.  But, according to FH, they are pack-rats, and are too ashamed to have company.  I love my FH dearly, and can't imagine the rest of my life without him, but, sometimes I feel like I'm walking into a den of vipers.  FH tries his best to reassure me that it doesn't matter what they think.  But, even though I know that they are more than a little nuts, I'm still nervous about meeting up with them again.

        Signed - Thoroughly Terrified

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Get married, and then move very far away from these nuts!

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Are you going to let this woman make your life miserable?  Come on now, if DF is supportive of you when it comes to the in-laws, why are you all a tremble inside.  They can only intimidate you if you let them.  Chin up and be yourself!

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Your FH has it right - it doesn't matter what they think, because what you think doesn't matter to them!  Having nice ILs would be wonderful, but is not always possible.  "Nice" is a two-way street.

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
DON'T BE SCARED!!!  That's how she is gaining power over you!!  She's being catty, and basically trying to show you who's boss.  Whatever!  Don't let her have that power over you.  Forget her!!!  Do you want to be dominated like that?

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Run, run as fast as you can.  You are about to marry a mama's boy.  Unless he can show you that he can, and will, put his foot down to stamp out his mama's "unusual behavior", you are headed for disaster.  Seek counseling immediately, and try to take him with you.  Good luck.

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
DO NOT go out of your way for these people.  Your MIL is a petty person, and will obviously find something wrong with you no matter what you say, do, or wear.  Just be yourself, and try not to care what she thinks.  Good luck with your wedding, also!  Having a good life with FDH is the best revenge against a horrible person like your FMIL.

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.  It sounds like my MIL.  I put up with it for 7 years.  Then, my DH finally clued in that what his mom was doing was wrong, bad, evil, (the list really goes on and on and on).  I haven't spoken to the witch in 9 months now, and life is so much better.  My ulcer, I believe, is almost completely healed!!!!!!!  Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
DH should not have told you what his mother said.  He should have privately told her to just knock it off.  But, at least she knows that he cares enough not to let her get away with what she says without you hearing about it.  I guess.  Your DF needs to not tell you every little hurtful thing.  Instead, he should have shut her up a long time ago.  My brother did this to my mother shortly before he married a wonderful girl.

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Why in the world are you *afraid* of her??  It seems like your DH understands that she's trying to make you look bad, and he even stood up for you.  She is who she is.  Be polite, etc., to her.  Just don't forget that fact, and don't let your guard down.  Letting her scare you just gives her the upper hand.  Be yourself, and be the strong one.  Limit your contact with her if you need to.  No one says that you even have to talk to the woman when you're in the same room!  A polite yes and no will eventually shut her up.

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
Look through the site.  The most important thing that matters in dealing with in-laws is DH.  Does DH put you first?  Does DH understand that it's his responsibility to deal with his parents when they are asses?  IF the answers are both yes, then forget about his insane, dysfunctional, freaky (whatever flavor you have) family, and enjoy being married to a wonderful MAN.  If the answer to either is NO, then cut your losses and leave the boy now.  Marriage can be wonderful or terrible, and it's going to change from year to year.  But, for a marriage to succeed, it needs both partners to be committed to its success.  No one can serve 2 masters, and if she is still a daddy's girl, or he is a momma's boy, it just won't work well in the long run.

RESPONSE:  Thoroughly Terrified
It sounds like FH has his priorities and loyalties straight.  I'm sorry to say, but your need to win the approval of these people, who are obviously a bit wacko, when your FH doesn't even care what they say, is your own self-esteem problem.  I strongly suggest counseling.  The FILs may be vipers, but FDH doesn't seem to want any part of their den.  Why on earth do you care so much about what a couple of wackos think when their own son doesn't take them seriously?  If you sincerely love FH, why would you consider leaving him when it's his parents you want to escape from?  Best of luck, sincerely.  Please consider personal counseling BEFORE the wedding.


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