Should I allow it?

So for multiple reasons (bad mouthed my mum, said she felt hurt I bought my own double buggy, told my pregnancy news to her parents when we said keep quiet, tries to force us to see her parents regularly and guilt trips when we don’t etc) I dislike my partners mum. I had a good relationship with her previously but since she bad mouthed my mum in November 2022 I have gradually just wanted less and less to do with her. I still let her see my kids every other week and went for her own Christmas Day but I don’t want to volunteer anymore of my own time alone with her and the kids (she keeps wanting to go to play cafes without my partner). My son is turning 2 soon and I have a 7 month old daughter, I’m a bit of a recluse and don’t really go out with friends anyway except when we socialise with our babies and with my friend with no babies I bring my babies anyway. I look after my kids 90% of the time and the only other people I trust with my kids is my mum and dad (we lived with them until my son turned 10 months and my mum is like a second mum to him) so naturally my mum is my go to if I just need an hour to food shop or whatever. My partners mum joked before I had my son with her friend that she wouldn’t babysit because I never go anywhere but when my son turned 1 she told me she is upset that he’s 1 and she’s never had him alone, when she’s looked after him in our presence she’s let him go in cutlery draws and when pulled up said ‘well I had my back to him I couldn’t see’ and would leave him on the sofa when he could roll or let him crawl to the hallway with no baby gate on stairs. My kids are my world and I don’t trust her ability. Now my son is turning 2, she is obviously feeling sorry for herself again and yesterday said when are her babysitting duties starting and I must let her look after her grand baby’s. I just replied ‘yeah’ and didn’t say anything else. All my feelings aside, I’m questioning if I should be letting her babysit even though I don’t need her, my mum babysits out of helping me not because she wants to but my partners mum wants them because she wants them. My partner doesn’t care either way, he wants to move abroad so doesn’t care about her spending time with our kids but his mum is very jealous over my mums access and has made multiple comments in the past. Too add, my partner is an only child and she is single.
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I don’t trust my MIL too and tbh I don’t know what to do about it or how to leave a baby with her. Luckily she hasn’t asked for alone time yet. My husband says she is alright and she grew two children but I know it was with a constant help of grandparents and we have different ideas of what is the caring parent is. I’m wondering if anyone has been vocal to their MILs about not trusting them and if it ever went well afterwards..

I’m so sorry you feel like this, my MIL has also made comments that make me not trust her to look after my boys (almost 22 months and 5 months old) we get guilt tripped a lot but I’m just not budging on it, I let her take my eldest out once - well actually ‘let’ wasn’t really it as I voiced my concerns and said I didn’t want him forward facing but she didn’t give a shit and did what she wanted anyway and I’ve never regretted anything more in my life. It’s the only time I’ve ever felt like a bad mum because I felt I didn’t stand up for my babies and their safety. It’ll never happen again. It’s a million percent not worth you putting your child or even your own mental health on the line because I know how sick and upsetting it can make you feel. My dad said something to me though that has really helped me not to feel guilty anymore, he said ‘any doubt is too much doubt’ when it comes to your kids and that is honestly what I live by now. It’s not worth the risk! Hope you’re okay! X

If you don't trust her, she doesn't need to be babysitting. Let her come have supervised visits, but don't feel like you have to leave the kiddo alone with her.

@Olga I’m sorry you have this scenario, it’s a frustrating position we just have to stand our ground when the time comes. To answer your question, I doubt so as I just did and she’s played the victim saying it’s a kick in the teeth me not feeling comfortable and she’s extremely hurt (even though at the end I offered more supervised visits she disregarded and played victim) 🫠🫠

Thank you ladies, after how she’s reacted safe to say even supervised visits are now going to be fewer thsn once every 2 weeks!! Mil’s aye!! Nightmare!!!

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