Feeling Overburdened by Your Living Situation
The woman disclosed that her mother-in-law made the announcement that she and her husband would be moving in together soon after they were married. Her husband insisted on having his mother visit them, even though she wasn’t fond of the concept. They had no idea how this choice would affect their family dynamic.
Anger and Dissimulation
Because the mother-in-law believed the woman had taken her son away, she retained animosity towards her. The way this animosity showed up was through manipulation and problems with boundaries. The wife observed that, as if she didn’t like them at all, her mother-in-law never returned a grin to their two small children, a two-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter.
Unsettling Behavior Found
Her husband worked from home and was frequently engrossed on his computer, so the mother-in-law took on the duty of kid caretaker. But the mother started to see marked behavioral changes in her kids. She knew talking to her husband about her worries would not solve them, so she took matters into her own hands and put a concealed camera in their house.
The woman was horrified to learn that her mother-in-law had been verbally assaulting the kids and berating her for hours on end. She called them names and told her kid over and over again that she was unwanted and hated. The woman was inconsolable and realized she had to act to keep her kids safe.
Conflict and Confrontation
She played the tapes back to her husband, who initially disregarded her acts as an invasion of privacy when she questioned him about them. He tried to explain his mother’s actions by saying that his wife was the source of the issue, not the kids. However, the mother was aware that her children’s welfare and emotional state had to come first.
Setting Limits for the Children’s Sake
The woman had to make the tough choice to stop letting her mother-in-law spend time alone with the kids, even though her husband wasn’t sure about it. Whenever her mother-in-law interacted with the kids, she insisted that another adult had to be there. Her husband countered that it was trivial to deny the kids a relationship with their grandma because they had no problems with her. Still, the woman was unwavering in her determination to keep her kids safe.
Looking for Approval and Assistance
The woman looked for guidance and assistance on the AITA subreddit. She talked about her experience and said she wasn’t sure if her choice was too severe. Other Reddit members’ reactions were overwhelmingly positive. They gave her confidence that she was acting morally and that her children’s needs should always come first.
Remaining Firm for the Children
The woman thanked everyone for their time and insights in a subsequent post. She said that she was grateful for the support and vowed to keep her kids safe no matter what happened. Setting limits might be difficult, but it’s occasionally required to protect a child’s emotional and mental health.
How do you feel about this story? Spread the word about it on Facebook to start a discussion with your loved ones on the difficulties of family dynamics.