mother in law is nice, but...

Having a kind and caring mother-in-law is wonderful. However, my mother-in-law has issues from her past that affects the way she loves her grandchild now. She doesn't really bond with her kids, including his son (m husband) because when she used to work, her kids were entrusted to others... Now that she has grandchildren, she finally wants to be closer than the other grandmother (my mother) or anyone else. As a daughter-in-law, I feel a bit uncomfortable, especially because now she's only at home and still energetic. Every day she would ask about my son, even though my family isn't like that at all. The worst part is her own son (my husband) is never on her mind, so their focus (my in-laws) is solely on the grandchild. Granted, it's their first grandchild, but my mother isn't that extreme. After observing people my mother-in-law's age who have similar stories, it seems that past issues lead to a desire to be "closest to the grandchild." Does anyone have a similar experience? By the way, my husband and I are committed, even though he's the firstborn son and our child often stays with me, we don't want to favor one side of the grandparents over the other.

2 Replies
 profile icon
Write a reply

I can relate to this, mummy ❤️ My MIL is also very loving towards my child, sometimes even more involved than I expected. I think for some grandparents, having a grandchild gives them a chance to experience a different kind of bond. As long as she's respectful of your boundaries and your parenting decisions, I try to see it as coming from love. It can feel overwhelming at times, but I remind myself that my child is lucky to be so loved by many people 😊

Read more

Having each other is your biggest strength!