A 43-year-old man who felt that his mother-in-law was too intrusive asked netizens for help on how to build a better relationship with her.
The man wrote that his mother-in-law would babysit for him and his wife on weekdays. In an anonymous post to popular confessions page SGWhispers on Tuesday (Aug 23), the man said that he and his 36-year-old wife would give his mother-in-law “a sum of money monthly to babysit for us in her house when we go to work”.
However, he added that on weekends, “before I can plan any activity to bring my son out, my wife would tell me that her mother is coming to our house. Not that I do not welcome her, but whenever she comes over, it is like a soft army style of stand by the house. She would pick all the flaws she can find in the house”. He wrote that she would tell him that there were ants in the potato chips – even though he did not find any – and she would throw them away, adding that she would buy some more when she came again.
“She knows her own daughter seldom help with housework, so I have to make sure the house is clean and tidy before she comes. She would buy all sort of food for us to eat, for fear we didn’t eat enough on a Sunday. I want my son to use a spoon to learn to eat by himself, but then my MIL would always feed him”, the man wrote. He added that he did not dare to go against whatever his mother-in-law did as he did not want his wife to be put in an awkward situation between them both.
“Can someone advise me on how to build a better relation with my MIL without having to give in anything on my part?” the man asked.
Netizens who commented said that along with the benefits his mother-in-law brought, there were disadvantages too. They suggested that the man speak to his wife and discuss boundaries for her mother.
Here’s what they said:
