SINGAPORE: A woman took to social media to share that her mother-in-law gave her a bombshell ultimatum: give them a grandchild or give up their pet animal and cut off all contact with the family.
Posting anonymously on the NUSWhispers Facebook page, she shared that she and her husband made a mutual decision to be childless as they “preferred animals over little humans.”
This choice, however, clashed with her mother-in-law’s strong desire for a grandchild.
“The day before, she took the final step and told us that if we aren’t going to give her a grandchild, we will need to make the decision to either cut off all contacts with the family or to abandon our pet. She said if the pet is gone, we will definitely give her a grandchild.”
On top of this pressure, she also said that her mother-in-law criticized her for being a stay-at-home wife, calling her useless and assuming she was infertile at 42.
Her sister-in-law has also persuaded her husband to divorce her and find someone better, as she was “just a poly graduate.”
Despite the harsh treatment, the woman valued her husband’s family more than her own toxic family and relatives, who had subjected her to verbal and physical abuse during her childhood.
In the end, her husband chose to cut off all contact with his family, leaving the woman feeling conflicted with emotions of guilt and confusion.
Her friends advised her not to cling to people who belittle her choices and values, whether as a housewife or someone who chooses not to have children.
“As of now, my husband has blocked his family members on all social media accounts and WhatsAppp. I really don’t know why things had to come to this. Why can’t they respect us?”
“Be grateful for him and choose to live your life peacefully away from family toxicity.”
In the comments section, many praised her husband for protecting her from his own family, showing how much he respected her and valued their marriage.
One netizen said that her husband is one of a kind, as most men nowadays won’t even stand up or speak out for their wives, although she’s already being disrespected within the family.
The netizen then urged the woman to ignore her mother-in-law’s demands and focus solely on her husband. She added, “Be grateful for him and choose to live your life peacefully away from family toxicity.”
Another netizen advised her, “Stay away from toxic people, both of you will definitely be happier. Enjoy your furbaby – you are it’s world, it gives you unconditional love no matter how rich or how poor you are. Take care, stay strong and a happy family together.”
Some also pointed out to her that she could not please everyone with her decisions in life, so she should prioritize what truly matters to her and her husband.
This means focusing on their own happiness, values, and goals as a couple rather than getting caught up in external expectations or pressures from others.
Meanwhile, several netizens found her mother-in-law’s tactics to be extreme, saying that cutting off their child was something they couldn’t fathom.
One netizen explained that her mother-in-law had crossed a line by resorting to emotional manipulation and blackmail, pushing them to have a child, so she shouldn’t feel guilty about cutting them off from their lives.
He added, “It is literally both your choice and especially yours to have children or not. The concept of ‘filial piety’ is out dated and it will sit uncomfortably with you for some time.
But in the end, when family is toxic, they are not family. Do not feel guilty. It is their intended effect to blame you for everything from here on.”
Featured image by Depositphotos