“SIL treats my mum like a slave, eyes my dad’s money and influences my brother the same way,” a netizen wrote on the NUS Whispers Facebook page recently, asking for advice as to how to handle the situation, or come up with a different perspective.
They wrote that they are “torn over what to do” concerning their family relationships, which are not the best even without the sister-in-law.
The netizen further summarized their problem with the SIL this way: “SIL went after my bro who is much younger after knowing he’s from a well-to-do family, and lives beyond her means. Extremely controlling/manipulative and immature, not a positive influence on my brother who also is not mature.”
Their parents had concerns over their son’s would-be wife, who is several years older, even from the beginning.
They have been married for some time now and he wants children, but they remain childless as the SIL doesn’t want them, “despite agreeing to have 1 before getting married!”
The netizen wrote that the SIL throws tantrums when her husband talks to other women at work, appears to live beyond her means and even controls what her husband eats.
But the netizen’s biggest issue is how the SIL treats their mother, which they claim has influenced her brother to treat their mother unfairly as well.
“SIL treats my house like a 5* hotel and my mum like a maid (we hv no maid cause we don’t like strangers at home). She stays over every weekend full board, barely interacts with anyone, hogs the toilet creating a major inconvenience to my life, makes my mum wash her clothes/towels, uses a fresh big towel everyday, sometimes my mum even has to give up the car so SIL can get chauffeured around (imagine MIL taking public transport while SIL gets chauffeured in her car!…).
My brother used to be a very sweet boy, sweet to my mum. But with SIL he’s changed.”
The netizen added that “having to live in the same space as someone like my SIL is killing me, and I honestly loathe the weekends because of her. Part of me wants to just move out so I can turn a blind eye and deaf ear. However, I know mum does not want me to move.”
Commenters were divided on the issue, with some urging the netizen to talk to their father, who may be the key person to step up in the matter.
Other netizens said that anyone in the family can step up, including the netizen.
However, one commenter seemed to believe that it’s up to the netizen’s brother and parents to do something about the SIL.
/TISG