Living near in laws

My baby is 1yr old now. We live 10 mins away from my in laws. I always feel stressed with my mother in law ever since I gave birth. I understand that this is their first grandchild and they are excited but I can't help but feel angry and frustrated with her actions. I don't know if my feelings are valid or I'm just being unfriendly. These are the things she does that frustrates me.

  • She always visits our house unannounced like 3-4 times a week and stays for 30mins-1hr. She usually visits around my baby's bedtime routine because she has work whole day. She carries my baby even though my baby took a bath already. My baby is distracted also while eating dinner that's why he can't finish his food. Our bedtime routine is hectic that's why it's stressful for me every time she visits.
  • She always go to the hospital during my baby's vaccine without us informing in advance so I was always surprise to see her and gets angry deep inside. He insists on carrying my baby the whole time even though my baby's crying and wants to go to me. I wanted to hug and comfort my baby but she always interfere.
  • She insists on going out with us even though it's almost my baby's bedtime routine that's why my baby ends up being overtired and cries intensely.
  • Every time we drop by my in laws' house just to get something, she opens our car door and kisses my baby even though he'a sleeping that's why my baby wakes up. Newborns and infants need a lot of sleep but I think she doesn't care and respect my baby's routine.
  • My mother in law likes to feed my baby with her bare hands. I'm so stressed because I always wash my hands before feeding my baby but she doesn't. She only puts alcohol. Another frustrating thing is every time we go out she insists on feeding my baby and it's so messy that's why my baby's clothes has stains always.
  • Now that my baby is a toddler, during his 1st birthday he gave him a fries from a fastfood chain without informing me. The next couple of weeks was very stressful for me. Ever since my baby turned 1 yr old she's excited to give him any food. Even though we told her not to give him anything sweet, one time when we left our child with her for just an hr she fed him egg pie and cheeseroll! After a week she fed him chips!
  • We ride the same car always with my in laws because my husband's brother who lives with their parents doesn't know how to drive that's why every time we go to the mall or have family outings all 5 of us plus my baby and my brother in law's dog rides the same car. It's really stressful for me because I breastfeed and it's difficult to give my baby a nap because he's overstimulated with his grandparents. We also have so many things to bring for my baby and their things as well that's why it's cramped inside the car and unsafe for my baby because we cannot use his car seat.
  • This past month we've been very busy. The sister of my mother in law came from other country. My MIL asked us to surprise her sister during the mother's day! It was supposed to be my day! I'm a mother too! We went to where the sister of my MIL stays and celebrated there. My MIL wanted to show my baby to her sister. She cannot wait for her sister to go back to my MIL's place near us even though she'll be staying here for a month! My mother was near our place during the mother's day but we cannot celebrate with her because we went out with my in laws. And also, I was not celebrated this day as a mother too. The next weekend we had a swimming party with my in laws again and their relatives. The 3rd weekend we had a an outing again with my in laws and relatives somewhere far and that caused so much stress on me already. The frequent plans with my in laws stresses me out because me and my husband cannot control what they do to my baby. My baby's routine was not being followed and they always feed him with their bare hands. They even dipped him in the pool without informing us first. This week during weekdays they asked us again to go to the mall with our baby so we let them but we are cramped in the car again. After a day my baby had a vaccine and my MIL went there again. After two days they wanted to go out again and I fought with my husband because this is too much already.

There are other things that stresses me out living here near my in laws but it's too many to mention. I always have headaches and it's draining me. I love my baby so much that's why I get stressed out even on small things when they do something I don't like with my baby. I don't know if I'm overreacting or am I a bad daughter in law and not an understanding wife to my husband? Can you give me some advices because I don't know if I'm still sane.

Edited: We always say don't this/don't that on my child and we set rules. I just wanted to know if I'm being too rude on my in laws.

Posted Jun 8, 2025, 6:33 AM UTC

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