Pretty sure I pissed my MIL Off
My MIL isn’t the typical MIL where she’s horrible. She’s actually really nice and means well but she can be overly sensitive. For example: if I don’t respond to her messages fast enough or super friendly she overthinks and assumes I’m mad at her and asks my husband if she did something to upset me. I’ve never been upset with her but I will admit I can be pretty straight forward and blunt which I’m aware over text can come off mad/rude so I try my best to be like “hey! Sorry I missed your message.” Then I let her know I’ve been sick, pregnancy is kicking my ass or our toddler has been teething. It’s never lies, like anyone, sometimes life gets busy and my priority isn’t making my MIL feelings. Is that bitchy? I’m aware my responsibility isn’t her feelings but I’ve been told by people I can be too blunt, idk I’m just not one to overthink things and make it other people’s problem (until now lol).
Anyway, I’m DAYS from my due date. My husband and I told everyone 7 months ago we were expecting again so my in-laws have had plenty of time in advance to know when we’ll be going into labor. My MIL quit her job so she can help once our second is born with our toddler and around the house. I never asked her to do that and although I’m grateful, didn’t expect her to make such a big change for us although we appreciate it. However, at the same time she has a side business that takes some prep and time but since it’s her business, she’s in complete control. She does paint parties which consist of prepping paints, canvas and then the day of she spends it preparing at the location and then holding the actual paint party. She plans the paint parties months in advance, including the one she booked the day before in due when she was fully aware of the due date. Do I care? Not really because she isn’t obligated to be there to help or even visit, but she has constantly told me she wants to help, is gonna be there, etc. I’m also totally fine with her being there because like I said, she’s really nice and means well. What upsets me is if she’s going to constantly mention helping, quit her main job, insist that I ask her if I ever need help but then make plans she can’t back out of (here’s the kicker) THEN constantly tells me how stressed she is about prepping for the paint party for me. I never asked her to help, never asked her to make the paint party right around when the baby will be born or asked her to cancel/keep the paint party. I haven’t told or even suggested anything yet somehow I’m dragged into her stress?? She doesn’t blame me but it sure feels like it since it does evolve around me being pregnant/going into labor.
About a month ago she went on this stressed rant to my husband and I about how much the timing is off and my husband let her know not to stress, to prep ahead of time and if I happen to go into labor when she’s busy, my FIL, SIL, BIL are all happily able to watch our toddler. We both really tried easing her stress with letting her know that even if she made the plans by mistake not realizing the timing that we weren’t stressed or mad about it. She agreed and said prepping ahead for the paint party would be good so she had less on her plate in case her party and the labor overlapped.
Fast forward to today, she texts me asking how I’m doing, I joke that I’m still freaking pregnant and just sitting around waiting to meet my son. I ask how she’s doing and she goes straight into saying how stressed she is since she hasn’t prepared for the paint party that’s in three days and she has zero motivation to prepare.
I’ll admit, reading that made me let out a huge sigh. We’ve talked to her multiple times regarding her work, my labor, everything and I’m at that stage in pregnancy where I want to relax and be left alone. Worst case scenario, my husband can/will watch our toddler at home while our second is being born. Is it ideal? No but it isn’t certainly the end of the world. Anyway, she’s clearly not listened and is making it my problem so I told her:
“My only motivation I can provide is if Connor is born before the paint party then you’ll have less on your plate to stress about so you can enjoy meeting him without having to get the paint party stuff together instead 🤷♀️ But that’s IF he’s born before, but even if you prep it and he’s born after then at least you were extra prepared lol”
She hasn’t replied which is unlike her, she always responds within minutes and it’s been almost 10 hours so I know I struck a nerve. My husband says she should be prepping and should’ve haven’t mentioned it at all to me and that I called her out but I wasn’t at all rude about it.
That’s it, if she doesn’t prepare and I go into labor that’s her problem, if she texts about it I plan to just ignore her since my main focus then will be labor. Just annoying 🙄🙄
Posted Dec 3, 2025, 1:30 AM UTC