“Im going on holiday, and Im certainly not babysitting for anyone! My mother-in-law stood me up, but I made sure to give her a taste of her own medicine.
Every family has its fair share of secrets or difficulties. For some, its about money squabbles, others may battle issues with infidelity or drinking, and in some households, clashing values and interests take centre stage. Luckily, weve always been spared from such troubleswell, except for one thorn in my side: my mother-in-law. If it werent for her, everything would be just about perfect. For years, I really tried to get along with her, but it never quite worked out.
I understand that the bond between parents and their children is a strong one. But dealing with a mother-in-law as overbearing as mine at 37 years old is entirely too much! My husband and she seem to share endless secrets, whispering and gossiping behind my back. To add to my frustration, I am fairly certain she doesnt even care much for our sonher own grandson.
Let me recount the most recent drama to hit our family. Every summer, our son spends most of his time staying with my parents in their countryside cottage, while my mother-in-law rarely offers to take him for more than a week or two. This year, the situation became more complicated. Due to the pandemic, my mum, who is a doctor, couldnt take any time off work. Meanwhile, my dad, having some health issues of his own, wasnt in any position to look after his grandson either. I couldnt take any leave from my job either, so naturally, we turned to my mother-in-law for help. We agreed on the arrangement a whole month in advance.
Then, just a week before we were to drop off our son, she called me and said casually, Oh, Ive been gifted a holiday! Youll have to sort out the little one some other way.
I was stunned. Without another word, I simply hung up the phone. My heart sank; we had no backup plan for our son. It didnt take long for me to learn that her gifted holiday was, in fact, a trip she had planned and paid for herself. She had known the entire time that she was supposed to look after her grandson.
Adding insult to injury, before she left, my mother-in-law asked my husband to tend to her greenhouse and water her garden while she was away. With his packed schedule, that duty inevitably landed on me. But I had reached my limit. Calmly yet firmly, I refused.
Youve let me down, Margaret, I told her. You made promises and then betrayed my trust. Dont expect me to step in and do you any favours now. Go on and enjoy your holiday. As for your plants, let them wilt for all I carethats not my concern.
Naturally, this did not go down well with her. She was upset, but it didnt stop her from going on her little trip. And now? Here I am, scrambling to find a holiday camp or some other solution to keep my son occupied.
Did I do the right thing? I think about it often.”
