So get this, my mother-in-law has decided she wants to move in with us and shes just handed her flat over to her daughter.
Let me back up a bit. My husband, William, grew up in this big, bustling family. His mum, Patricia, kept having kids until finally, after a string of sons, she had her precious daughter. Strange approach to building a family if you ask me, but thats their business, not mine.
When William and I got married, I honestly thought Id lucked out. Hes the picture of responsibility hardworking, dependable, proper bloke. He understands what familys about, but hes still very much entangled with his mum and sister. Patricia’s funny like that: she doesnt spare much attention for her sons, but when it comes to her daughter, everything else comes second.
The daughter, Emily, was 10 when I first met her. At the beginning, she was just a normal kid to me. But five years on, things started to take a downward turn. She lost all interest in school, started hanging around with some not-so-great company, and William always had to drop everything to help sort her out. His mother would ring at all hours of the night demanding he come sort some crisis or another.
I kept hoping Emily would grow up, settle down, maybe get married and have a nice normal life. No such luck! When she finally did meet a boyfriend, Patricia decided that her sons (meaning William and his brothers) should all chip in for the wedding, because apparently she hadnt got two pennies to rub together. To top it off, Emilys fiancé wasnt exactly made of money either, so they ended up living with Patricia. But, surprise surprise, they didnt exactly get on.
Patricia quickly figured out that having her daughter and son-in-law under her roof was a headache. So whats her grand solution? Move in with us and give her flat to Emily. She didnt care in the slightest that I bought our place in Manchester with my own hard-earned pounds William didnt even put a fiver towards it! And get this hes happy about the whole arrangement! He keeps saying his mum will take a load off us with the chores.
Weve got a three-bedroom flat, but honestly, I dont want to surrender my comfort and privacy. Patricia is convinced its our duty to welcome her, being as William is the eldest and apparently responsible for looking after his parents.
I love William, and divorce honestly isnt on my mind. But how on earth do I even bring this up to him? How do I get him to see that living with his mum is an absolute nightmare for me? Have you got any pearls of wisdom to share?
My Mother-in-Law Decides to Move in With Us and Gives Her Flat to Her Daughter: How My Husband and H…
