10 Mothers-in-Law Who Know How to Stir the Pot

Some mothers-in-law just have a knack for stirring the pot. From small comments that ignite arguments to well-timed crises that throw everyone off balance, their manipulations are subtle, frustrating, and sometimes outrageous. These stories capture the moments when boundaries are tested, patience is stretched, and the chaos they create becomes unforgettable.

• My (now ex) boyfriend and I had been saving up to take a long road trip together. About a week before we were set to leave, he told me that his mom spent hours crying to him about how much debt she has and that she may have to add a second mortgage to the house, sell precious family heirlooms, etc.
  So, being a good son, he decided to give her most of his road trip money. I was understanding, and we agreed to put the trip on hold so he could save more.
  A few days later, I visited his mom, and she showed me this huge, elaborate ceramic water fountain she had bought the day before for her garden. It was ridiculous. I muttered something like, “Must have been expensive.” She patted me on the shoulder and said, “Road trips are dangerous. It’s better this way.” © hazelk / Reddit

• MIL had a habit of developing life-threatening illnesses whenever my friend and hubby were doing something she wasn’t invited to. Hubby fell for it twice before.
  This time, they were on their honeymoon. MIL rings and cries, “Son, you must come home, I’m at death’s door.” Hubby replies, “Don’t knock on it then.” Then he blocked her. This particular call was the fourth one, on their second day! © wickeddradon / Reddit

• When my MIL lived with my husband and me, she had the horrible habit of leaving the bathroom door open. I don’t know how many times I walked in on her. Truly something I wish I could unsee.
  Both my husband and I asked her to please close the door. Well, she told my husband that the cat was the one opening the door, so it wasn’t her fault. Finally, I had it when I walked in on her with no clothes on.
  So I decided that if she won’t listen to the basic request to close the door, I would write a note and tape it to the bathroom door. This was a couple of years ago, but the note said something like “Please close the door while in use. And make sure you close the door until it clicks, so you are not outsmarted by the cat.”
  Well, when she saw the note, she flipped. She tore the note off the door and complained to my husband that I was out of line. He just told her if she had closed the door, we wouldn’t have this issue. From then on, she always closed the door. But I find it completely hilarious at the temper tantrum she threw.
  I have a lot more about my MIL, but the list would go on forever. I’m just thankful she no longer lives with us. And we went full no contact with her, so we haven’t seen or heard from her since she left in November 2021. It’s been so peaceful without her. © LuckyInLove8789 / Reddit

• My mother-in-law cropped me out of a picture holding my baby to post on social media (which we’ve previously asked people not to do). Not that crazy, except when my husband called to tell her that it was inconsiderate to crop me out of a photo with my own daughter, she started crying and saying how I am so immature and unreasonable, which devolved into a weeklong campaign of my husband’s entire family calling/texting about how childish and unreasonable I am.... For saying I didn’t appreciate being cropped out of a picture with my own kid. © aggymama / Reddit

• My MIL broke her hip two days after my son was born. She was appalled that my husband was not going to visit her (she’s a six-hour drive from us) in the hospital or help take care of her once she was home.
  She told me she felt “abandoned by him during one of the hardest times of her life.” She blamed me for not “allowing” him to go help her. I had my mom local to help me with the baby, but why did I need him? © shelyea / Reddit

• I recently got married to the love of my life, J. We had a perfect wedding, except for one thing, my MIL’s freakout when she saw my dress. When we had gone dress shopping, I invited her and I found my perfect dress.
  My husband’s family has a tradition of always wearing blush dresses on their wedding day. They told me about this before, and I respectfully said I would wear whatever color dress my perfect dress was.
  Once I finally found it, it was white. MIL asked me to ask if they could alter it to make it blush, or to find a new dress if they couldn’t. I said I would ask, but if they couldn’t, then that was that.
  Long story short, they couldn’t, and I showed up to my wedding in a white dress. All through the ceremony, MIL was seething. During the reception, she pulled me aside and asked why my dress was white. I told her that I didn’t want to find a new dress, and they couldn’t alter it.
  She said it was a tradition, and she was disappointed that I had broken it. J also said that he was disappointed when I walked down the aisle in a white dress. © aita-wedding12345 / Reddit

• I met my husband when I lived abroad. After we married and had our son, we moved back to our country of birth. My mother-in-law announced one day at a family meal that she did not believe her son was the father of my child.
  The saddest part about it was that my father-in-law came to my defense, but my husband just sat there and said nothing. Years later, my mother-in-law owed me a huge apology, as my son and his dad could be twins. © Hilary Harrington / Quora

• My MIL told everyone I trapped her son with a baby. She never visited or called. My son was 3. He had a rare heart condition and passed away recently.
  At the funeral, she hugged me for the first time and slipped an envelope into my hand. Inside was a page from my husband’s journal.
  It turns out he never wanted children. He only agreed to try for a baby because he felt pressured by me. Now I don’t know if her confession is a cruel lie or a painful truth I have to live with.

• My MIL has literally seen my 4 1/2-month-old less than 6 times, but in those times she visits, it’s always something negative to say/remark and throwing shade on my parenting skills and acting like she knows my baby better than I do. She is very clever, though, and always comes by whenever my husband isn’t home so it’s her word against mine.
  The worst was that she got visibly upset that my daughter is now starting to look exactly like me and not her side of the family. Like really, woman? She is my daughter; she has my DNA. She’s also hurt that my mom will be taking care of the baby when I go back to work.
  I’m cordial with her but try to avoid her at all costs. © GemTaur15 / Reddit

• My MIL calls, saying she’s having “another emergency”, every time my husband and I plan something. She hates being left out of anything we do and has a habit of turning every little thing into a crisis, so we drop everything for her.
  Last week, we finally planned a date night, and she knew. She called, “Please come, I can’t breathe.” And of course, she insisted we come over immediately. Fed up with her games, I told my husband I would go check on her myself.
  She was shocked when I showed up at her house with two doctors from her clinic. Since she said it was an emergency, I told them she needed urgent evaluation. They checked her blood pressure and heart rate. Everything was normal. She kept trying to act distressed while the doctors looked increasingly confused.
  My husband finally realized what I’ve been trying to tell him for a year. She couldn’t manipulate us this time. The silence afterward was the sweetest thing I’ve heard in months.

Enjoyed these MIL stories? Read next article for another real-life family clash: My stepdaughter wants me to pay the bills even though I babysit her kids for free.