There are moments in life when someone shows you exactly who they are. All you need to do is decide what kind of person you’re going to be in response. This Reddit user, Traditional-Yak2096, acted on instinct and told the whole story to the Reddit community.
“My SIL, Alice, is a single mom. She had her first child at 16 and her second by 19. Alice lived with her parents but was often mistreated by my MIL Pat.
My MIL is a mean, petty woman. She wore a light beige dress to my wedding, and anything I do isn’t good enough. My grandmother died, and I inherited a double condo townhouse. My husband and I moved into one, and the tenants next to us moved out about 6 months ago.”
“Alice was having a hard time, so I told my hubby that if she could keep it nice, she could move in. Alice is working part-time and going to orthodontic assistant school. She’s not a troubled person that my MIL makes her out to be.
In 6 months, she hasn’t been a problem, and the boys are now 7 and 4, so not bad children, just boys. They remind me of my cousins.”
“My MIL was visiting Alice, and the 7-year-old was outside playing and knocking over a planter on my side. Not a big deal.
My MIL screamed at him and called him a hurtful name because of his background (he’s a mixed child). I was so angry at her. I told my MIL to leave the property and not come back to visit ever. My SIL was shocked but cried, saying her mom often spoke to 7-year-old like that.”
“I told my hubby, and he thinks we overreacted to his mom, and his mom just isn’t used to children playing rough because they weren’t allowed to. I told my husband that a ball bouncing is not rough playing; it’s an accident, and his mother’s language was inexcusable under any circumstances. So, for the boys’ mental health, that woman is not allowed over.
His whole family said I’m being dramatic, and Alice has the habit of over exaggerating everything. But I heard for myself what his mother said, and in 6 months of Alice living in the next condo to us, she has never given me the reason not to trust her or think she’s an unfit mother or bad person.”
“Update: My MIL is still insisting she didn’t say that, and I misheard her. My husband and I are still arguing over it because he thinks that his mother said it in anger because the child broke something expensive. I don’t think that’s a valid reason to say that to a child or anyone ever.”
Sometimes, standing up for what’s right means being the only one willing to say, “This isn’t okay.” It’s not about holding a grudge or making drama. It’s about protecting the people you care about, even when others don’t see the harm.
Remind him that you own both. He can move in with his mother if he doesn't believe you and stand up for you, his wife. And he's been living next door to his sister, surely he knows what she's like by now. Tell him that he needs to decide. If he's insisting mommy's right then he can go.
