I never quite understood where all the food my wife so carefully prepared kept disappearing to. Then, my mother-in-law finally told us the truth.
At first, I was genuinely glad that my mother-in-law, Margaret, was lending a hand. Our son, Oliver, is often under the weather, so we decided against sending him to nursery for now. My wife, Emily, asked her mum to look after Oliver while were at work.
Margaret agreed, but only if it meant she could return to her own flat every evening. She treasures her peace and quiet at home.
Occasionally, weve things to tend to in the evenings or simply want a night out, so well ask a neighbour to pop in, letting Margaret get back to her own routine. We never wanted to overburden her; shes already helping enough.
In the beginning, everything was smooth. I’d rush home after work, and Oliver would be changed, fed, and happy. But then Margaret stopped waiting for us to arriveshed slip out before we made it back.
Emily always cooks a couple of dinners in advance. Every month, we hand Margaret an envelope with some cashabout £200to thank her for her time and effort.
But it became clear that the meals Emily made were vanishing. Margaret eats like a bird, and a toddler can only consume so much, so it didnt add up. Eventually, I plucked up the courage to ask Margaret directly. She explained that my father-in-law, George, had taken to visiting in the afternoons. She would prepare him a plate since he usually cant be bothered to cook after a long day, so he tends to have his dinner at ours.
To be honest, I was at a loss for words. Margaret goes home every evening; surely she could manage something simple for George? I wouldnt mind if he came round once a week for a proper meal, but every day seems a bit much.
The truth is, theres hardly anything left by dinnertime for me and Emily. She refuses to make a fuss, but after adding it up, it almost seems it would cost less to hire a nanny outright.
Im not happy about this arrangement with my in-laws, and I resent how its all handled behind our backs. Emily wants me to keep quiet, but I cant stop thinking: do they not understand that were budgeting, too? We pay Margaret every month to help with our son, and yet theyre essentially eating us out of house and home. Has anyone else ever found themselves in a spot like this?
