Our daughter recently got married to a bloke who isnt from a wealthy background, but hes sensible enough. My wife and I, naturally, werent over the moon about the match, but it was her decision to make.
To mark the occasion, I gifted her a lovely flat so the newlyweds wouldnt have to worry about renting. They were chuffed with the present, especially the grooms parents.
His parents praised the flat every chance they got and would pop by often to visit. My daughter even started to grumble to me that her mother-in-law was constantly around, making it impossible for her to even phone her friends. Lately, her mother-in-law even suggested that my daughter should register her and her family at the flat. That way, they could give up their current place, sell it, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger property for everyone. The new place, she argued, should be shared by the whole familybecause, in her view, family should share everything.
My daughter politely declined, finding the suggestion rather odd. But her mother-in-law wouldnt let it drop. First, she called nearly every day, pressing the matter, and then took to emotional blackmail and causing a fuss. She accused my daughter of not loving her son, threatened to get the couple divorced, and even claimed shed take the flat for herself. The groom himself tried, seemingly in vain, to calm his mother down.
We decided not to meddle at first, hoping the young couple would sort matters themselves. But when my daughter began to ring us in tears, we couldnt stand by any longer, and I knew I had to step in.
Im not a man to be trifled with, so I paid the mother-in-law a visit. I told her, in no uncertain terms, to leave our daughter alone, or Id be forced to involve the authorities. She quickly backpedalled, insisting wed misunderstood her intentions; she only wanted what she thought was best for everyone. After that, my daughter stopped suffering and is now genuinely happy.
Ive learnt something important from all this: sometimes, you have to step in as a parent, even when youd rather let your children handle things on their own. Family is precious, but boundaries are just as important.
