My mother-in-law decided shed move into my flat and give her own place to my daughter.
My husband, David, grew up as part of a large family. My mother-in-law kept having children until she finally had a daughter. Odd approach, but its hardly my place to judge. Family games, I suppose.
When I married David, I thought I was fortunate. He seemed dependable, courageous, and strong. He valued family, but he simply couldnt break away from his mother and his youngest sister. My mother-in-law never seemed especially fond of her sons, but the happiness of her daughter always came before anything else.
Sarah, the youngest, was ten when we first met. At first, I didnt mind having her around, but after five years, it started to get to me. She refused to study, fell in with the wrong crowd, and my husband always had to clean up after her. My sister-in-law could ring David up in the middle of the night and hed come running to help.
I hoped Sarah would grow up, get married, and everything would sort itself out. But that wasnt to be! When she finally decided to marry, my mother-in-law asked her sons to chip in for the wedding, as she had no money herself. Sarahs new husband didnt make much, so the newlyweds had to move in with my mother-in-law.
A child came, then another Eventually, my mother-in-law realised she couldnt keep living like that, so she came up with what she thought was the perfect solution shed move in with us and hand her flat over to her daughter. But how is that fair? I paid for our flat with my own money, while my husband didnt put a single pound towards it! The remarkable thing is that hes perfectly happy with this arrangement, saying, My mum will be a great help to you.
Weve got a two-bedroom flat. I dont want to give up my comfort and start sharing my home with anyone else. My mother-in-law is absolutely convinced that were obliged to take her in, as David is the eldest son and, in her mind, should look after his parents wellbeing.
I love my husband; divorce isnt something Id ever want. But how do I get him to see sense? How can I make him understand that living with his mother is pure misery? Perhaps someone out there has some advice for me.
