My mother-in-law raised my son alone, so she was jealous of me from day one. And then came jealousy, too. It may seem strange, but our happy family did not make my husband’s mother happy. Joy for the happiness and well-being of her only son outweighed her envy of me as a woman who was more successful in her personal life.
My husband left my mother-in-law for another woman when their son was only three years old. She never married again, I don’t know for what reason. She says she didn’t want the child to have a stepfather, and her own sister says she just couldn’t stand anyone because of her complicated character. I saw this for myself, my mother-in-law showed her temper early on when I met her. I understood that there was nothing to expect in a good relationship, but I was glad that we would live separately (I have my own apartment).
But even occasional visits from my mother-in-law put a strain on our relationship. She did not hesitate to criticize me in front of her husband. I am not a perfect hostess, but the house is always relatively clean, as it can be with two children (ages 4 and 6). If I didn’t have time to make dinner, my husband could also fry potatoes or order pizza himself. This especially pissed off his mother. She believes that a woman should have time to do everything herself. But her criticism is not aimed at giving advice or improving our everyday life, she is always trying to sting me, to humiliate me. I see that this gives her pleasure.
I decided that my husband will meet with my mother at her place, he can even take the children with him, and she will not come to me anymore. But my mother said it would be even worse, because I wouldn’t be present during their conversations, and my mother-in-law could say anything to turn my husband against me.
I don’t understand why I “earned” such a mother-in-law from a higher power. All my friends have a normal relationship with their mothers-in-law, one even lives with her husband’s parents for 10 years, and they are fine.
