There is no short supply of advice/concern for my MIL where the kids are concerned. In the few short hours I was with her today she pointed out the following:
*Bailey really shouldn't be sleeping in his own room by himself until his is at least in elementary school.
*I might want to think about cutting back on what Sophie eats because her legs are a little too chubby.
*We all need more fish and less french fries.
*Bailey runs kinda funny for a boy, you might want to have that checked out.
*How come Sophie isn't crawling yet?
And the list could go on and on, but just thinking about it makes me all anxious. My kids are happy and healthy. I appreciate her concern, but sometimes it is a bit overwhelming.
My SIL and I maintain that the best thing to do is just smile and nod.
5 comments:
Gah! MILs need putting in an envelope and mailing to Mongolia where they can annoy other people and not us.
My "best" MILism was upon phoning her to tell her that her one year old grandson had been rushed into hospital with severe pneumonia - "He got that because you keep a dirty house" was her panic stricken comment. Then she wondered why she didn't get any more phone calls with updates....
As you say, the best way is indeed to grin and bear it as replying always seems to lead to either a row or stranger things being said. When it's something trivial I can bite my tongue but if it's something really big then these days I let her have it (politely!)
yes ... just smile and nod ... and thank her for loving your children so much and being so concerned for them. it's not personal ... really, it's not. it's just "her." ask God to enable you to love her just as she is; pray for her; thank her for loving your kids so much. get on her "side" with her and love them together. see the two of you on the same "team" loving the same kids so much and wanting the very, very best for them. you hold the "trump" card and you both know it, but you don't need to wave it in her face; just keep it tucked underneath - don't let it be devisive. you do not have to agree with her, but you don't have to tell her that, either ;)
smile and nod and bite my tongue, I've done it for 27 years now, it's getting very old!!
My mother is very much like your MIL. *sigh*
It's CONSTANT!
Yep, smile and nod, smile and nod. You are doing just great with your kids. And both my babies were in their own room and cribs as newborns . . . or this mother would have gone mad, I'm sure!
I think this is a universal MIL disease. I have always taken the 99% of what my MIL says is total nonsense stance and it has worked well!!
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