Unhinged MIL Follows Couple On Every Vacation, So They Change Their Plans Last Minute

Your in-laws can be a lottery. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and get ones who feel heaven-sent. Other times… not so much.

This Redditor, unfortunately, drew the short straw. Her MIL has been stalking her online, keeping tabs on the family’s vacation plans, and then booking the exact same trips to show up uninvited. So far, she’s managed to crash three of them.

But just as she was gearing up to do it again, the couple finally found a way to outsmart her. Keep reading to see how they pulled it off.

The woman’s mother-in-law had a habit of hijacking family holidays without an invite

Elderly woman in a pool with a yellow float, surrounded by scenic mountains and bright flowers on a sunny day.

Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)

But this time, they managed to beat her at her own game

Stalker MIL tries to gatecrash couple’s vacation but they outsmart her with a clever secret plan.

Text excerpt showing a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash couple’s vacation by booking overlapping flights and accommodation.

Text on white background reading This woman has gatecrashed 3 of our previous vacations before I learned to set and follow boundaries properly.

Text describing a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation by booking same city stays and secret plans to outsmart her.

Text about stalker MIL trying to gatecrash couple’s vacation and their secret plan to outsmart her.

Two women on a couch, one looking upset and the other gesturing, depicting a stalker MIL conflict scenario.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt about a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation, with a secret plan to outsmart her.

Text about a stalker MIL barricading a door and causing conflict when refused to join couple’s vacation plans.

Text on a white background describing a stalker MIL obsessed with vacationing with a couple, who outsmart her using a secret plan.

Text showing a husband protecting his wife from a stalker MIL by secretly changing their vacation location.

Couple enjoying vacation by the pool, relaxing and sipping beer while outsmarting stalker MIL’s gatecrash attempt.

Image credits: Rain12Bow

Why getting along with a mother-in-law is so difficult

Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)

The mother-in-law stereotype has been around forever. From old literature to modern films, it’s been the punchline of countless jokes and the focus of plenty of personal stories. And judging by tales like the one above, it’s also a major reason people head online to vent.

But is it really an inevitable struggle or something we’ve just been taught to expect?

Research shows it’s actually pretty common, though it depends on whose mother-in-law we’re talking about. Terri Apter, a psychologist at Cambridge University, found that more than 60% of women reported friction with their husband’s mother had caused them long-term stress. Meanwhile, only 15% of men said their mother-in-law gave them headaches.

Experts say this often has less to do with personality clashes and more to do with the weight society places on motherhood. For women who have built their identity around caregiving, seeing their children grow up and move on can trigger feelings of loss, sadness, or even a crisis of identity.

According to Access Therapy, if a mother has centered her life around raising kids, she may struggle to redefine herself once they become independent adults. Marriage can feel like the final shift in family dynamics, making the adjustment even harder.

“Studies show that mothers-in-law want to continue in their active parenting, but are often faced with a role transition,” Andreea Nica, of the department of social sciences and cultural studies at Western New Mexico University, told The Ethel from AARP.

This is where tension with daughters-in-law often comes in.

To the mother, the new addition to the family can feel like a threat to her role, sparking fears of being replaced or made irrelevant. In response, some double down, offering unsolicited advice, criticizing parenting decisions, or clinging to traditions that no longer fit the new household.

While frustrating for couples, these behaviors often come from insecurity rather than deliberate malice. And it’s worth noting that many mothers-in-law feel unfairly boxed in by the stereotype itself. They don’t want to be seen as the “monster-in-law.”

So what can they do differently? Experts suggest starting by respecting the boundaries that marriage creates. And above all, learning when to stay quiet.

“Never offer advice unless it is asked for, and sometimes not even then,” said Geoff Greif, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. “Don’t put your son in the middle. He will almost always side with his wife. And don’t bad-mouth her to him.”

Of course, there’s also a difference between wanting to stay involved in your family’s life and going completely overboard, like stalking vacation plans and showing up uninvited. That kind of behavior is far from normal, and it crosses a line no in-law should ever step over.

At the end of the day, it’s up to mothers-in-law to decide whether they want to be remembered as supportive and loving or as the subject of horror stories told online.

Readers were stunned by the mother-in-law’s actions but thrilled that the author’s vacation was saved

Comment on a forum screen with text about blocking access to children, related to stalker MIL trying to gatecrash couple’s vacation plan.

Comment suggesting a canary trap to outsmart a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash the couple’s vacation again.

Comment about husband’s parents wanting to join vacations, expressing frustration and desire for alone time due to stalker MIL behavior.

Social media comment sharing a clever secret plan to outsmart a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation.

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Reddit comment suggesting a secret plan to outsmart a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation.

Text excerpt discussing a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation and their secret plan to outsmart her.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a stalker MIL and suggestions for handling intrusive texts during a couple’s vacation.

Comment explaining how the stalker MIL is obsessed with controlling the couple's vacation and how they outsmarted her.

Reddit post discussing stalker MIL trying to gatecrash couple’s vacation with a secret plan to outsmart her.

Comment expressing frustration over stalker MIL’s attempts to gatecrash couple’s vacation and their clever secret plan.

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Comment text discussing a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation and the husband protecting his family.

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Screenshot of an online forum comment discussing outsmarting a stalker MIL during a couple’s vacation with a secret plan.

Comment expressing hope that friends are aware of the stalker MIL situation and have blocked her on social media.

Reddit comment advising a clever secret plan to outsmart a stalker MIL trying to gatecrash a couple’s vacation.

Reddit user discusses stalker MIL trying to gatecrash couple’s vacation and the family’s clever secret plan.

Comment about husband avoiding travel talks with stalker MIL who tries to gatecrash couple’s vacation repeatedly.

Comment on social media post about stalker MIL trying to gatecrash couple’s vacation, hinting at a secret plan to outsmart her.

One commenter even chimed in with a similar story about their own overbearing MIL

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