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Spineless Guy Watches As His Toxic Parents Walk All Over His Postpartum Wife, She Finally Explodes
I have been writing so many stories about toxic in-laws lately, it almost feels like there’s a shortage of good ones in the world. However, fights with them can actually expose the true colors of someone’s partner and reveal how supportive they really are.
Just look at this postpartum woman who was riddled with anxiety and driven to meltdowns every time her in-laws visited. What was more shocking was her husband’s inaction throughout all this until she exploded one day. Here’s how it sparked a lot of drama between the couple!
More info: Reddit
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Sometimes, while fighting with their in-laws, a person gets to see their partner’s true colors
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster’s father-in-law was very rude and blunt, but her mother-in-law was more toxic because of her passive-aggressive behavior
Image credits: user18526052 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
This woman caused a lot of tension during the wedding, but after the poster gave birth, her mother-in-law’s controlling behavior worsened
Image credits: prostooleh / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Moreover, the toxic in-laws had zero respect for the couple’s boundaries, and the poor poster got severe anxiety every time they visited
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
In fact, the in-laws’ incessant nagging and uncalled comments about the baby and their parenting drove a wedge between the new parents
Image credits: anonymous
The poster really wanted her husband to stand up to his parents, but also knew how toxic they were, and nothing would work on them
Today, we dive into the original poster’s (OP) sad life as she laments how her in-laws are driving a wedge between her and her husband. While her father-in-law was blatantly rude, her mother-in-law’s toxicity was passive-aggressive. This woman had controlled almost every aspect of the couple’s wedding, but things quickly escalated after their baby was born.
The mother-in-law had made OP cry on multiple occasions because of how she tried to insert herself into their parenting. Grabbing the baby from the poster’s hands, giving unsolicited advice, or doing things her own way, the woman kept tormenting the new mom. Poor OP started to get extremely anxious whenever they visited the couple.
The worst part was that the poster’s husband didn’t really understand how much his parents were traumatizing her. Both of them had spoken to the elderly couple, but nothing seemed to work on them. However, all of this was sparking constant fights between OP and her husband. She couldn’t fathom how he let his parents override the decisions they made together.
After she vented online, netizens instantly pointed out that the poster had a husband problem. She immediately defended him, saying that he had tried to stand up, but it never worked. Apparently, his parents just didn’t understand the concept of boundaries. While she admitted he needed to work on himself a lot, OP tried to maintain as much distance as possible from her in-laws.
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Unfortunately, studies found that 60% of women admitted that the relationship with their female in-law caused them long-term unhappiness and stress. Moreover, two-thirds of daughters-in-law believed that their husbands’ mothers frequently exhibited jealous maternal love towards their sons. The way OP’s mother-in-law coddled her son and acted mean with her daughter-in-law just proved this.
Moreover, experts stress that when in-laws cross boundaries, it frequently causes intense marital strain, leading to resentment, decreased intimacy, and increased fights. In fact, in-law conflicts are a predictor of spousal dissatisfaction and even divorce. While all of that is true, netizens felt the husband really needed to grow a spine and stand up for his postpartum wife.
Research indicates that this stage is a critical, high-risk time requiring physical recovery, hormonal shifts, and mental health monitoring. The last thing the poster needed was her in-laws harassing her while her husband watched. A study has found that an unsupportive partner can cause a person to experience physical stress. OP must be losing her mind with so much on her plate.
People online advised her to go to marriage counseling as the couple really needed it. Some even suggested that she should continue to keep her distance from the in-laws. Considering how no boundaries seemed to work with them, this felt like the right solution, didn’t it? What are your thoughts about the story? Feel free to type them in the comments!
Netizens pointed out that she had a “husband problem,” as the man needed to grow a spine and fight for his own family
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What do you think ?
Kate Johnson 1 month ago
This is an entirely self inflicted problem. The solution is simple. Tell them to f**k off permanently. Here's the truth, you get the s**t you take. They keep giving you s**t, you quit taking their calls. You teach them through hard experience that they will either get with the program, or there is the door. These folks should have been cut off long ago. I certainly would not want their corrosive influence anywhere near my kids.
Spencers slave no more 1 month ago
👏👏👏👏that was exactly my response when my ex, now dead, mil tried the same garbage because I dared marry her favourite child and birth a son. She was sh1t show and no show when I was expecting my second child, only showing up when my ex was home on leave for 5 days for the birth of son number 2. That woman didn't even call me when terrorists mortared the base my husband was stationed at. 7 months of her, just an hour down the road, no phone calls, no visits, absolutely nothing. My parents traveled 700 mile round trips once a month, phone calls every other day to check on me. She hated my first born with a passion, yet doted on my younger son. I promised my sons I would never treat their partners the way I was treated. I have an amazing daughter in law and an awesome "might be daughter in law", her words, and beautiful grandkids I spend regular time with.
Load More Replies...
JellyBean 1 month ago
I would never leave my child alone with these people. I also, think OP's anxiety needs to be taken very seriously and personally would say that for my health and sanity I won't be seeing them until they can show respect and learn to honour boundaries. And I'd make it clear - baby is only an option if I'm there so, sorry not sorry - not seeing your Grandson until to learn to stop being manipulative bullies.
Kate Johnson 1 month ago
People like this are not capable of changing their behavior. The only real choice is to cut them off, for good.
Load More Replies...
Vinnie 1 month ago (edited)
My guess: the MIL is a misogynist who sees the DIL as a rival. Decades back, I read the term "queen bee": a woman who likes being the lone woman with men and will not tolerate having another woman in the group dynamics. It happened in part when women were entering men-only workspaces (such as executive positions) and some of them thought that another woman could undermine their hard-won privileged position. The updated version seems to be a "pick-me".
Angela Corvaia 1 month ago
OMG! I must research this Queen Bee thing. I know of many....I think.
Load More Replies...
FreeTheUnicorn 1 month ago
Get husband into therapy, he has a lot to unpack. Best plan is go NC with in-laws but if that isn't an option, carefully curate the visits keep them short, plan for their s**t, and know the cost of staying in contact will be that they are awful and bad for your son. Odds are he's going to survive it and will be able to just file their crazy under grandparents are weird, but there's no guarantee.
Janelle Collard 1 month ago
Since this is 9 years old, I hope OP got her hubs to go to marriage counseling with her, to learn how to support his wife + stand up to his parents.
Linda Conaghan 1 month ago
Don't engage with them at all, son can go see parents alone and when the inlaws arrive pack up baby "sorry I was just on my way out" and come back when they've gone until son stands up to his parents.
Sparky Hughes 1 month ago
I give 50/50 this guy’s family is Hispanic. MIL sounds very much like my mom.
Fuket 1 month ago (edited)
FIL is a dominating figure everyone just falls in line. I will bet the only thing MIL has is being a mother. I can understand why she bottles up her emotions & feels like she has to repeat herself to be heard. The baby is something to put her knowledge & energy into. I think there is a lot of emotions going on right now. I hope MIL & OP find a way to communicate. If I could go back I would change how I interacted with my MIL about my kids, her first grandkids. She's always been amazing, just a lot, & it took me (intovert) time to embrace it. It's hard as a new mom to stop mother henning. If anyone can do it better it's a grand hen! Biggest regret not letting her in the delivery room. It would've ment the world to her, I was worried she'd see my who who. Come sit by my shoulders, is what I should've said, instead she sat by my door for 12hrs. I ❤️ her! I kept her in the divorce. She still has my picture hanging her wall.
Kate Johnson 1 month ago
This is an entirely self inflicted problem. The solution is simple. Tell them to f**k off permanently. Here's the truth, you get the s**t you take. They keep giving you s**t, you quit taking their calls. You teach them through hard experience that they will either get with the program, or there is the door. These folks should have been cut off long ago. I certainly would not want their corrosive influence anywhere near my kids.
Spencers slave no more 1 month ago
👏👏👏👏that was exactly my response when my ex, now dead, mil tried the same garbage because I dared marry her favourite child and birth a son. She was sh1t show and no show when I was expecting my second child, only showing up when my ex was home on leave for 5 days for the birth of son number 2. That woman didn't even call me when terrorists mortared the base my husband was stationed at. 7 months of her, just an hour down the road, no phone calls, no visits, absolutely nothing. My parents traveled 700 mile round trips once a month, phone calls every other day to check on me. She hated my first born with a passion, yet doted on my younger son. I promised my sons I would never treat their partners the way I was treated. I have an amazing daughter in law and an awesome "might be daughter in law", her words, and beautiful grandkids I spend regular time with.
Load More Replies... JellyBean 1 month ago
I would never leave my child alone with these people. I also, think OP's anxiety needs to be taken very seriously and personally would say that for my health and sanity I won't be seeing them until they can show respect and learn to honour boundaries. And I'd make it clear - baby is only an option if I'm there so, sorry not sorry - not seeing your Grandson until to learn to stop being manipulative bullies.
Kate Johnson 1 month ago
People like this are not capable of changing their behavior. The only real choice is to cut them off, for good.
Load More Replies... Vinnie 1 month ago (edited)
My guess: the MIL is a misogynist who sees the DIL as a rival. Decades back, I read the term "queen bee": a woman who likes being the lone woman with men and will not tolerate having another woman in the group dynamics. It happened in part when women were entering men-only workspaces (such as executive positions) and some of them thought that another woman could undermine their hard-won privileged position. The updated version seems to be a "pick-me".
Angela Corvaia 1 month ago
OMG! I must research this Queen Bee thing. I know of many....I think.
Load More Replies... FreeTheUnicorn 1 month ago
Get husband into therapy, he has a lot to unpack. Best plan is go NC with in-laws but if that isn't an option, carefully curate the visits keep them short, plan for their s**t, and know the cost of staying in contact will be that they are awful and bad for your son. Odds are he's going to survive it and will be able to just file their crazy under grandparents are weird, but there's no guarantee.
Janelle Collard 1 month ago
Since this is 9 years old, I hope OP got her hubs to go to marriage counseling with her, to learn how to support his wife + stand up to his parents.
Linda Conaghan 1 month ago
Don't engage with them at all, son can go see parents alone and when the inlaws arrive pack up baby "sorry I was just on my way out" and come back when they've gone until son stands up to his parents.
Sparky Hughes 1 month ago
I give 50/50 this guy’s family is Hispanic. MIL sounds very much like my mom.
Fuket 1 month ago (edited)
FIL is a dominating figure everyone just falls in line. I will bet the only thing MIL has is being a mother. I can understand why she bottles up her emotions & feels like she has to repeat herself to be heard. The baby is something to put her knowledge & energy into. I think there is a lot of emotions going on right now. I hope MIL & OP find a way to communicate. If I could go back I would change how I interacted with my MIL about my kids, her first grandkids. She's always been amazing, just a lot, & it took me (intovert) time to embrace it. It's hard as a new mom to stop mother henning. If anyone can do it better it's a grand hen! Biggest regret not letting her in the delivery room. It would've ment the world to her, I was worried she'd see my who who. Come sit by my shoulders, is what I should've said, instead she sat by my door for 12hrs. I ❤️ her! I kept her in the divorce. She still has my picture hanging her wall.
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