Redditor Asks If She's Wrong To Expect MIL To Prep Her Food While Visiting, Considering She Already Cooks For Her Grandson And Herself

"She told my husband I was being disrespectful and that she came to do us a favor"

Filip

• Published in Interesting
• November 17, 2023

When someone offers you help, the truth is, you never know what you will get, especially when that help comes from a mother-in-law. The unwritten rule is that MIL has their own points of view, and in most cases, they truly have different perspectives that deviate from the term 'normal'.

This story is just about different perspectives, and the OP asked online if hers was wrong. The OP explained that her husband had surgery, and her mother-in-law came to help them with their young son.

This assistance was vital as it allowed the OP to maintain a routine of working, sleeping at home, and visiting her hospitalized husband in the evenings. However, tensions arose when, one morning, the OP noticed her MIL was preparing breakfast.

Instead of inviting the OP or leaving some food for her, the MIL took the meal upstairs, shut the door, and shared it only with the toddler. This action deeply upset the OP, especially since it was in her own house, using groceries the OP had purchased.

That evening, the OP discussed the situation with her husband in the hospital, intending to address the issue herself but wanting to inform him first. The OP's husband talked to his mother, but MIL repeated the situation the following morning, with a slight variation.

She left one piece of bacon for the OP, which seemed to the OP like a taunting gesture rather than a genuine offer of food. Confronting her MIL, the OP expressed her disappointment and told her that, in their household, whoever cooks should prepare enough food for everyone present.

The MIL accused the OP of being disrespectful, asserting that her assistance with the child was a significant contribution that earned gratitude. The OP, however, felt that such help didn't give her MIL the right to treat her as non-existent in her own home.

Feeling conflicted and seeking external perspectives, the OP wonders if her reaction to the situation was justified.

Here is the OP's problem:

The OP explained her MIL came to help them while her husband was in hospital:

But MIL clearly didn't want to prep food for the OP, just for her grandson:

The OP found her MIL's action very rude:

The OP's husband talked with his mother, but she continued with her intended behavior:

So, the OP talked with her MIL, and MIL accused her of being disrespectful:

But the OP doesn't share her MIL's point of view:

One Redditor supported the OP and said the MIL's behavior is bizarre

The other one agreed

A Redditor said MIL's behavior was definitely intentional

The OP wanted to explain some things

So, she added an update about the course of events

She explained her POV

And her feelings

One piece of bacon is too much...

Redditors told the OP that she was not in the wrong for expecting her MIL to cook enough food for everyone since she's already making it. The MIL's behavior was extremely rude and inappropriate.

She did help them with their son, but she clearly had no interest in helping the OP.

Filip