I read a story on Reddit about a mom dealing with her mother-in-law (MIL) and husband after a chaotic family gathering went south. The poster, her husband, and their 11-month-old son attended a family event. Her son, who’s in the typical separation anxiety phase for his age, rarely leaves her side. While she was changing him, another child accidentally threw a toy car, hitting her son in the face. Naturally, she focused on calming and checking on her son, but her MIL immediately demanded to hold him.
When the poster refused, explaining she’d hand the baby over after checking on him, the MIL became aggressive, trying to physically pull the baby away. The situation escalated, with the baby crying harder, and the poster decided to leave. However, the MIL followed, yelling and causing a scene in front of everyone. She even told the husband not to listen to his wife because “she’s not the boss of the family.”
Later, the husband didn’t ask about the baby or his wife but took a phone call from his mom. When asked what they discussed, he dismissed his wife’s concerns, claiming it wasn’t her business. He even lied about visiting his mother a few days later. When the MIL arrived unannounced, she demanded an apology for what she claimed was disrespectful behavior and doubled down on her claim that she had a right to “her family.” Throughout the confrontation, the husband stayed silent, supporting his mom over his wife and child.
Whoa. You have a husband problem. While you’re protecting an actual child, you have two adult-sized children making up stories and throwing tantrums.
I’m saying this with as much respect as I can, you need to dump your husband and start a new life for yourself and your child. You will never be happy with a mama’s boy who lets his mother treat you like this. Is this the kind of example you want your son to grow up with?
The general consensus was that the real issue lies with the husband, who prioritizes his mother’s feelings over his wife’s and refuses to stand up for his family. Many advised the poster to seriously reconsider her marriage, emphasizing the long-term harm this dynamic could cause her and her son. The MIL’s behavior was widely condemned, but it was the husband’s lack of support that stood out as the bigger betrayal.