Obligations to in-laws. Where do you draw the line?

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Obligations to in-laws. Where do you draw the line?

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I am curious to see what everyone does for their in-laws, their relationship dynamic and the boundaries they’ve set on things they absolutely will not do.

I can’t stand my MIL. We have never had a “real” relationship. I have always just appeased her to keep the peace while she has slandered my name. It took years to be the bigger person and just look the other way.

Her health is seriously declining. She has other family besides her 1 son but no one will help or really talks to her outside of the occasional phone call because she has been a verbally and emotionally abusive viper her whole life.

My husband and I have been married for 31 years. The sun rises and sets behind my husband, but he also really wants nothing to do with her. If it comes down to it he’ll talk to her But in recent months he has stopped even initiating a relationship, calling her or going to see her unless I make him.

Just curious to see what everyone does for their in-laws. Where do you draw the line and hard no’s you will not do.

here are mine:

toileting
showers
hands on caregiving

Burnout Family Caregiver Relationships

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Stop forcing your husband to have a relationship with his mother. Be grateful that he is man enough to keep that "viper" out of your lives and protect his marriage. Stop worrying about his mother and follow his lead when it comes to his mother.

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Your MIL could be mine.

After 46 years of her putting me down, belittling me, saying nasty, horrible things to me and DH just sitting back and allowing it, b/c "she's old, you have to make allowances". Phooey! She was 44 when I married into the family--that's old?? I was supposed to allow her to destroy me over and over--for what purpose??

I never fought back. I cried a TON. My poor kids, they saw what was going on and are mad to this day at their father who never said a word in my defense. They don't like grandma much either.

One year ago--a little more, since I know we weren't wearing masks yet-- I had to accompany DH to her house while he fixed her computer. She would not allow me to sit down, I had to stand there like a whipped dog. Finally DH says "Oh, for pity's sake, grab the office chair and sit down". She tried to argue with him, but I did get to sit. (My bad back was grateful!) Then, b/c she had been 'thwarted' she laid in to me something fierce. Just vitriol, nasty, hateful yelling at me. DH is deaf as a post and so is she, so she couldn't hear him and he wasn't even trying to listen to her. I sat there and had a great epihany. I didn't HAVE TO PUT UP WITH HER!!

I got up, slapped her on the back and said "V, I'm giving you the best gift in the world. I'm leaving and you'll never see me again" Followed by a good slap on the back and the theft of a Diet Coke.

I slammed out the back door, which neither one of them heard, darn it. Walked the few blocks to my sister's and by the time I got there I was laughing. Sis sat me down, fed me some chocolate and we talked and by the time DH came to get me I was fine.

And I have not spoken to nor seen my MIL since. NOTHING could make me see her again and I don't intend to. Why? Why put yourself in the line of fire?

I TRULY did not know people as nasty as my MIL actually existed.

Here's my hard no's of what I will not do:

see her again, ever
go to her funeral (but she is never going to die--she tells us that all the time)

Isn't that sad? Really, she could have had a good friend in me. I cannot change her and I'm OVER changing me for her.

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I got a few laughs out of this! I have gotten to the point where I pity and feel bad for MIL. She is a tormented soul who will never find solace even in death because she wishes bad upon people. Her karma reaped now is nothing to what she will reap once she crosses over. I do tell her that from time to time.

It also brings me happiness to know her son really wants nothing to do with her anymore either. It’s like a my secret wish has been granted

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Your husband already draws his line at NOT having a relationship with his mother. Why do you force him to have a relationship with an abusive viper? Do you want him to keep getting bitten over and over? Why? Oh, is it because she gave birth to him and that entitles her to abuse him for the rest of her life?

How about he forces YOU to have a relationship with his viper mother? Would you like that? There's nothing virtuous about having to be abused by a parent.

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Great response, polar!

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I have a great relationship with my MiL

My wife has a great relationship with both my parents.

We plan on keeping these relationships great by continuing to live in different cities or states than they do, and never considering even for the slightest fraction of a second having them live with us.

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Easy to say until they are incapable of finding for themselves. I didn't want my mother living with me but I wanted to avoid the guilt of doing nothing when she needed me way more. If your partner wants to move them in then what? I think it's important to have a plan and figure out the financial means to avoid an experience u don't want.

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It's very simple -- You mother's children (ideally) are responsible for her safety and care. However, neither they nor their spouses are required to provide that care, nor are they required to pay for that care.

Find a nursing home where MIL will be properly cared for. Use her funds to pay for it, and if she can't afford it, apply for Medicaid for her. After she's been placed in a facility where her basic needs will be seen to, you and your husband can interact with her as much or as little as you choose.

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You draw the line where you think it's best to be drawn.
This applies to in-laws, parents, siblings, anyone.
If someone can't stand a person and never had a real relationship with them they should not feel obligated to do for them. Just because a person is in someone's life for many years or they're a relative, does not mean they're owed something from people they've never treated well or been close with.
If your husband is limits his contact with his mother, he has reasons for this. Don't push him to visit her or even see her if it's not what he wants to do.
As far as you're concerned, you don't owe her a thing.

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I won’t do any caregiving at all for my in-laws. And my husband fully supports that. They aren’t bad people, but they also have been self absorbed for as long as I’ve known them, taking little interest in us or our children. Our now adult kids all say they feel no obligation to visit them, a relationship was never established by my disinterested in laws. They’re showing many more signs of aging issues now, but we’re not jumping in. Do what gives you peace, nothing more

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Hands-on physical caregiving (the original poster’s ‘hard nos’), are better done by skilled, trained professionals who are, themselves, younger and less likely to be injured in the process. 31 years married? You’re not young, yourself. I have a hard time lifting my 20 pound cat! I could not lift, catch, or prevent a fall with a 100 lb+ person. I would not endanger my mother or MIL by imagining I could be a fantastic caregiver in that way.

Add in MommyDearestMIL’s years of resentment from an abusive person, and continued, ongoing verbal abuse, and hands-on care is a recipe for unhappiness for one and all. I would NOT want to be cared for by someone I dislike who also dislikes me! Sometimes the best thing you can do is recognize you can’t do a job by yourself, even if pure-of-heart and willing to try.

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Your husband can decide to do as much or as little as he chooses in helping to arrange for or “manage” her care. Nowhere is it written that ones child must care for their parent as they age and the the way we choose to treat people, including family, throughout life are also the only way we can expect to be treated later in life even though some get lucky. Your husband doesn’t have to have a close relationship with his mom though I suspect your reminding or urging him to go see her is more because you feel it’s important for him in the end and you know him best. Visiting once in a while does not mean either of you need to do any personal or hands on care however.

Do you or your husband have any idea what if anything she may have set up? Does he have any legal authority to help? If not maybe she has made her statement and if she has set that up and he chooses to take on any responsibility for the arrangements you can either choose to support HIM by helping behind the scenes or simply providing moral support, it’s entirely up to each of you independently and together. Either way discussing it together is going to help you both through this as involved or not you are attached as family and will be privy to whatever happens. You have no legal or moral responsibility to her, your responsibility is only to your husband and it sounds like he is either conflicted himself or has made his decision and you need to have a discussion together about that. At least IMHO (in my humble opinion)

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It is written in the Bible to honor your Mother and Father, this includes inlaws, widows, etc. It seems a sad state that no one feels responsible for anyone but themselves today. I can't imagine what some people's lives will be like at their end days, based on how they preceive care for the elderly now.

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The limits you've listed on caring for your in-laws are the same I had for caring for my dear parents - not because I hated them or they were toxic, but because it's hard physical work that I felt I wouldn't be capable of doing well. It's not like I shunned them physically, but when incontinence and other issues that arise with being wheelchair-bound came up, I was fortunate that my parents had the financial wherewithal to get them help to do the difficult physical caregiving. If your mother-in-law doesn't have enough savings, she may need to go on Medicaid or be part of other low-income programs. It's a personal choice, but I feel that many of us at midlife and beyond should not be expected to do hands-on care on a regular basis because it's very wearing and draining and we're asking for injury and burnout if we try to take on full care. If a family wishes to take on that personal care, it is most appropriate to share it among several grown children and grandchildren, not just one, and to supplement with some in-home paid caregivers.

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Your response is calm, appropriate, kind. However, with two family bullies, my dad and my sister, the last year of my dad's life was so full of drama, I had to see a therapist. Once I understood the situation I was in, I bowed out. My dad had plenty of savings, but, alas, I think my sister was either broke or greedy, and was furious about every nickel spent on his care. I have learned a hard lesson.

Obligations to in-laws. Where do you draw the line?

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