You ought to be renovating my flat instead of swanning off on holiday!
My mother-in-law is downright furious because weve finally gone on holiday and refused to pay for her redecoration. Her flat is perfectly nice, in great conditionthe makeover is pure whimsy. She seems to think were her sponsors, even though shes more than capable of footing the bill herself.
My husband and I are exceedingly careful with our money. Were still paying off our mortgage and raising two teenagers. Throughout our entire marriage, this summer marks our very first proper holiday.
Previously, the best we could manage was camping in the woods or borrowing a cabin by a lake. Our children had barely seen anything of the world, so this time we saved up every penny and booked a family trip to Italy. It took some serious tightening of the belt, but it was worth every bit of effort.
Not long after the wedding, my mother-in-law made it very clear she wasnt going to babysit her grandchildrennot ever. I accepted that, never asked for help. So, all our holidays and weekends, the children stayed with my parents while my husband and I worked. I never held it against her; looking after two children is hard going. Shes retired now, and entitled to enjoy her free time.
Shes signed up for swimming classes, attends outings and gallery eventsa very busy retiree, really. The snag is, every new hobby and day out she fancies has to be funded by us, often at the expense of our own family needs. Shes never bothered about our mortgage, bills or the children; her attitude is always that we have to help her.
To top it off, every weekend shed ring my husband with a list of odd jobs: fix this, mend that. And this year, she completely lost all sense of proportionshe wanted her flat redecorated. Wed all like a few home improvements now and again, but you cant always have what you want, can you? Especially since we completely redid her place only five years backit still looks fresh and lovely.
My mother-in-law had no idea we were heading to Italy. In fact, we didnt plan to tell her at all: just lock up and go. Which is exactly what we did.
But while we were away, she turned up at our place. When she found the door locked, she rang my husband. He told her we were in Italy. She hung up, and by the time we came back, we were greeted by utter chaos.
You might have warned me. And anyway, where did you get the money? You should be doing my redecorating, not jetting off on holiday.
Normally, my husband keeps quiet and never stands up to his mother, but not this time. He firmly told her that she had nothing to do with our finances.
Since then, my mother-in-law hasn’t spoken to us. She doesnt ring her grandchildren, either. But other relatives ring us up to say how terrible we are. Neither my husband nor I feel guilty. My parents support us wholeheartedly. After all, we need to live a little while were still youngespecially when the in-laws are asking for money for fancies, not real necessities.
