So, my mother-in-law and her husband were great until my daughter was born. They became possessive, critical, and we were living next door, in the middle of a renovation, and we needed help. Then, a month ago, my father-in-law yelled at me and I raised my voice back at him. I shouted that he owed me an apology for his behavior since my daughter’s birth, grabbed my daughter, and went back home.
My mother-in-law told me that her husband had acted badly, but that I needed to be more mature… I told her that I was being mature and asked if she would like it if someone treated her daughter that way. She snapped back, “I hope everyone treats you as well as we do.” I ignored her and told her I was busy, then locked the door behind me.
This week, I went to a family event and my father-in-law exploded again. Apparently, speaking to people in a nasty way is his way of dealing with stress. I told him he couldn’t talk to me like that, and he replied, “I can say whatever I want.” I said, “Yes, but I don’t have to listen to you.” I hugged my daughter again and left my in-laws alone with my husband. This time, MIL and FIL argued and blamed each other, while my husband told them they cannot treat me like that.
Two days later, MIL and FIL showed up at our door. I opened it, and for the first time in their lives, they apologized—apparently, neither of them had ever apologized before. I just said, “OK.” They left in a rush, embarrassed… Now MIL pretends we’re friends, and FIL won’t look me in the eye. They both act as if I were a ticking bomb and they’re afraid of making me angry. Apparently, this is also the first time anyone has told them their behavior won’t be tolerated.
Honestly, I don’t know what to make of all this.My daughter is almost three years old… so that’s how long it has taken them to give me an apology, even though I’ve been telling them all this time that they’ve been acting like idiots. Should I accept the apology? Maybe. But I don’t think I’ll trust them, and I definitely won’t be asking them for help anymore.I’m also not really sure why, after years of critical remarks and “jokes” with unpleasant comments, they suddenly decided to apologize. What’s the point?