Anyone sharing the same prob with me?

troubled_gal

New Member
Hi everyone,

I hv been stayin wif my FH n FPIL for the past 4mths. During this period, i hv came to understan y ppl would always say "xiang jian rong yi, xiang chu nan".

Im havin prob wif my FMIL cos for everythin u do, she oso wan to poke her nose in it or she would b sittin there n watch wat u r doing.

She's thrifty, i can understan tat but would ppl be so thrifty to the extent tat even those water used to wash oily utensils, she oso keep it in a pail in the bathroom so tat she can use it to wash clothes later n she can still claim tat she wash clothes v clean. There's once i caught her washin my towel tog with their socks, lingeries n even those rags n i quickly told her don't need to wash for mi as i can do it myself but the nxt few times i caught her doin it again which i don't know if she's purposely doin it anot.

N wat make matter worst, she always thought watever she do is correct n even doubt other ppl capability. She always thought wat she do is out of goodwill which we don't c it in tat way at all. In fact we would feel tat she's more of a hassle than helpin us instead. Yet she oso like to keep tellin every1 tat she's "hao xin mei hao bao" n tat she's a gd wife, mum n MIL etc la. But if she's reali so, then y would every1 in the hse includin her husband, my FH n his younger bro cant tolerate her too n would keep havin arguement with her. N his younger bro who is married oso quickly move out with his wife. The fact is she's really a troublemaker but yet she don't c tat in herself at all. I was wonderin for a person who is gd anot is nt to be say by oneself n should b say by others instead rite.

But she like to always praise herself n tellin me how gd she is n she oso hope to c tat her 2sons would hv a gd marriage. But she can keep complain to me tat my FH always smoke secretly in his room when i hv not move in yet n whenever im nt in his hse at tat time n i told her i already ask my FH but since he insist he really nv do so anymore ever since bein caught by her once very long ago n so just forget abt this issue but she would say to me how would i know if my FH is lyin to me anot hence i told her y nt wait till my FH is around then we clarify tis issue but she say don't wan as she don't wan my FH to be aware tat she told me abt him behind his back. So is she tryin to stir up prob between us?

There's once i overheard she told my FFIL tat ever since i moved in like everythin oso wan my FH to listen to me cos all along my FH is v "chim cai" type although he oso cant stand some of the way his mum do things n even argue with her b4 I hv moved in.

I always told my FH i wonder if i can really tolerate stayin with his mum till our own flat is ready in 3yrs later.

Can anyone advise me on wat should i do?
 


3yrs is a LONG time when u're in an unhappy environment. u should shift out or join the MIL thread...
 
Then be prepared to put up with all this for 3 years...if I were you I would have shifted out long ago
 
Agreed with Powder again..
3 Yrs is a LONGGGGG time! unless its 3 mths then maybe u can lun but 3 freaking long yrs! no joke!

Guess the only way not to strain your future r/s with ur FPIL is to move out, rent a house but if u simply think that there is no pt to move out now, then the only thing u can do is to just act dumb, act blur & accept whatever your FPIL or FMIL say to you, backstab you or strain ur r/s with ur FH.
 
Just move out - unless you are being forced, ie cannot move out.

If you find it troublesome to move out, then learn some breathing exercise and be patient.. else what is your purpose of your posting here
 
wat u guys hv suggest r quite true.

its either move out or jus put up wif it... haiz

>powder: u gt the link to the MIL thread?
 
agree with what most of u hv suggest. but for nw we r tryin to save up for our future hse hence do not hv the ability to move out nw.
 
exactly... wanna save money and stay in Other pple's house for Free, then u've gotta put up with this. so how much i'ts worth to u is how much u'd be willing to pay to stay outside...

solutions are simple if u realise u've gotta lose something to gain something.

alot of pple can't solve problems becos they wanna win every aspect... Ai Pee, Ai Chee, Ai Dua Diap Nee...
 
get a room ah... instead of getting the entire hse if you do not have the ability to rent the whole unit.

I guess a couple of hundreds should not be too difficult btw u & ur FH right?
 
Trouble_gal,
If u have read my posts on monster-in-law (MIL), perhaps we can hi-five. Let me share with you those period of time when i wasnt married to my hus yet but i stayed over at their place frequently.

I am always particular about cleanilness and it was rather shocking to live with my (inlaws) at their extremely dirty flat at that time thus i decided to clean up their place frequently. My MIL don't touch my clothes & i helped to wash my then bf clothes as well. Why don't you keep the dirty laundry in your room? Btw, is she a full-time housewife? If that's so, it spells trouble liao. She sounds just like my MIL who likes to poke her nose in every single affair which will relate to her son. She always think that she is always right & others are wrong. You gota follow her instructions or else..She will often ask my hus to help her do alot of tasks, usually so troublesome one. Moreover, he is the eldest thus have to 'take care' of 2 younger bros.

Seriously, staying at their place is not as bad. Not a problem. Just stay in your room & heck care coz it is not your house, not your affair. Better dont have a kid for the next 3 yrs or else you suffer alot more like me.
 
if staying in your own paternal homes didn't pose a problem... then why not just dun stay together, or dun get married til u get a house?

when u wanna stay together and can't afford to, and have to take refuge in either homes - there's always gonna be inconveniences and differences. Just remember whose house isit and remember u will always have a choice... your choices are as follows...

1. stay separately in your Own homes, like when still dating.

2. stay in either homes and remember u're just a guest.

3. rent your own place.

pick one of the 3, there's np 4th choice where u stay at pple's homes and expect them to change becos U're there. however unreasonable, idiotic or irritating they are... it's Their home.
 
Cannot move out, cannot stand your FMIL also so how?

U lose some, u gain some, no win-win situation lah gal...haiz.

From the way I see it, u have to choose either one...if u cannot move out cos no $$$, then u just have to simply put up with her nonsense, that's all. U can't have ur cake and eat it always girl.
 
Thks for the advice given by everyone.

>flowerygal can send me the link to ur MIL thread n perhaps i can read ur post over there n mayb share the prob tog too
 
sm,
What i mean is that if they have kid during their stay at inlaws place, they will have more problems arising. More conflicts & disagreement will occur as MIL will have to take care of the kid since they are staying at her place. Unless MIL is a easy-going person, then letting her take care will be great.

Troubled_gal,
Just take care of your own room and affairs will be good enough. Life will not be that tough as long you don't step on her feet. I stayed with my inlaws before & my relations with MIL was good. So long you maintain the room & tidy up well. Guarantee no problem. But you must greet her everyday & try not to chat too much with her lest she misunderstand your words.

Btw, how much allowance your FH always give her? Must give enough so that she will be satisfied. Within his means of coz.
 
>flowerygal

Yup i do greet her everyday n i oso did my own washin of mine n my FH clothes. She like to talk alot of things to me nonstop but all r repeated topics which she had been tellin me again n again. Last time b4 i had move in, i would still chat with her but ever since i had move in n after all those above mentioned issue had happen, i realise the best way to deal with her is not to talk too much to her so tat she would know how to stop talking if not there will be nv end talking for her lo. N just in case the more i talk, the more she misinterpret what im tryin to say lo.

Actually we don't really give her much cos we oso wana save for our future home mah. But we would automatically buy those necessities instead of expecting her to buy everythin lo. Cos last time she used to complain to me tat my FH's younger bro n his wife nv contribute a single cents nor even buy those necessities at all when they r stayin tog at tat time lo. N she even help them wash their clothings.
 
Hi trouble_gal,

Old people tends to be more naggy as they don't have many people to talk to. Just be more tolerance and patience with them. Like Flower_gal mention, stay more in your own room and try not to be too involved in the household matters as it is HER HOME. Life would be simpler and easier for you
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Btw, my MIL stays with me too (with my eyes "closed").
 
Troubled_gal,
Just avoid chatting so much with her. It should solve most of your frustrations. Although i am a very chatty person & often like to initiate chat up with MIL, after i realised that she often misinterpret what i said, i stopped. Fyi, MIL is a woman of few words but will nag & talk alot if she wants to take control of the issue. Too bad, i realised too late. It was only after i learnt my lesson, my FIL, hus & MIL's sis told me the truth that she often misinterpret whatever people say & live in her own world. She would doubt what people say to her & wonder whether are there any motives behind. Then anyhow accuse people for things that they did not say. FIL said for the same reason, he did not dare to chat to her for a long time. Anyway, i asked them how come they did not warn me earlier & prevent all these from happening, they went speechless.

Be prepared that she will say that why you are always 'hiding' in the room. Just ignore her. It is best this way rather than create opportunities to have misunderstandings. Some parents do not like people to switch on tv in the house (save electricity). My friend's inlaws are like that. Meanwhile, do try to find out more about what are their living habits & culture.
 
The advise to shift out might seem simple enough but is it possible in every scenario? We have somehow forgotten that negotiating with husband on moving out might not be all so simple nor feasible.

Might as well as instead on move out or divorce. Very simple right? But, are these the only solutions? For sure, its tough to handle the folks and we probably cannot change things overnight. But, moving out isn't always the only solution.
 
flowergal, sad to say. Many elderly folks do become more and more insenile. What you say are experienced by many people.

However, I disagree that by shutting from her is the solution. In fact, the more the family shan her, the more lonely she gets and trig more of her negative thinking. The mental health of many elderly are made worse simply because of lack of emotion support and connection with family.

It is very wrong for her family to shan from her. But, I guess its beyond you to really help her.

Its sad that as children, we hardly try to understand our parents and get impatient with them easily. Not everyone can grow old gracefully and peacefully. MANY do struggle to adapt to changes. This is natural. As confident as we are today, 50 yrs down the road, are you so sure you would be as sensible as you are now? Your health will fail and your blood sugar, hormones etc will do crazy things to your brain and emotions. You may not be as reactive to changes as you are today. How many of us really think in their shoes? I try to remind myself each time.

Do you see a pitiful old woman struggling to adapt or a monster out to get you? Then think, this is the woman that brought up the man that you love so dearly. We take alot of credit away from them, they deserve better.
 
u know, sometimes i imagine one day when my daughter is grown up and she has a steady bfren she wants to marry... and he lives in my house and just shuts himself in the room with her...

abit unbearable to be honest... in my home with my daughter... hmm... and then he helps with groceries and some finance and thinks i sorta like owe him to be nice and cordial? dun know leh... i dun know how i should react many years from now. i guess i'll be happier to kcik her out once she turns 23... dun think i wanna stay in my own house and feel uncomfortable... then i work all these years to build a home for what? ti be treated like i'm some old needy uncle who is so dependent on the youngsters?

i think some youngsters... they contribute little (subjective) but they think they ARE HELPING u. but of cos being a father/FIL, i think the problems won't be that bad as the age-old problem between the ladies... for some reason, it's always the ladies... from washing clothes to meals etc - there's always disagreements... and i'm not even gender-bashing.

i attribute it to too much thinking and not enough communications... second-guessing and allowing matters to worsen.
 
People are getting more self-centred and hence older people becomes more problematic?

Actually all of us just need to take 1 step back and be a little tolerence and patience, life would be much better
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ya, i guess we prob have more activities outside of home Now, than in the past... so we tend to take for granted - the sanctuary provided to us by our parents FOC... it's sad if our kid's bf/gf start to take us for granted as well... i think we dun need recognition, just respect (the type that pple entering your house or living under your roof give u)... and the last thing i want is to be told by some youngster on how to run my household when u're so keen to marry the children i bring up!
 
my husband is already planning to kick the children out by the time they're 18 cos that's when he left home .. explained to him that it's not the norm here, usually stay with parents until time to get married and even then some still continue living with parents .. he cannot understand it.
 
hey i think similar to your hubby... boy will be kicked out 1 year after he complete ns, girl will be kicked out by 23... unless she loves her daddy so much and can't bear to leave me, then i grant her an extension of stay... else both have to pay us rent (not allowance) liao
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allowance makes us look like we need them to survive, and subconsciously - they may get the idea tat i need their money. so call it rental and it'll be specific to their stay in the house... and tat's all their paying for - rental.
 
Most younger generations now had been talking about freedom, individualism, privacy and treating the hands that were wrinkled and old now a baggage and disrupting their lifestyle.

When they least realised those were also the hands which lead them along to pursue their life and giving them the ability to achieve what they want now. What we are giving our parents staying with them or not is a token of appreciation to the best of our ability. We should not even equate it to be the rent/expense and justify it that they have no rights to feel uncomfortable.

I notice a trend about booastful young individuals proclaiming how independant and etc they are when they are still living under their parents roof. Nothing to be proud of unless you can be someone whom your family can totally depends on you.

I can't stand the thought of being unable to accomodate parents due to their living habbits but yet find them to be a source of convenience if they can take care of your kids.
 
So we need to make a difference....we need to re-inject the correct family values to our own kids. People in their teens and twenties already have twisted family values.....Seeing news report about their spending habits made me worried.
 
yeah, that's what my mom called it as well when i was still living with her - rent. now that rent has turned to babysitting fees cos she looks after the girls about two nights a week for me and the husband to have date nights ..
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TM, my daughter went through my husband's wallet on the weekend - when i saw her, she was putting the wallet back where he had left it. i asked what was she doing, she said she was looking for money and produced a coin (20 cents). she seemed very pleased with herself cos now she has money in hand .. she is only 2. on another occasion, she wanted to buy something from the vending machine. i told her she can buy it if she has the money - she said she has so i told her to show the money to me then. she turned to her father, with an open palm and asked him for money. hmmm ..
 
well in the past, perhaps u get some validation from society in general with a gold bracelet/necklace, a longines, and a Bonia bag... and u eat at ponderosa, jack's place...

now u have vast exposure to Charlotte Artelier Tiffany, LV, Panerai blah blah blah... and u eat at pepper lunch then have designer-coffee after that....

but u really wonder where the moola comes from... so i guess as parents we'll also have our roles to play.
 
Haha...cuclainne,

My daughter does that when she was 3 yrs old...so I have to tell her that is wrong and it's called stealing. They don't have the concept of money yet....it's ok...not to be alarmed. Just correct her
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Yeap has to provide the education to kids. What you want you work for it, not stretch out your palm for it haha

Parents definitely has roles to play. I still believe in the chinese saying that goes something like, misconduct of child, parents to blame and blah blah blah.

I like my mum's saying, "Beat to death also don't let them stray" in hokkien haha. But not that extreme till beating the daylight out of them like what we used to kenna la, just need to educate well and make sure they understand. But the cane will also come in handy at times.
 
>MiLo On e RoCkS (miloice)

I agree with wat u had say tat "The advise to shift out might seem simple enough but is it possible in every scenario?.....But, moving out isn't always the only solution."

Instead of suggesting movin out as the only solution, is there no other ways to deal with the situation instead of avoidin it simply by walkin out of the place?

>Flowerygal

Ya im aware tat if i always 'hide' in the room with the door close, she would surely say thus in order not to let her say so much, sometime i will just let the door remains open n when she came in to 'chat' with me, i will just simply give her 1 word answer like "hmm, orh , ok etc" n sometime she would take the hint that i don't wanna talk so much n she would left the room liao.
 
Solution is simple and I don't know what else discussing

a) Move out
b) Be patient and tolerant

From what I see and experience it is DIL that will always have problem with MIl and vice versa. And today DIL will probably be MIL tomorrow and not necessary they will be a great MIL.

Nowadays people are so self-centered that it is difficult to accommodate other people - let alone live with them. And problem is always with other people and not ourselves.
 
Guys generally do not that much of such problems caused they been through army and lived with a bunch of smelly peeps for 2/12 years no matter they like it or not? haha
 
troubled_gal,

milo's suggestion is for u to expand on your thoughts towards the issue if not looking to move out. 'not moving out' is not a solution, but it's suppose to Spur a solution. 'moving out' is a solution, but not necessarily the only one.

the thing is.. Do something, and not think round and round and hope for something to happen.
 
yup now what im tryin is to be more patient n tolerance like most of u hv suggest.

now i even try to "zheng yi zhi yan, bi yi zhi yan" cos i don't want to put my FH in a difficult situation oso.
 
for me i used to be a rather hot-headed young man... what works for me is to constantly see things from Other pple's point of view first... before i open my mouth and say things i cannot take back. of cos we cannot do this all the time, but with closer frens n family, it can help to prevent any unnecessary misunderstanding n conflicts...

try not to be at a point of tolerance... if u're aware that it's tolerance - it's bound to blow up after some time... the thing that can help u avoid having to use 'tolerance'... is understanding. Understanding helps ALOT!
 
Besides Understanding...try to find some positive aspects out of every situation...however negative the situation it may be...

And also, try not to take everything at face value...
It helps to look at things from another perspective and try to understand, on a deeper level, what that person is trying to achieve. You might be pleasantly surprised at the shift in your paradigm if you took the effort to understand your ILs better.

It's just very human nature to put the blame on the other party when things don't go your way...but you need to understand, as you grow older and getting more involved in the society, that mutual understand, respect and compromise goes a long way towards resolving some of the issues that we faced today.
 
the sole purpose of my advise for each one of us to stop lamenting about parents, in-laws and society in general and reflect more on what we are doing ourselves.

As SM mentioned, the solution is actually simple,
a) Move out
b) Be patient and tolerant
But, the execution is not at all simple though. It involves so much emotion etc. We have to take care in the feelings of those involved. Its a very tricky situation.

Don't look at the issue at the surface level and get upset. My best advise is to be give the folks the benefit of the doubt. Always, try to understand more on why they behave like this. Most people can be reasoned with in the right situations. Validating the feelings should be the 1st thing to address.

For guys, don't forget your mums are women too. They have the same feminine needs as your wives too. We often forget that. This has worked wonders for my personal relationship with my mum. Hug them and hold their hands too. Women appreciate such intimacy of love. It affirms their place in your hearts.
 


troubled gal, my friend rented a 3-rm flat from HDB 2 years ago while waiting for his new flat to be ready by this year end. You may want to enquire from HDB and explore this option. I think renting from HDB is a lot more affordable as compared to renting from open market.

3 yrs is definitely way too long to tolerate especially when you're complaining after staying for only 4 mths.
 

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