When I gave birth, I thought sleepless nights would be the hardest part. Instead, it was my mother-in-law. From the moment we came home with our newborn, she inserted herself into everything. My husband was wonderful—changing diapers, rocking the baby, helping me whenever I needed. But each time he helped, I saw her watching with disapproving eyes.
One evening, my husband was changing the baby when my MIL suddenly rushed over and snapped, “That’s not a father’s job. Men shouldn’t be changing diapers!” I was stunned. My husband froze, clearly uncomfortable, before calmly saying, “Mom, it’s my responsibility too.”
But she didn’t stop. She insisted he was “the provider,” and I was the one meant to handle “the dirty work.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing—she was shaming my husband for supporting me, for being an active parent to his own child.
Later, he admitted he felt torn, caught between respecting his mom and standing by me. And that hurt the most—that she was creating a divide between us during a time when we needed unity the most.
I’m left wondering: am I overreacting for feeling so upset, or is it time to set firm boundaries and stop her from dictating how we raise our child?
