Obviously, from all of these posts, material things and free babysitting, are the two things that make a wonderful MIL.

She quit her job when I had a baby so that I could work and not have to worry about nor pay for daycare. And, she oftentimes does the laundry for me when she is watching him so that I don't have to worry about it when I get home.

Her MIL was awful to her and she tries very hard to make sure we have a good relationship. In fairness, DH's grandmother was awful to a lot of people--I only met her twice, once at my wedding & once at my bridal shower, and never even really spoke to her (and she was alive for 8 of the 10 years DH and I have been together and she lived about 1 mile away). But she was especially awful to my MIL.

she always keeps our kitchen clean when she visits -- she is obsessed with it. and she will basically fund dds' college when she dies, unless she goes into a nursing home and it eats up whatever inheritance she has to leave.

Not a blessed thing, but I am taking notes for future purposes as I have two boys and hope to be a MIL some day.

boooooring lol

There are some bitter pp's who want to dump on people if anyone wants to share something positive

My mil does not criticize my parenting choices although I know she doesn't necessarily agree with/understand them, bf for example. I did she did not.

She has helped pay for tuition for dc with learning disabilities. I am forever grateful!

I'm very lucky in this department. My MIL is wonderful!

She's completely supportive of our parenting choices, or at least she knows how to hold her tongue, as she never second-guesses or criticizes us.

She checks with us before buying anything for our DCs because she knows we have preferences and opinions about the toys and other kids' gear we want to have in our house.

She lives nearby and is more than happy to babysit when we ask. Evenings or sick days -- she's a great back up.

She loves our kids!! She loves them when they're healthy and happy, and she loves them when they're puking and snotty and melting down because they missed a nap.

Anonymous wrote:Not a thing. And I'm glad to not be up anyone's ass for money.

So, when your kids are older, you'll never give them another red cent? My in-laws have given a lot to my husband and me over the past three years. They're financially comfortable and would rather share the wealth now than leave an inheritance later. I liked them (warts and all) before they started giving us monetary gifts, and I like them still. If they tried to use their gifts as leverage, we'd decline the money. They're kind-hearted, not manipulative.

I have a MIL, step-FIL, FIL and step-MIL and they are all seriously wonderful.

FIL and step-MIL are always going out of their way to make get-togethers easier on us (they are local, but they'll insist on coming to our neighborhood for example). Step-MIL took the time to type, print, and bind dozens of family stories she wrote for us. They are just really good, easy people to be around. They are very understanding about things like not being able to visit them for every holiday (they know we have lots of families to divide our time between, and also just want to stay home sometimes).

MIL and step-FIL are also wonderful. They know their boundaries, and MIL has been pretty sweet and accepting of me (and my DH is her only child). They live in New England, and we take turns going there vs. them coming here. They have a condo here, so it's even easier to have them in town. They've treated us to a couple of dream trips on their yacht in the Caribbean, and MIL gives us really thoughtful/practical gifts for Christmas, things we need but that can really drain a budget.

I have absolutely zero complaints about my in-laws, and feel so lucky to have all four of them!

Last week she took care of DD, who was too sick to go to daycare. DD slept all day and she cleaned our house! It was already pretty clean, but she did the "deep clean" stuff I dread like cleaning inside the appliances and wiping down the baseboards. Plus, dinner was ready and on the table when we got home.

Not a thing. And I'm glad to not be up anyone's ass for money.

My mother-in-law is the best gift-giver. She gives the most thoughtful gifts. She gave me a cupcake carrier that I use all the time. Perfect gift for me because I bake all the time and was carrying around cupcakes in 13x9 pans! They're not necessarily expensive gifts, but it's touching to think that she puts so much thought into each gift.

She has never criticized my parenting...not even in a passive-aggressive way. I come to her for advice all the time because she raised two boys and now I have two boys. If mine turn out to be as fantastic as their father, I will be thrilled!

Absolutely nothing.

Sometimes I feel like I won the lotto as far as inlaws. Yes, there are minor annoyances. But overall they are great.
They live 4+ hours away, and when we visit, they'll watch our kids while my husband and I enjoy some down time, like a nice dinner or strolling around town.
I feel at home in their house. I wash our dirty clothes, I help with dinner, I help clean up, I can make myself coffee anytime, help myself to any food... Even though its not really home, they have made it so it feels like home when we visit.

Thought I would start a positive MIL thread after reading the other one ha! Fortunately, I have a wonderful MIL and FIL. I even call them Mom and Dad (and yes, I have a great relationship with my own parents). There have been so many things and ways they have shown how much they appreciate and care about me that I feel very lucky when hearing/reading about others' situations.

Some nice things my inlaws have done:
-Have bought me numerous items like clothes, jewelery, etc just because they thought I would like it, without there being any special occasion.
-Put a down payment for a new car for my birthday.
-Paid several times for us to go on vacations.
-We have lived with them since getting married(their suggestion) and they always refuse any attempt we try to make to pay for monthly expenses.

I know the above is pretty materialistic but in the ways that truly matter:
-I was the first dil, and now have 2 sil. My mil has never played favorites or bad mouthed me to them and vice versa.
-My mom and my mil have a good relationship but have had a few (serious) disagreements. My inlaws NEVER, EVER said anything negative to me about her.
-The few times me and my dh have our disagreements, my inlaws never get involved with their opinions.
-They treat my son like gold.


So what are some positive things your inlaws have done for you?