This is so annoying to me but every time we have a party, my MIL will say “how many people? I will make meatballs” or something else completely random. Lady, this isn’t a potluck! It’s a kid’s party and we have a theme already. She just can’t handle not being in charge at all times.

It drives my mother nuts that I never complain about my in laws! They are very nice, incredibly generous and never question my parenting skills. My mother does that!

They expect a hot lunch every day. Refuse to eat cold cuts and make a sandwich, so they eat leftovers for lunch. This means I have to make a fresh dinner every night they are here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just for fun...

What are the most (mildly) irritating habits or things your in-laws do?

I’ll start:
Despite being born/raised in the US, MIL refers to the US as “the States.”

When an ambulance drives by with a siren on, FIL makes a big show out of clamping his hands over his ears until it passes.

I call the US ‘the states’ too, what is wrong with that? It is more accurate than calling it America.

It's almost exclusively used by non-Americans, so it comes off as affected. To me, at least. I love my MIL, but she's a total snob and obviously sees herself as a very cultured person, so I do think she does it to seem more European/sophisticated.

OMG. I too say 'the states.' I had no idea it's a snobby phrase! lol....I think you may have a chip on your shoulder about that one...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.

Do you all not just say you make more money? I'm pretty sure I'd say something like, "Well, since I make more money than your son, it's actually due to my generosity"

That would be a petty thing to say with respect to her spouse. My spouse makes more than I do, and if he made that kind of comment it would really piss me off. I think most couples do not view the purchasing of joint household goods as due to one or the other’s generosity. I doagree the IL making the comment is super annoying, but no reason to take it out on the spouse.

i agree with this, but you could say, "Actually, I bought the Keurig, not Sam." and not get into who makes more or less money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Father in law describes his home as “the vacation house” and gets really upset if we take a vacation anywhere else.

He constantly says that kids these days are “too safe” and gives my children gifts like a cordless drill or a real saw. They are 3 and 5.

Lol that’s awesome

Not really. I can’t even go to the bathroom because my idiot FIL thinks that’s a great time to teach my kids about electricity, or how to saw a tree down, or how to hammer nails. He doesn’t understand that this is okay for older kids, but my kids are too little to understand the consequences of sawing their finger off. I think he’s senile.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.

What culture are your inlaws from?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.

Do you all not just say you make more money? I'm pretty sure I'd say something like, "Well, since I make more money than your son, it's actually due to my generosity"

That would be a petty thing to say with respect to her spouse. My spouse makes more than I do, and if he made that kind of comment it would really piss me off. I think most couples do not view the purchasing of joint household goods as due to one or the other’s generosity. I doagree the IL making the comment is super annoying, but no reason to take it out on the spouse.

Stating a fact to correct misinformation is not “taking it out on the spouse”. It’s fine that you earn less than your husband, but if your mother tried to tell him whenever she saw him that he doesn’t earn as much as you do and that the only reason he has nice household appliances is due to your generosity, and you were okay to let that slide, then you’d be the horrible spouse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.

Do you all not just say you make more money? I'm pretty sure I'd say something like, "Well, since I make more money than your son, it's actually due to my generosity"

That would be a petty thing to say with respect to her spouse. My spouse makes more than I do, and if he made that kind of comment it would really piss me off. I think most couples do not view the purchasing of joint household goods as due to one or the other’s generosity. I doagree the IL making the comment is super annoying, but no reason to take it out on the spouse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.

Do you all not just say you make more money? I'm pretty sure I'd say something like, "Well, since I make more money than your son, it's actually due to my generosity"

I wouldn’t be able to resist saying it either! What do you ladies stand to gain by feeding her delusions?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.

Do you all not just say you make more money? I'm pretty sure I'd say something like, "Well, since I make more money than your son, it's actually due to my generosity"

my mil says "eye-talian" for Italian.
yes, I am Italian-American.
She is from upstate ny and of German descent.
dh doesn't understand why. he cringes and I laugh.

Oops. Un air conditioned

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Father in law describes his home as “the vacation house” and gets really upset if we take a vacation anywhere else.

He constantly says that kids these days are “too safe” and gives my children gifts like a cordless drill or a real saw. They are 3 and 5.

This is not slightly irritating, this is obnoxious. Anyone who gave my 3 year old a real saw to play with would never be unsupervised with my kids EVER.

My MIL refers to the unfair conditioned third floor attic with bathroom (no kitchen) as 'a lovely apartment ' and can't ynderstand why trudging up and down 3 flights of stairs with toddlers isn't fun and why we don't want to stay there for a week. Also refers to her house as home and frequently asks dh when he is coming home again. Because the place he has lived with me for ten yrs isn't home. Refers to her kids as my Elizabeth and my charlie. No lady i am pretty sure that the lady who sleeps with him and bore his children should get to call him my charlie. Just saying.

Anonymous wrote:Mine makes comments about how lucky I am for owning all kinds of fairly common household objects (like a Keurig) and manages to tie it back to her son's generosity. My DH is awesome but I'm the primary breadwinner in our family.

My too. I hate it.