Mom Outraged After Mother-in-Law Calls Her ‘Gentle, Sensitive’ 10-Year-Old Son ‘Spoiled Brat’
One mom on Mumsnet was outraged after her mother-in-law called her "gentle" and "sensitive" 10-year-old son a "spoiled brat."
"My mother-in-law, who I get on very well with and is a fab grandma, has seriously pissed me off," the anonymous mom wrote on the parenting forum. "But as it is an almost one-off, I feel like I should let it slide."
The incident took place after the grandmother arrived at the family's home before school to help with carpool duties, as they were having car trouble.
"She asked my 10-year-old son, 'Do you have your bag and have you put your lunch and everything in it?'" the mom recounted.
Her son responded that his bag was by the front door and that his mom had packed it for him.
That's when things took a sharp turn.
Completely unprompted, the grandmother began to yell, calling the young boy a "spoilt brat."
The "flabbergasted" mom shared her mother-in-law didn't just say it once, but twice, and the grandmother's hurtful comment was heard loud and clear.
The woman explained her mother-in-law is a former principal and can project her loud voice very well.
"It's not a good thing to be yelled at by your grandma," the furious mom continued. "I get it is part of her personality, and she means no harm, but my son is a gentle, sensitive soul, and I don't think being called a 'spoilt brat' by your grandma who you love is ever a good thing."
The woman's husband told her they should "ignore it as [his mom] often speaks without thinking."
However, the hurtful comments are not sitting well with her and the frustrated mom is now wondering if she should dismiss the outburst or have a serious conversation with her mother-in-law.
"Would it unreasonable to ask her to think before she says things to her grandson?" she asked.
Mumsnet readers rushed to the comments section to offer advice and support, many of whom were sympathetic to the mom's tricky situation.
"Did she realize that she'd upset him and apologize? Perhaps that's the request you could make? That she tunes into his responses and feelings a bit more and responds accordingly, e.g., by apologizing when she's got it wrong. Awkward, though ... I don't know how you'd raise it! Good luck," one user commented
"She is very helpful to you ... if you raised this concern and she blew up about it, you could lose a very good ally," another warned.
"I think saying something to her won't help as it's likely she's not deliberately being sh---y. I would address it at the time. I find a 'sorry, what did you say?' And having them repeat it back makes people think about their words," someone else wrote.
Another Mumsnet user suggested they simply move on from the ordeal.
"If she says your son is spoilt, I'd say I disagree and then move on," the user advised. "Hopefully, being made to feel uncomfortable will make her subconsciously change her way of speaking."