It all started small.
When I got married, I was sure I was joining a stable, organized family. My in-laws seemed calm, balanced – perfect grandparents for our future children. But the reality turned out to be completely different.
It all started with small things. A dinner meeting where my mother-in-law suddenly started acting strangely. She put on bright red lipstick and wore dresses that barely covered her knees. My father-in-law started telling jokes that were more appropriate for young people than for a mature man. I thought that maybe it was temporary. That they just wanted to freshen up their lives.
But over time, their behavior became more and more… shameless. At a family dinner, my father-in-law suddenly put his arms around my mother-in-law, whispered something in her ear, and then they both burst out laughing, completely ignoring the rest of the table. “Can you all calm down?,” I said, trying to keep my cool. But they looked at me like I was the problem.
The worst was when I invited them to our child's birthday party. I had hoped for a quiet, family gathering. But the in-laws showed up late, dressed in such a way that it was impossible not to notice them. My mother-in-law wore a leopard-print dress and high heels, and my father-in-law wore a leather jacket and sunglasses, even though it was evening. Their entrance was like something out of a movie: loud, full of laughter, and attention directed at them.
All the guests were staring at them in disbelief. And I? wanted to sink into the ground. “This is our child's birthday party, not your private fashion show!” I told them later, when we were alone. But they just shrugged. “Don't overdo it,” my mother-in-law said with a smile. “We have the right to have fun.”
My husband didn't see it as a problem. “Leave them alone,” he said every time we talked about it. “At least they're happy.” But I couldn't stand their behavior. Every visit turned into a spectacle. Every conversation – into a display of their “youth.”.
The worst thing was that their behavior started to affect our children. One day I overheard our son saying to his younger sister, “Grandma says that when I grow up, I can do whatever I want, even if others think it's stupid.” I didn't know how to react to that.
Do I really want my children to follow the example of in-laws who act like teenagers and don't care about anything?
Over time, I started to avoid their visits. But they wouldn't give up. One day they called me and asked me directly: “Why are you avoiding us so much? Is something wrong?” That's when I couldn't take it anymore. “Your behavior is inappropriate!” ” I exploded. “I can't stand watching you turn every meeting into a spectacle. It's not about you, it's about the family, the children!”
There was silence for a moment. Then my mother-in-law looked at me with a cold smile.
“I thought you'd understand,” she said. „Life is short. We want to live it the way we want. If it bothers you, it's your problem, not ours.”
I didn't know what to say. I understood that I wouldn't change them. But I knew one thing: I wouldn't let their „carelessness” affect my children's lives. If they don't want to be responsible, that's their problem. But I have to protect my family – even from my closest ones.
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