A woman was horrified when her mother-in-law returned to her house a few days after Christmas and took back all the toys and clothes she had bought for her grandchildren. Now, they don’t talk at all.
A Reddit user took to the platform to share her story about how her then-mother-in-law had once ruined Christmas for her children. The woman began her story by explaining that her ex-mother-in-law was unstable.
When the woman began dating her partner, she began learning everything his mother did and how unstable she indeed was. However, she didn’t know how significantly it would affect her children.
A family gathered for Christmas | Source: Shutterstock
The woman shared that as she was dating her partner, she found that his mother was addicted to pain pills and anti-depressants and that she had bipolar disorder. The woman also found out that her mother-in-law would sue people for injuries she suffered at their homes or places of business.
Three years after the woman began dating her partner, she became pregnant with their son. Until their son was born, the woman’s mother-in-law hadn’t been involved in their lives other than visiting them on holidays.
A young woman and a mature woman talking over coffee | Source: Getty Images
This was when the Christmas scandal hit the family, and everything changed for them.
However, their problems truly began after their son was born. The woman breastfed her son, which meant that her mother-in-law could not have him stay with her overnight. This infuriated the mother-in-law so much that she called Children’s Aid to say the woman breastfeeding her son was scarring him for life.
A woman dressing her newborn | Source: Getty Images
Around this time, the woman’s partner began verbally abusing her and lost his job. He also never looked for another job after that. They then had another two children, and the woman knew she had to support them. She worked two jobs to do so.
She began an education savings plan for her children and a savings account for herself so she would eventually be able to leave her abusive partner and his equally abusive mother.
A woman calculating expenses | Source: Getty Images
It took the woman three years, but by the third year, she had finally saved up enough to live independently. This was when the Christmas scandal hit the family, and everything changed for them.
One Christmas, the woman’s mother-in-law bought all three grandchildren gifts they adored. They soon started playing with the toys and wearing the clothes she had given them.
Little girl opening a Christmas present | Source: Getty Images
However, two days later, her mother-in-law returned to their home, packed everything she had bought into bags, and told them she was taking everything back because she had no more money.
Young girl crying at Christmas | Source: Getty Images
At this point, the woman’s partner realized how abusive his mother was toward his partner and children. He then admitted to the woman that he had been cheating on her for a while and knew he needed help.
The woman and her partner broke up, and he sought counseling. He married the woman he cheated on her with, and she also moved on with someone else. However, his mother was still an issue.
Angry older woman | Source: Getty Images
The woman and her new husband and her ex-husband and his new wife filed restraining orders against his mother. They co-parented their children for the following seven years and never spoke to his mother again.
Although the children had no relationship with their grandparents, the woman confirmed her children had grown into wonderful people while her ex-mother-in-law continued to lie and cheat her way through life.
A person filling out a restraining order | Source: Getty Images
The woman later updated the post, saying she knew that her mother-in-law was not broke when she had taken the gifts back, and her mother-in-law had plenty of money from suing various people throughout her life.
Three happy siblings lying on a sofa | Source: Getty Images
People in the post’s comments section soon began sharing stories of how people had done something similar to them. The stories entertained the woman who said she would spend her night reading them.
What would you have done if your mother-in-law came to your home two days after Christmas to take back all the gifts she had given to your children?
