Dear Queenie,
My mother-in-law has never liked me and criticises everything about me – my hair, my weight, my choice of clothes, how I take care of our children – you name it, she doesn’t like it. I try to put up with it for his sake, but sometimes it’s really a bit too much.
We’re planning to visit them on our vacation, but my birthday will be during the visit and I really don’t want to spend such a happy day listening to her bitching at me. I told my husband I want spend at least that day away from his parents and now he’s vexed with me for not wanting to share it with them.
Queenie, do I really have to put up with that s**t on my birthday?—Fed up with her
Dear Fed up,
Is your husband not aware of how his mother treats you? If not, you should have made it clear to him long ago. Do so now. If he does know and still insists on including his mother on your special day, grit your teeth and suffer in silence, and make plans to celebrate the occasion – exactly how you want to – on another day after the visit with the in-laws is over.
