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How would you take this?

I have two SIL's. One is the blood daughter, the other married the oldest son, and I married the middle child. (The black sheep remember?) 

So this makes the second time that while having dinner with his parents and my SIL has looked at her mom and said "You know mom, I don't know which one of us is your favorite - me because i"m your only daugther or MaryJane (name change) because she had your first set of grandchildren." And this is being said completely out of the blue. 

My initial response is... wtf? Why is that the second time you did that? Am I over analyzing this or  is she finding ways to signal me out ?

Re: How would you take this?

  • She likely is signaling you out - and not really being too kind about MaryJane's position, either.

    Next time I would respond with raucous laughter.  I mean, tears from your eyes, belly laugh.  

    If she responds to that at all, just tell her you think it is so humorous, but in a sad way, that she's so insecure as to have to ask, but to continue to ask.   

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  • Yes, you are overanalyzing. Who cares why she does it? It's insanely petty and immature. And I'm sure her motives for doing it are equally petty and immature. Why waste ANY energy on it?
    "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
    ~Benjamin Franklin

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    DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10

  • To add, you have to realize that for her to even say that shows that she is amazingly insecure and she somehow sees both you and your other SIL as some kind of threat to her mothers love. Honestly, I'd feel sorry for her!
    "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
    ~Benjamin Franklin

    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
    DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10

  • I'm curious what your MIL's response was.  This SIL is obviously an insecure a$$hole. How uncomfortable for your MIL to try to come up with an answer that doesnt upset someone! I do think she was trying to single you out but dont let it bother you.  She clearly has problems to say things to intentionally make anyone uncomfortable.  I would probably call her out if she did it a third time though, with a remark like "Oh its so sad you wouldnt just assume as her real daughter you'd be the fav and need this reassurement" or "its so sad you continuously put your own mother on the spot like this due to your own insecurity".

     

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  • kcgrlkcgrl member
    Fourth Anniversary
    My MIL didn't say a thing. She just smiled at her daughter and kept on with the previous conversation. Thanks for the input everyone.
  • imagekcgrl:
    My MIL didn't say a thing. She just smiled at her daughter and kept on with the previous conversation. Thanks for the input everyone.

    sounds like you should take a cue from your mil and graciously ignore the sil's comments.  if she really did say that on purpose, then responding to her in any way is just giving her exactly what she wants.  if she never gets a reaction, she'll stop doing it. 

    image
  • She's a weirdo.
    My darling daughter just turned 4 years old.
  • SINGLE you out, not signal you out.  What is WRONG with this board today?!
    image
  • LOL.  My parents really like DH, but he is not their son.  He even said "I'm just a means to and end (grandchildren)." 

    I would never in 10 million years want my FIL to have me be a "favorite" of his (thankfully, b/c he has dementia and every time I see him I have to re-introduce myself and remind him that I am his son's wife).  I am probably a nicer person, smarter, and less after his money than any of his bio-daughters, but they are HIS DAUGHTERS.

    I am ALL for the type of ILS who love their DILs and SILs like their own, but you shouldn't feel bad if it doesn't pan out thqat way.  I think that is the exception to the rule, even when the ILS truly love their children's spouses. 

  • She is clearly trying to take potshots at you. I have a SIL who used to behave very similarly (we moved away, Praise God). Yes, she wants you to feel badly. Yes she wants to make you feel as insecure as she obviously feels. My advice (coming from someone who made the mistake of actually *caring* what my ego-driven, napoleon complex SIL said about me, and I reacted to her, which was DUMB)...do your best to just NOT care. If you take away your reaction to a person, you take away their power. She is looking for a reaction. Don't give her one. I realized this too late, after I had already declared full tilt war on my SIL, and things had gotten ugly, capital U.

    She is insecure, she is trying to make you feel bad. Pity her.

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