Mother Upsets Son's Marriage By Saying Daughter-In-Law 'Smelled' & Needed To Clean The House

May 25, 2022 by apost team

Raising kids is certainly no easy feat. While moms and dads never stop being parents, they’re incredibly hands-on during their child’s younger years, especially during the first few months following the birth of their baby. Many parents probably feel like they’re working round the clock to care for their little one as they do everything they can to make sure their son or daughter is well looked after.

Fortunately for parents, there are people that are available to come and help them during chaotic and stressful times. Some people opt to hire babysitters, but the childcare fees can add up quickly. This is why so many new parents rely on their loved ones to help them out when it comes to caring for their newborns.

One woman went to Reddit on May 20, 2022, to explain that she was elated to finally spend some time with her son and his wife, Megan, as they just welcomed their first child together – a beautiful baby boy. The woman didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes and double-checked that it was OK for her to visit. However, when she showed up, it was clear that her daughter-in-law was unaware of what was happening.

The house was an absolute mess and desperately needed some tidying up. On top of that, the woman noticed that Megan looked and smelled as if she hadn’t showered in days. However, voicing her concerns seemed to do more harm than good for the woman as her son did not appreciate them. She also accidentally caused a tiff between the new parents.

Starting off her Reddit post, the original poster (OP) asked, “AITA for telling my son his house was dirty and his wife needed a shower?” She explained that her son asked her to come to visit for a week, to which she graciously agreed so long as it was fine with his wife Megan. However, it was clear that this wasn’t fully communicated.

“When I got there my daughter-in-law Megan was hurrying around trying to tidy up and she told me she only found out that morning I was coming,” OP said. Her son was visibly embarrassed by this confession, but he quickly moved on to introduce OP to her grandson.

OP’s mind was preoccupied, though, and she explained:

“As I was walking in I noticed the house was not clean and that Megan hadn’t looked like she showered in days. It didn’t sit right with me but I’ve had 12 children so I know things get messy fast especially when you’re tired.”

After OP met her grandson, her son announced that he would be leaving for about an hour to go to the gym, so OP spent some time talking with Megan about new motherhood. “She told me that it was beautiful, but she was exhausted,” OP said. 

This didn’t sit well with OP, so she told Megan that she would watch the baby so she could take a nap and shower. OP watched her grandson for four hours. She also noticed that her son didn’t do any housework, cooking or cleaning, or even help with the baby, which was especially shocking as Megan had had a C section. This was the last straw for OP.

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OP said:

“So I told Megan she was being a doormat and that she smelled like she had an infection that she needed to be on bed rest and that my son should do 100% of the cooking and cleaning rather than act like a single teenager.”

This resulted in plenty of family drama as OP’s son called out his mom for overstepping and also got into a fight with his wife. However, OP and Megan stayed on good terms, and Megan even asked if OP could come back to watch the baby more. Unfortunately, Megan and her husband continued to argue, and OP couldn’t help but wonder if their issues were her fault.

Many Reddit users flooded the comment section to let OP know that she was right to call out her son’s unhelpful behavior and that she was very kind for helping out a tired new mom. On the surface, OP’s comments may have appeared crude, but it was clear that they came from a place of love.

One user commented: “Well, this took a turn I wasn’t expecting … I’m sure Megan so appreciates you speaking up for her. In all likelihood, especially because she’s not mad at you, you opened her eyes.” Another added: “I came in thinking you were being mean to new parents. Turns out, you were helping a new mother. Good on you for setting your son straight.”

A third user commented: “You’re exactly the person who needed to put him in his place. He sounds extremely immature and needs to step up and be a father. We need more mothers-in-law like you.”

What do you think about this mother’s approach to her son and his wife’s new life as parents? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.