...It's Daughter-in-law

Dutiful daughter-in-law, I like to think! 

I know last weekend was Father's Day here in the UK, but I ended up treating my mother-in-law (MIL) to a trip to the theatre.  We had a lovely time, while the man and his Father stayed at home enjoying some quality time together. 

It made me wonder if when I have another child would I like another boy or a girl (obviously I'm not really fussed as long as it's healthy blah blah)  If you only have sons (and assuming they get married) do you just get the best bits of a daughter?

I lived with my two sisters and we fought, bitched, stole from each other (and my Mum).  The stories the man tells me of his childhood with his brothers sounds more like a famous five novel - getting into scrapes, playing together and sharing adventures.  I'm sure it's not actually how it was, but boys do have a reputation of being easier.

The relationship with my mum has had it's up and downs and can be strained at times.  With a daughter-in-law, I imagine just having the ups.  They are grown up, independent, and mature so do you get the mother-daughter relationship but without having to go through the nightmare of having a teenage girl?  I know that I make more of an effort with my MIL as she has no daughters.  I think it's even more important to make sure she feels involved and that I'm not taking her son away.  In fact I make sure the man rings her at least once a week which is more than I talk to my mum!

Perhaps, because I don't have the conventional mother-daughter relationship I feel differently to most.  Will I actually find that if my son gets married, she'll be so close to her mum that I won't get a look-in?  It must be hard to do all the hard work of raising a child and see someone else reaping the rewards if the MIL comes along and has the mother-daughter relationship.

Through all this I haven't considered the fact that I might be the MIL from hell (in the eyes of my daughter-in-law)  The more I consider this, the more likely I think it will be.  The boy is only 18 months old and already he has had unwanted attention from a two year old girl at the swings.  I say 'unwanted'; he had a massive smile on his face while I was scowling at the child's mother!  If nobody is good enough for him now, god help the spotty, teenage girl with too much make up and too much attitude, that walks through my door on the arm of my son!