I gave birth just five weeks ago, and adjusting to life with a newborn has been anything but easy. My husband suggested inviting his mom to help out, and I thought it might be a great idea at first. But things quickly turned sour. Instead of offering support, she practically moved in, making herself far too comfortable. She constantly had visitors over, leaving the house in a mess, while I was left to juggle feeding our baby, changing diapers, and cleaning up after everyone. I barely got any sleep, running on fumes, feeling like a guest in my own home.
Last night, everything came to a head. I was in the bedroom, feeding our son, and I could hear my husband and his mom laughing and watching TV downstairs. Once I put the baby down to sleep, I went downstairs, hoping to grab a bite to eat. What greeted me was a disaster — dirty dishes everywhere, takeout containers piled high, and not a scrap of food left in the fridge.
I asked, trying to keep my voice calm, “Was there any dinner left for me?” My mother-in-law shrugged and said, “Well, you didn’t come down, so we figured you weren’t hungry.” My husband, barely looking up from the TV, smirked and added, “Yeah, just clean up the mess when you’re done. It’s not like you’ve been doing much around here anyway.”
In that moment, something inside me snapped. Exhausted, feeling invisible, and now belittled in my own home, I realized I had to do something. I couldn’t keep letting them treat me like this. So, I went back upstairs and took a deep breath. Then an idea struck me — one that made me feel a little guilty at first, but I knew I had to follow through.
I grabbed my phone and called a locksmith, explaining the situation. The locksmith, perhaps sensing my desperation, agreed to come out immediately. While my husband and his mom stayed engrossed in their TV show, the locksmith arrived, and within minutes, the locks were changed. I went back inside and quietly packed up my mother-in-law’s things, leaving them in a neat pile outside the door.
When my husband and his mom finally realized what was happening, they rushed outside to find themselves locked out. My husband pounded on the door, shouting for me to let them in. But I calmly opened a window and looked him in the eye. “You said I don’t do much around here, right? So, you won’t miss me. Come back when you’re ready to treat me like a partner instead of a live-in maid.”
He stared at me in shock, but I closed the window and walked back to our baby, who was sleeping peacefully. For the first time in weeks, I felt a sense of relief. I knew I had to put myself and my child first, and I wasn’t about to let anyone make me feel small in my own home again. It was a hard decision, but I learned that sometimes, you have to stand up for yourself — even when it means taking a drastic step.
Now, my husband has been calling and texting, pleading to talk, but I’m taking my time to figure out what I truly want. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know one thing: I won’t settle for being treated like an afterthought ever again.