Five weeks into new motherhood, I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and heartbroken — not by my newborn, but by the lack of support at home. My mother-in-law moved in “to help” but only created chaos: loud guests, no help with the baby, and never once saving food for me. My husband dismissed my concerns.
One night, after finally getting the baby to sleep, I came out hoping for dinner. “We thought you weren’t hungry,” she said. That broke me. I packed a bag, took my son, and went to my mom’s.
Then came the angry calls — my husband blaming me for “breaking the family” over dinner.
Desperate, I called my father-in-law and told him everything. He showed up within the hour.
He looked at his son and said, “You’re doing the dishes from now on.” Then told his wife, “Go home. You’re not helping.” For the first time in weeks, I felt seen. That night, I had a warm meal — and hope.