'AITA for getting angry at my in-laws for eating frozen postpartum meals?'
"AITA for getting angry at my [30f] in-laws [60s MF] for eating frozen postpartum meals?"
I gave birth 1.5 weeks ago and my in-laws are currently staying with us for 2 weeks in our guest bedroom. I am very tired, very hormonal, and already struggling with their presence here, so I was worried I overreacted.
Context: I spent my last month of pregnancy labeling, packaging, and freezing a bunch of meals to hold me over when I am alone postpartum and my husband is working. I am trying to lose weight postpartum and the labels on a lot of these meals are very meticulous with calorie counts for individual serving sizes, so it is clear they are meant for one serving.
My husband is currently working on and off, so it was just me and the in-laws in the house yesterday. I came downstairs after nursing my newborn and saw my in-laws reheating a large frozen sheet of lasagna.
There were tin foil dividers in the lasagna that separated it into individual portions that they had removed. I asked them what they were doing and they said, “We are just getting dinner, we did not know when you would be down.” They reheated the entire tray that was meant to be at least six meals, so now we have to use it.
I broke down crying and said that these meals are for when I am alone, not for adults who can prepare their own food. I started going off on them and said they should be here to help, not breaking into my freezer stash of food, and that they either need to start cooking and cleaning or get out. I told them they ruined meals I worked hard to provide for myself.
They got quiet and did not say anything. I went back upstairs and texted my husband. When he came home an hour later, he talked with them. He said they are upset because they felt like they were helping and it was not clear the food was not meant for them.
Here's what people had to say to OP:
Buffalo-Empty says:
NTA.“ Huh why are there a bunch of things I have to pull out of this lasagna? Who stores frozen food this way?” You mean frozen food that is obviously divided into small portions? That frozen food? Good god.
Why is anyone staying with you while you just had a baby? That’s absolutely ridiculous. If not your own mother, no one should even be there. They can feel their feelings all they want, THEY are intruding.
clark_c says:
NTA, not by a long shot. I’m livid on your behalf. Your husband needs to put you and your baby first and ask his parents to leave. I don’t believe for a second that 60 year old people, who presumably have kept house and cooked for themselves for decades, are this dense and thought it was okay to eat someone’s labeled freezer food. Your husband needs to set firm boundaries now to set the precedent going forward.
Future-Nebula74656 says:
NTA. His parents should not be there if their version of helping is just holding the baby. Tell them to go home.
Impressive_Moment786 says:
NTA-why are they there if the only help they are providing is holding the baby every now and then.