'AITA for waking my MIL up in scary costumes because she keeps me up at night?'
"AITA for waking my MIL up in scary costumes because she keeps me up at night?"
So my MIL has been staying with us until the end of the month because she’s “between leases.” My husband offered her our guest room, and I tried to be gracious about it… but I’m running on fumes and I snapped in a very petty way.
For context: I work from home as a nail tech. I officially start seeing clients around 8:30 AM, but I get up at 5 AM. Between prep, sanitizing, and setting up my workstation, I need that quiet morning time.
It makes really good money, and it works out well because my husband is a surgeon and his hours are all over the place. We balance each other. But that balance has been absolutely shredded since MIL moved in.
She keeps me up constantly with her:
Nighttime nonsense. She’ll knock on our bedroom door at 11:30 or midnight because she “just remembered something” or thinks she heard a noise outside. She’ll put the TV on full blast in the living room directly below us because she “can’t sleep without sound.” She microwaves snacks at 1 AM. Basically, I never get a full night’s rest.
Nosiness. She critiques everything in the fridge, rearranges my kitchen cabinets, and makes backhanded comments like, “Oh, you do nails from home? Isn’t that just a hobby?”
Bathroom hog. I’ve been late for clients because she sits in our only upstairs bathroom for nearly an hour every morning, scrolling on her phone with the door locked.
Condescending commentary. She tells me I shouldn’t drink so much coffee, suggests I should “dress up more for my clients,” and acts like I’m 15 years old instead of a grown adult running my own successful business.
After about two weeks of this, I was sleep-deprived to the point of tears. My husband never noticed because he can sleep through anything (surgeon privilege, I guess).
So… I snapped.
The first time, I decided if she was going to keep me awake at random times, I was going to wake her up at random times. But not just wake her up. Make it memorable. I’m not just a nail tech—I’m also one hell of a makeup artist (not to toot my own horn, but my Halloween looks are infamous among my friends and kids).
So the next morning after she kept me up until 1 AM, I put on my old creepy clown costume. Full prosthetic makeup, shadowy eye sockets, painted grin, rainbow wig. At 6:30 AM, I leaned over her bed and whispered, “Good morning” in the darkest voice I could muster. She screamed.
Another night, she woke me up at 12:15 because she “smelled gas.” (Spoiler: she had left the oven on herself.) So the following morning I wore my inflatable T-rex suit, painted shadows on the mask thingy to make it scarier, and stomped into her room in the dark. She nearly fell out of bed.
Then came the grizzly bear. I painted myself up to look wild, added shadows under my eyes, and crouched on all fours right next to her face at 5:45 AM. A low growl woke her.
I’ve done this three or four times now, at random intervals—because she keeps me up at random times. Funny enough, since I started this, I’ve actually slept better. I think it’s partly catharsis and partly because she’s been quieter at night, maybe out of fear that I’ll repay her in kind.
And yeah—I’ll admit it, I’m probably a monster for scaring an old woman like this. But when you’re bone-tired, petty, and done with someone treating your home like a playground, you stop caring about being nice.
The problem? She told my husband. He had no idea this was happening, and when he found out, he absolutely lit into me. He said I was being “cruel,” “unstable,” and “harassing” his mother.
I told him I was just meeting her energy with the same level of disruption she was giving me. He argued that I should have told him and he would’ve handled it, but he’s never awake to see what she does.
Now he’s saying I need to apologize to her. I feel like she should apologize to me for wrecking my peace, my sleep, and my sanity in my own house. So, AITA and who should apologize to who? (I’m provably going to end up apologizing because I feel bad. I just need second opinions.)
Edit to the post that I forgot to mention: did try talking to her like a normal adult before this. I asked her if she could please keep the TV volume lower at night and not knock on our door so late. Her response?
She literally turned the TV on right then, cranked it up, and told me she “can’t hear well.” My husband insists on his stupid movie theater speakers for his action movies, so it was LOUD LOUD.
Here is what readers had to say in response to the OP’s post:
🤣🤣🤣 This was so funny to read! I don’t think you’re the AH per se, but I do think you should have let your husband know and pushed him to deal with his mother. She’s causing issues for you and your business and it’s now spilling into your marriage. She’s got to go!
Absolutely should have woken HIM up to deal with his mummy.
You have a husband problem, and you need to tell him in detail each and every time she does something. I’d start waking him up with an air horn every time she woke me up, so he could deal with her. He and his manipulative Mother (yes, she is being conniving and manipulative, as she knows she is bothering you) owe you an apology.
No woman would won’t a MaiL like that living with them. He should have dealt with her, so they are both being disrespectful and undermining you. She doesn’t think your occupation, needs and wants are important, so she is showing you how worthless she thinks your feelings and needs are.
They are both gaslighting you, pretending sleep deprivation wouldn’t bother anyone. Ugh. Please kick her out and let your husband read this thread. Get some sleep, OP!
I'm sorry, I'm too busy laughing......Yeah ok, you took it a little too far. I can see why your hubby is a little put out and insisting on an apology. But I'm still laughing and I absolutely love it, so I'm clearly just as nutty as you 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤬🤬🤬
NTA. Your revenge techniques are impressive. But you know that you can do more. First, tell your husband that you really are sorry for not telling him about the problems his mother has caused for you and that you will ensure that you don’t withhold such information in the future.
Wake him up EVERY TIME she keeps you awake. Or knocks on your door at midnight. Unplug the surround sound speakers on the TV. Wear a cocktail dress for your nail client appointments. Remove the lock from the bathroom door so that she can’t lock herself in there for an hour every morning.
And send your husband a link for noise cancelling headphones that his mother can link to your TV so that you don’t have to hear it. Recommend that he buy them for her and explain that it’s also a gift for you because you won’t have to listen to her TV garbage anymore. Wake him every time she doesn’t use them. I have lots more petty revenge recommendations if you need them x