You might think that having nightmares
of your mother-in-law kidnapping your baby is pretty extreme. But,
there's more to the story. Her youngest brother had a baby with his
longtime live-in girlfriend, Missy. Missy was a wonderful person, that I
personally liked very much. The man got his girlfriend hooked on
drugs. He was able to dabble in drugs recreationally, but Missy became
seriously addicted. Their marriage suffered, and they both
eventually went to jail over a domestic altercation. The child spent
a year in the custody of my mother-in-law. It was during this time
that she assumed the title “NahNah” because although she was not
the mother, she was more than an auntie. When the parents were
released from prison, the child had a difficult time adjusting to
living with her parents. And the drug use continued, which gave my
mother-in-law good reason to take the child home whenever she
suspected problems. The child adopted all of my mother-in-laws
mannerisms, speech patterns, and prefered her company to her own
mothers. Missy eventually developed similar feelings, and a
wedge was driven. The couple eventually split up. The father
straightened up his life and retained custody of their daughter, and
Missy was sent to prison again. To this day, the child, now a
teenager, is a frequent occupant of her NahNah's house.
Some of this was unavoidable
circumstance, but a line was definitely crossed. I realize that I'm
not a drug addict, but I fear that my mother-in-law will find
mistakes in my parenting—no doubt I'll make plenty—and convince
my husband that she would be a more suitable caretaker.
At one point, my own mother's in-laws
told my father that if he would leave my mother, they would take over
the care of me and my two siblings. It is shocking to think that
people would plot to separate a child from a parent, but it does
happen.
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