My mother-in-law offers support, while my own mother criticizes me for childlessness

By Minh Thu   June 20, 2024 | 07:30 pm PT
My mother often questions me about my plans to have children, seemingly to use the information for gossip, whereas my mother-in-law offers support.

My mother’s criticism extends back to my school days when she would scold and berate me for underperforming or not adhering to her expectations. When I feared failing my university entrance exam, she both beat and scolded me, with her harsh words deepening my pain. I remember hiding and crying from fear until discovering I had passed, only to see her later boast about my success to others without offering me a single word of congratulations or comfort.

Throughout my university years in another city, my mother never visited to check on my living conditions, satisfied simply knowing I had a place to stay. She only advised me to continue attending my classes.

When I graduated, she requested a photo to show her acquaintances but showed no personal pride or joy in my accomplishment. After graduation, I faced a period of unemployment extending beyond the Tet Lunar New Year two months later, during which she frequently lamented my lack of immediate employment despite extensive education. However, upon securing a job at a foreign company, she promptly began boasting about my success.

I married and moved far from my hometown two years ago. Since then, my mother-in-law has been comforting me about not having children yet, but my own mother only offers criticism. This situation is very disheartening.

Is there anything I can do to improve my relationship with my mother?

 
 
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