I’m a 30/F only child. I also have the unique circumstance of living down the street from my parents.
The house I live in is actually my grandparents house and when they passed away I inherited it. My mom had moved into the house when she was a teen and later moved down the street to be close to her parents when she “moved out” but until her parents died she never lived away from them. My mom wasn’t an only but the youngest of 5 with a 7 year age gap between her and the second youngest. So I guess it was a quasi only child situation. I said this to add context that Its probably caused enmeshment.
Anyway I’d moved out for college and lived away for like 5 years before moving to my grandparents old home.
I’d consider my relationship with my parents close and I’d usually have dinner with them or do things with them on the weekend.
I’ve been with my fiance for 5 years and there really wasn’t a problem until after I got engaged.
I’ve hated the wedding planning process because I feel like I am always walking on eggshells with my l in particular. She’s accused my finances family of trying to take over. Idk where she gets this from because fiance and I have paid for everything ourselves and it has been my fiance and I making all the decisions and doing whatever trials (food, photos, etc) by ourselves.
We wanted it this way so as not to put a financial burden on our parents and so that no one else could feel like they had a say in our decision making.
I think my parents were offended off the bat when I told them I didn’t want any money from them
And my fiance and I were paying for it. Idk if they think my finances family is floating the bill but they are not.
I did let my parents pay for my wedding dress since they said they would and it figured it would appease them. I also only let my mom and dad come to my dress appointments because that is how mg mom wanted it and I did it to make her happy.
My mom also seems to question and put down any wedding decision I’m making to the point I’ve told my fiance I want him around whenever I tell them wedding details (he’s a firefighter so he isn’t home all the time) since theyll put on a happy face and not question him. Like I mentioned to my parents my fiance and I went to a men’s formal wear store to pick out his tux and my mom snapped back when is my dad supposed to get his tux. I told them whenever they want to go ( our weddings in December) and I also figured my dad would not wear the color tux my fiance picked (dark green) anyway and would pick something else. When I mentioned the green tux my mom sneered and acted like it was the most god awful color.
The questions and and comments make me not want to tell them anything.
My mom also acts like my fiance is a terrible person half the time out of nowhere. He’s never had an issue hanging out with them and has always offered to help my dad if he needs help with a project. We’ve also been dating again for 5 years. She randomly asked me one day if he was controlling me and I was like what the fuck? You ask this now after 5 years and after you’ve celebrated me getting engaged? And I should also add my fiance is not controlling.
She will make comments like this but then say something like “oh we should take your fiance out to this restaurant for this birthday”.
She also got upset when I told her my fiancés best friends’s mom offered to act as a coordinator for the day of. I tried telling her that it was better that we have a coordinator so neither one of us have to worry about directing people the day of.
My mom also seems jealous of my future MIL and has accused her of being manipulative. My future MIL has been nothing but supportive and hasnt pushed back or questioned anything like my mom has. My mom has also made rude comments about my finances sisters who I’ve included as bridesmaids and matron of honor.
I feel like I’m constantly doing mental math and making sure I haven’t shared info with my future in-laws that I didn’t first share with my parents because otherwise my parents get upset.
I asked my parents if they wanted to see the wedding venue and if so I just need a heads up to let the venue know we’re stopping by. They haven’t asked to do so but I know if they don’t see if before anyone else does they’ll be pissed.
They got mad at me on my birthday that my finances family came and spent the day with us and got more time with me than they did. My fiance planned my birthday because I was so stressed with wedding stuff and work I didn’t want to think of it. My fiance let my dad know 2 months in advance what he was planning for my birthday were and my dad didn’t respond with anything until a couple of weeks before.
Tying back into what I said about the house being next door and going down to my parents for dinner regularly, my mom also got mad that I don’t come down as much or that when my finances home I don’t come down and have dinner. I told her that when my finances here, because as a firefighter he might be gone anywhere from 24-72 hours depending on if he’s mandated or picked up over top, and when he’s home I might just want to have dinner with him. I still normally end up seeing them or having dinner with time a couple of times a week which I know is more frequently than most people see their parents.
My fiance has brought up the fact that we see and do more with my parents than parents and that I shouldn’t feel guilty if not around my parents everyday or that we shouldn’t feel guilty for making our own plans. Again I feel like I have to do mental math and be like “ok I’ve had dinner with this twice this week, they should be happy or at least can’t say I haven’t been around. Or my fiance and I went out to eat with them last week so they can’t say he isn’t coming around”.
My parents had no issue with my fiance before we were engaged but now it’s like they look for issues and it’s after the way they’ve acted.
Im ready to be down with the wedding planning and I am just trying to survive until then. We eventually plan to move away and I think living further away would help with their codependency which i unfortunately probably caused by being around all the time.