Stay-at-Home Mom Upset Mother-in-Law Has Witnessed Both of Her Babies’ First Steps Without Her: ‘It’s Like a Cruel Joke’

One mom is frustrated after her mother-in-law keeps being the first to witness her children’s milestones.

In a Reddit post shared by the new mom, she explains that she has a “polite” relationship with her in-laws, though it’s “somewhat strained because they just aren’t very nice.”

Despite this, they have “an open invitation” to her home and visit regularly to see the kids. Even though they come only about once a month, “when they visit, they act like they’re extremely involved and the experts on my kids.”

She recounts, “When my oldest was 1 year old, my husband and I went on our first overnight trip to see my favorite singer. Before we left, my husband asked his mom not to tell us if he took his first steps because we wanted to witness it ourselves. When we returned, she told me privately that my son had taken his first steps with them. I was proud of my son but devastated that I missed it. My husband told her that as well.”

The situation repeated recently. “Today she was in the front yard with my 10-month-old and her mom (my husband’s grandma). I went outside to call them in for dinner, and my MIL comes up to me and says, ‘(my son) took 2 steps all by himself!’” she writes. “I was shocked because he is just starting to stand while holding onto something with one hand.”

When she told her husband, he confronted his mother: “Mom, he didn’t take any steps outside with you. Milestones like these are important to us as parents, and we want to be there for them.”

According to the mom, “She was confused and insisted that yes, he did take steps by himself. My husband, trying to salvage the moment for me, said no he definitely didn’t. She repeated that he stood holding the table, let go, and took two steps before grabbing the chair. She literally did not understand what my husband was saying.”

She adds, “I am a stay-at-home mom; I’m with my baby every waking hour. How is it that the few hours this month he’s with my mother-in-law are when he actually takes his first steps? It feels like a cruel joke to miss it again.”

Many Reddit users were skeptical of the mother-in-law’s claim. One wrote, “I bet he didn’t even walk his first steps with her—she is just lying to feel like a ‘proud special grandma.’”

Another commented, “I think your husband knows his mom is a big fat liar! He wasn’t trying to salvage the moment for you; he was calling her out. Don’t let her steal any more of your joy.”