All folks have their own personal relationships with their mothers-in-law. If people are lucky, that relationship is full of love, support, and genuine happiness. But for most people, the relationship is probably a lot more complicated. Maybe their MILs are super annoying, maybe they try to insert themselves into the child-rearing too much, and maybe they're just plain weird as heck.
Mothers-in-law are often unfairly made fun of, but it's hard to deny that they also tend to have a monopoly on weird and quirky behaviors. From making everyone wear truly hideous sweaters for widely circulated holiday photos to having a fundamental misunderstanding of how email works, they can be a bit of a mess.
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We love them, we want them to go away, we need them. The relationships we have with our mothers-in-law are usually very messy — so messy that it can make it very hard to really and truly appreciate them for everything that they do and are.
Most people in the married world could use a little bit of encouragement to help them embrace (and be less annoyed with) their mother in law's … eccentricities. For people who are having a hard time making peace with this particular extended family member and all of her weirdness, here are 15 hilariously odd and entertaining things other people's mothers-in-law have done.
Putting paintings in uncomfortable places
Who doesn't love to look at a nice painting from time to time? We can all appreciate a little bit of fine art. But when it's dangling over the bathroom toilet while people are just trying to do their business, it gets a little weird — especially when it looks like a giraffe is about to come through a window and start pecking at their head.
Reusing things that they definitely should have thrown away
We're all mature here. On some level, we understand that mothers-in-law are sexual beings too, but that doesn't mean anyone should be subjected to that fact explicitly. And certainly not just because said mother-in-law was a little too cheap to invest in new boxes to wrap gifts in.
Putting iffy ornaments on the Christmas tree
Admittedly, this ornament could be a few things. It could be a finger, it could be a ceramic rendition of a pig in a blanket, it could even be something a little more … explicit. But only someone's hilariously weird mother-in-law could look at this and immediately see precious baby Jesus swaddled in a blanket instead of something a lot less wholesome.
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Playing favorites
"This is what my mother-in-law thinks of me. I think I lost my favorite son-in-law status," the caption on this one reads. Tough break, dude. But at least he'll always hold the throne.
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They really want grandkids
There are inappropriate gifts, and then there's surprising an unsuspecting daughter-in-law with an ovulation predictor, like this too-forward mother-in-law did. Overbearing doesn't begin to describe it.
Making DIY Menorahs
Mothers-in-law love a good DIY, and often, the things that they make turn out to be amazing works of untouchable art. Other times … not so much. That's definitely the case when it comes to this DIY menorah one woman's mother-in-law made out of old bananas, candles, and some ribbon. But hey! At least she tried, right?
Buying embarrassing outfits for their sons-in-law
Embarrassing clothes and mother-in-laws go together like peanut butter and jelly. If it isn't having to walk around the mall with her while she's wearing a full-on '80s tracksuit, she's sending crazy tie-dye adult onesies through the mail. If anyone is as good of a sport as this guy, embracing the ugly will be a total breeze.
Sharing way too much information on Facebook
Facebook is naturally the place where you learn a little too much about your family members. Normally, that information is delegated to bad politics and Candy Crush stores. This person was lucky enough to be subjected to the fact that their mother-in-law apparently really loves skimpy, barely there bikinis. So much so that she went ahead and placed an order for one and shared it with her entire friends list. As she says, "lol."
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Accidentally giving their granddaughter a sexy poster
All things considered, a poster is a pretty solid gift to give kids. They get a way to represent whatever they're currently obsessed with in their bedroom, and whoever's giving the gift doesn't have to spend a ton of money. Unless, of course, they have to come up with a whole new makeup gift because they accidentally give their granddaughter a "hometown hotties" poster like this shocked mother-in-law did.
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Making nihilistic coffee mug
This mother-in-law totally gets it. The first thing everyone needs in the morning is a nice, steaming cup of coffee and a hand-written mug that reminds us that we're going to die no matter what. We're not going to lie, this mug might be kind of a weird gift to give someone, but this mother-in-law might just be our new hero. We would still probably re-gift the mug, though …
Putting embarrassing signs on people's cars
This person's mother-in-law seems to have the sense of humor of a seventh grader. The sign is kind of cute, we admit that. But it probably stops being adorable right around the time someone is putting groceries in the trunk at the grocery store and some weirdo stranger makes inquires about your last bowel movement. Then, things get really annoying, really fast.
This MIL who just learned Photoshop
Imagine getting this in your inbox. This person's mother-in-law is taking a class on Photoshop and getting very, um, creative. Honestly, we love her sense of humor in giving bunny ears to the Queen. But let's hope she doesn't put her skills to work on this year's holiday cards.
Catching them all, in the worst way
If there's one thing mothers-in-law hate, it's being criticized for their skills in the kitchen. There are even some cardinal rules there: don't tell her that her mac & cheese is dry, never mention that her chicken is a little undercooked, and according to this photo, never comment on the hideous meatloaf she makes after she reaches level 32 in Pokemon.
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They knit sweaters ... for weird pets
When a mother-in-law knows how to knit, everyone gets a sweater. And that includes the snake. This mother-in-law didn't want anyone in the house to miss out on her annual ugly sweater tradition. And hey, we have to admit the snake does look a little less terrifying in that hat.
Hanging up creepy Santa heads
We're not sure if this photo was taken around the holiday season or not, but we sure as heck hope so. Even then, it doesn't really answer the question as to why this person's mother-in-law chose to hand a surprisingly terrifying Santa head up on a curtain rod for all to see like it isn't one of the most traumatizing sights in the world.
Ordering questionable cookie cakes
Grocery store disasters involving amateur cake artists are very well-known around the Internet. Usually, the mistakes get turned into fantastic photos for everyone to laugh at. This person's mother-in-law requested that a popping champagne bottle be drawn on a cookie cake and thought it was so cute that she had a little trouble seeing why it was vastly inappropriate.
Just being generally annoying
The caption on this photo read, "Mother-in-Law Complained About the Sun Being in Her Eyes. I Closed the Blinds, Turned Around and Saw This." And if that doesn't perfectly sum up the experience of having to deal with a mother-in-law's antics, we aren't sure what does.
