Ella, Marianne’s mother, wanted her grandson’s name to be Jacob, but she and her husband disagreed. Ella injected herself into every part of their parenting and attempted to do the unthinkable when they established boundaries.
Marianne and Richard were expecting their first child, but they opted to wait until delivery to find out its gender. Ella, Marianne’s mother, objected to this decision since she wanted to know everything about her upcoming grandson.
“How about I call your doctor and find out myself? Then I can throw you guys an appropriate baby shower, and maybe even a gender reveal!” Ella said enthusiastically.
“No, Mom. We have made our decision. You have to respect our wishes,” Marianne uttered, frustrated.
“I’m just excited about my grandbaby. You can’t blame me, and I also have more experience than both of you. You should listen to me,” Ella added, pouting.
“I know you have more experience, but this is our baby. We’re the parents, and we have decided,” Richard joined in. He didn’t detest his mother-in-law, but she had been getting on his nerves since they announced the pregnancy.
Ella unwillingly departed their house that night, and they both sighed with relief. “We really shouldn’t have moved that close to your mother,” Richard mumbled.
Marianne and Richard met in college and relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, to be closer to their family. At first, it appeared to be an excellent decision. They wouldn’t have to worry about an elderly mother alone when thousands of miles away. But now they both regretted their decision.
“I know, honey. But well, it is her first grandchild,” Marianne said, trying to soothe her husband.
Ella reappeared the next day, sh0cking everyone. “The baby’s name has to be Jacob, after my father!” Ella revealed.
“Mom, we haven’t chosen a name, and we don’t even know the gender yet,” Marianne said gently.
“But Jacob is perfect, and that means you don’t have to worry about the name anymore. I have taken that stress off your life!” Ella continued.
“What if the baby is a girl?” Marianne wondered.
“No! I have a feeling it’s going to be a boy. You’re carrying that belly in a certain way. I’m sure of it! We’re finally going to have a boy in the family!” Ella cheered.
Marianne knew her mother had always wanted a son, but she was crossing a lot of boundaries. Richard wasn’t going to enjoy that name, either. But she opted to keep the peace for now. “We’ll see, Mom,” she responded.
Marianne and Richard had a boy and named him Ashton since they both liked the name. Ella pouted and whined about it as much as she could, but they didn’t listen.
Marianne felt they had finally stopped her shenanigans, but whenever Ella came over, she called their son Jacob. At first, they assumed it was a mistake. Regardless of how many times she was corrected, she kept doing it. Richard began to ignore and avoid her when she came over.
“You should give me the baby for the baby weekend. That way, you can rest,” Ella suggested one day. “I can take him home and probably get him to sleep easily.”
Neither of them liked the idea. They also didn’t want Ella’s tone, which implied she was a better mom, so they declined her offer. Regardless, Ella attempted to take the baby with her multiple times, using reasons such as “it’s just a walk” or “I’ll be right back.”
Marianne was becoming bored of it, especially because she couldn’t sleep well with a newborn. So she gave her mother a stern talking to and assumed it worked. When she heard Ella call the infant Ashton, her attitude shifted. She acted appropriately and stayed within their limitations.
Marianne assumed everything was back to normal, so when Richard offered a movie date to take a break, she asked Ella to babysit.
“Of course! You guys have been so busy. Go have fun!” she beamed.
“Ok, mom. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call us,” Marianne said, worriedly. Ella assured them not to worry, and they drove away to the movie theater.
But Ella had no intention of just babysitting. Those two are incapable of raising this gorgeous boy. I’m bringing him with me, she thought, hurrying around their house to pack her grandson’s belongings. She grabbed the infant after gathering everything and proceeded to the front door.
“Mom, we forgot my cellphone. What—n” Marianne began but stopped when she saw her mother with everything Ashton owned.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Richard yelled.
“Nothing! We’re going for a drive because that always worked for Ashton. Babies fall asleep right away,” Ella lied.
“Mother, give me the baby right now,” Marianne said sternly.
“No, really. I…you guys don’t understand…I can do a better job….” Ella stammered. Finally, Richard raced up to her and dragged Ashton away, firmly yet tenderly.
“Leave our house immediately before I call the cops!” Richard became enraged and brought the infant to the nursery.
Ella teared up as she gazed at her daughter. “I didn’t…I don’t know…he’s my baby…I can raise him better…” she stuttered.
“He’s not your baby! Mother, you need therapy. Leave now! You are not welcome here anymore,” Marianne screamed before going to check on the baby.
Ella went, and they did not see her for several months. However, Marianne learned from her aunt that Ella had seen a therapist to work on her problems. After several years, they let her be a part of Ashton’s life.
However, they never left him alone with her.
What can we learn from this story?
- Set appropriate boundaries with your family. Family members must respect your decisions, especially those involving your children.
- Look out for red flags. Marianne wanted to believe the best in her mother despite the obvious red signs, so she let her guard down for a moment and regretted it.
