My Mother-in-Law’s Strict Schedule: Miss a Minute, Miss a Meal or a Shower

When my husband and I decided to move in with his mother to save money for our own place, we thought it would be a temporary and manageable situation. Little did we know, my mother-in-law, Linda, had a strict schedule that ruled the household with an iron fist.

Linda is a retired school principal, and she brings the same level of discipline and structure to her home life. Every day is meticulously planned out, from breakfast at 7:00 AM sharp to lights out at 10:00 PM. At first, I thought it was just her way of staying organized, but soon I realized it was much more than that.

The first morning, I woke up at 7:05 AM, thinking I could grab a quick bite before heading to work. To my surprise, the kitchen was already spotless, and Linda was sitting at the table with her coffee, glaring at me. “Breakfast is over,” she said curtly. “If you want to eat, you need to be here on time.”

I laughed it off, thinking she was joking. But as the days went by, I learned she was dead serious. If you missed a meal time by even a minute, you were out of luck. The fridge was locked, and there were no snacks allowed between meals. My husband tried to reason with her, but she stood firm. “This is my house, and these are my rules,” she said.

The shower schedule was another ordeal. Linda had designated times for everyone to use the bathroom. If you missed your slot, you had to wait until the next day. One evening, I got home late from work and missed my shower time by ten minutes. I knocked on the bathroom door, hoping for some leniency, but Linda’s voice came through the door, stern and unyielding. “You missed your time. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Living under such strict conditions began to take its toll on me. I started setting multiple alarms to ensure I wouldn’t miss any scheduled times. My husband and I tried to talk to Linda about being more flexible, but she wouldn’t budge. “Structure is important,” she insisted. “It keeps everything running smoothly.”

Our social life also suffered. Friends would invite us out for dinner or drinks, but we had to decline most of the time because it didn’t fit into Linda’s schedule. Even when we did go out, we had to be back by 10:00 PM sharp or face her wrath.

One night, we stayed out a bit later than usual, thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal. When we got home at 10:15 PM, the front door was locked, and Linda refused to let us in until the next morning. We spent the night in our car, cold and uncomfortable.

The final straw came when I missed a family event because I was stuck at work. Linda was furious and gave me the silent treatment for days. My husband tried to mediate, but it only made things worse. The tension in the house became unbearable.

Eventually, we realized that living with Linda was not sustainable for our mental health and our marriage. We moved out earlier than planned, even though it meant dipping into our savings. The experience left us both scarred and wary of ever living with family again.

Living with my mother-in-law taught me the importance of boundaries and flexibility in a household. While structure can be beneficial, too much rigidity can be suffocating. We now cherish our freedom and the ability to make our own schedules without fear of missing a meal or a shower.