Yahoo Lifestyle 
Mother-in-law's 'toxic' Christmas gift sparks fury
When it comes to in-law relationships, Christmas time can be hard.
Though it can seem like a minefield to try and buy an appropriate gift for them, as one mother-in-law proved this Christmas, there will always be someone, somewhere, who made a worse call than you did.
In a video that has gone viral on TikTok, user ‘sageandwine’ exposed her mother-in-law for what she described as ‘toxic’ behaviour, deciding to share her idea of a ‘Christmas gift’ with the whole internet.
“Toxic mother in law,” the woman wrote in the caption of the video. “Not the first time she’s done this.”
It turns out that rather than buy her son and daughter-in-law a gift for Christmas, the mother-in-law decided to send them a receipt of all the services and gifts she had given them since they lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
RELATED:
“Merry Christmas,” the card reads. “Received a big blanket $112.40 Xfinity bill paid! $584.89 on electric bill! $697.29 + gift. Merry Christmas.”
In the video, the woman clarifies that she doesn’t demand a gift, but hates receiving this kind of card.
“So this is my toxic mother-in-law,” she says, showing the outside of the innocuous-looking card. “I just want to preface this video by saying that there is no way you absolutely need to get a Christmas gift or give a Christmas gift.”
She says that though she appreciates the help during a tough time, the Christmas reminder was unnecessary.
“She literally could just, I don’t know, not give us one or just wish us a Merry Christmas,” she points out.
It turns out she didn’t even spend any cash on the card, with viewer writing that the card in question was part of a free pack.
“I got that same card in the mail to give out for free LMAO,” the user wrote.
More toxic in-law stories surface on TikTok
The video has clearly struck a nerve with many others suffering through similarly difficult relationships, racking up more than one million times and attracting thousands of comments.
Many shared their own in-law woes.
“My mother-in-law pulled my husband aside and told him he should put our house we bought half in her name and a half in his so when we separate I would get none,” one person wrote.
“My [mother-in-law] offered to buy my husband a car and get him in a new place if he would just leave me,” another wrote. “Also had a b-day party for my son but I wasn’t invited!”
Other were simply flabbergasted at the backhanded act.
“I don’t understand why people do this,” a user wrote. “If you want to help someone, do it because your heart tells you to. You don’t hold it over their head afterwards.”
“That’s not a Christmas card, it’s an invoice,” another wrote.
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time an uncomfortable incident has soured in-law relationship.
One mother of the groom kicked things off in the worst way possible when she showed up to the wedding in a white lace dress, so bridal that some Reddit users couldn’t decide which woman was the bride.
Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.
Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.
