Poll highlights women's problems with the mother-in-law

In an online poll by a UK website, almost a quarter of women described their relationship with their mother-in-law as bad or terrible. Photo / Thinkstock

The stereotype suggests it's husbands who simply cannot bear their mothers-in-law.

But British wives feel exactly the same, according to the latest research.

One in four despised their mother-in-law and believed she was "controlling, interfering and bitchy", according to an online poll.

Women polled accused their mothers-in-law of routinely "knowing best" when it came to parenting, judging their parenting skills and undermining them in front of their partner and children.

Almost a third said they were made to feel they were not good enough for their partner.

Many had moved house to escape the mother-in-law's clutches and for some the stress was so extreme it had led to marital breakdown.

The findings come from a poll of some 2000 mothers by UK website Netmums.com.

Almost a quarter (24 per cent) described their relationship with their mother-in-law as bad or terrible.

Some 16 per cent believed their mother-in-law was bitchy, 22 per cent thought her rude, 25 per cent controlling, 35 per cent judgmental and 32 per cent interfering.

And many women viewed their mother-in-law as more stressful than fraught experiences such as moving house.

Some 24 per cent found her worse than moving, 21 per cent worse than potty training, 14 per cent worse than morning sickness and 13 per cent worse than breastfeeding.

One in ten moved house to be further away from their mother-in-law and five per cent cited her as the chief reason for their marriage breaking down.

Siobhan Freegard, co-founder of Netmums, said: "Mums feel the mother-in-law looks down on them, criticises their parenting skills and interferes in their relationship.

"However mothers-in-law can be a huge support, especially for new mums, and more than ever they are helping families out by taking on childcare responsibilities."

- DAILY MAIL