When my mother-in-law, Linda, begged for access to our baby monitor “to feel closer” to my newborn, I hesitated. But my husband assured me it was harmless.At first, her texts were sweet—comments about how peaceful the baby looked sleeping. Then came odd remarks: “Up late again?” after a 3 a.m. feeding. “Interesting choice of song” after I sang to soothe my daughter. That’s when I realized—she wasn’t just watching the baby. She was watching me.
The truth hit when my sister showed me Linda’s Facebook posts: screenshots from the monitor of me breastfeeding, changing diapers, yawning—each with cruel captions about my looks and parenting. She’d been broadcasting my most private moments.
My husband brushed it off as “observant” humor, so I revoked her access. When Linda complained, he accused me of overreacting—until my sister took matters into her own hands. She hosted a “family game night” on Zoom, screen-sharing every invasive post. One by one, relatives saw the truth.
Linda dropped from the call; my father-in-law apologized privately. My husband finally admitted, “I didn’t know it was that bad.”I gave him one rule: If you give her tech access again without asking me first, you can sleep in the crib. Some boundaries aren’t negotiable—especially when they protect your child, your privacy, and your dignity.