Mother-in-law protests when boyfriend requests she doesn't attend proposal of 23-year-old daughter: 'If I don't show up, no parent of hers will'

Ally Perry • Editor at Memebase

May 28, 2026 3:45 PM EDT

Is a parent's place at their child's engagement?

Considering all the difficulties that come with the average parenting journey, it's understandable that many moms and dads want to play a role in the high points of their kids' lives. Watching them take their first steps, attending school performances and graduations, and seeing them get married and have children of their own are all things that most involved parents find to be rewarding.

That being said, how much a parent plays a part in the milestones of adulthood is entirely down to the child themselves, as well as whoever else is involved. Some may consider it a privilege to let their mom be their wedding planner, and others could not think of anything worse.

Some parents find that the hardest thing about watching their kids grow up is that they do not want them around as much. As independent adults, they just don't feel the need for their constant involvement in everything that they do. While we can argue that this is a reasonable expectation, not everybody is going to see it that way. They insist that their children's business is their business, no matter what anybody else has to say about it.

via KaLisa Veer

_{^{Two models representing a smiling woman holding a man's shoulder with a hand wearing a diamond engagement ring}}
In this story, a mom had raised her 23-year-old daughter by herself for most of her life. Her daughter had been in a relationship for the past two years, and the boyfriend had recently asked if he could have her blessing to ask her to marry him.
Although the mom agreed to this, she was upset by his request that she not attend the engagement. She felt that it was her duty to be there for her child as her only living parent. She was considering showing up to the event anyway, as a way of showing support for her daughter. She was feeling conflicted, as she couldn't discuss it with her.
Am I wrong for wanting to show up to my daughter’s secret proposal while uninvited by her fiancé?

via Attitude-Mean
via Attitude-Mean
via Attitude-Mean
via Attitude-Mean
via Attitude-Mean
via Attitude-Mean
via engin akyurt

_{^{A representation of a mother resting her chin on her crossed arms, looking sad and thoughtful}}
via Truebeliever-14
via Emergency-Koala-5244
via malibuklw
via beergal621
via beergal621
via verbaexmacina
via verbaexmacina
via free_fallon
via free_fallon
via Key-Gazelle-3999
via AussieBelgian