My mother and mother-in-law flew separately to my graduation from the other side of the country.I am grateful they both came, but while my MIL was here she made repeated comments that I felt put down my degree.
After the fact, I told my husband how I felt but he told me that while he could see my point, it was just a joke. When you call, start by thanking her for making the journey to celebrate your graduation. Tell her, “Something’s been bothering me, and because it’s still on my mind, I thought I should try to talk to you about it. You said a few things over the weekend that made it sound like you don’t value my degree and my profession. I hope you understand that I’m sensitive because I’ve worked so hard to achieve this.
Either way we feel it is not totally “fair,” because, due to the number of children, the numbers are not equal in each family.