MIL thinks I'm stifling 2 year old's creativity

My in laws are visiting for the summer and my MIL in particular has some issues with my parenting. My two year old sweet well behaved boy has some real fixations. Last month it was doorknobs.​This month it's the laundry room. From the moment he wakes to the moment he sleeps, he'll keep asking to see the washing machine. My husband and I work and kiddo goes to daycare so we do laundry on weekends and since he loves to help out with chores, my husband and I let him. He takes out clothes from the laundry hamper and hands them to us. Sometimes one of us will carry him while the other loads the detergent and starts the washing machine. Always supervised. And nothing more than needed to do the chore of getting clothes washed, and never touching the detergent. The washing machine, dryer, and detergent are all in one room which has a child proof lock on the front. My son is not able to open this door. We live in a condo so this room is tiny, barely space to stand.​However since my in laws have come in, my MIL in particular loves to go one step further. Whenever my son is home and asks to see washing machine, she'll take him in, let him fiddle with the knobs, even closes the lid and lets him sit on it.​Now he constantly wants to see it and plots ways to get into the room.​It's frustrating to me because I don't want the laundry room to become a plaything. To me it's for chores and has dangerous chemicals that he should not be handling.​This morning he threw a massive fit while leaving for daycare, cried and cried and cried for 'washing machine'. My husband and I calmly told him that this is not the time for washing machine and it was time to go to daycare. My MIL was not pleased, she came to my son, hugged him and asked us 'why are you making him cry' (my MIL is South Asian and this a common phrase in her language, albeit a flawed statement). My husband calmly picked up kiddo and left for daycare. Once my son was out to the house, my husband reported that he was cheerful and singing his songs and pointing out things as he usually does.​This evening my son cried again to see 'washing machine'. I said no and ignored him. He calmed down a few seconds later and brought a book over to read.​Over dinner my MIL tells me how I'm stifling my son's creativity by not giving in. She claims when children ask for something, they should be allowed that thing. She claims if we restrict him like this he will turn into a dull, uncurious adult. She has taught kindergarten for a few years and is a marriage counselor.​I'm a Type A, engineer who studied in one of the top engineering programs in the world. I now work in a high responsibilty job where I have great interactions with colleagues. I have a vibrant social life and plenty of friends. I am disciplined but I'm also able to let loose and have fun - but at the right time and place. I have a healthy self esteem and I'm confident in my parenting. In fact husband and I are on the same page 9 out of 10 times. We high five each other at how awesome we parent our energetic, highly curious toddler. Husband thinks I should ignore her and she's just trying to be overbearing.​But I felt terrible after she said all that. Am I making a big deal out the washing machine issue? Am I stifling my son's curiousity?​TLDR: MIL thinks I'm stifling 2 year old's curiosity by not letting him play in the laundry room with the washing machine. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2QQorzH