Yes its that time of year when we celebrate by spending time with people we can't stand and that can't stand us - yes the mother in-law, sister in-law etc etc.
I have a repieve this year with an inlaw free Christms Day, but they are coming on Boxing Day 😯
My main strategy for coping is to be the good son in-law and hit the kitchen hard and cook, wash up and generally be busy and avoiding the need to be remotely sociable 
Urgh I have to deal with the infantile step father again. My tactic (same as every year) is to be a model guest, not proffer my opinion on anything, not rise to any bait etc.
Tomorrow however I'll be on the champagne all day with my mum so anything could happen.
Yep, Nasty Monster-in-law + idiotic sister-in-law coming for Christmas lunch..
The Nasty Monster-in-law has already p****d me off over this by threatening to bring her own turkey when I mentioned that I was going to give it a miss this year, and cook something different. (I hate turkey, my wife is a veggie, my kids have already had multiple Christmas dinners at School/etc)
The idiotic sister-in-law just annoys me with her total failure to discipline her 8 year old son, who is fast becoming a total monster + her constant bullying of my wife into helping her look after the monster child.
I've just come back from 3 days at Disneyland with wife/Kids, so Christmas is done for me anyway.
Happy days..
Dissenting voice here: I'm without parents and get on very well with the Outlaws. This year it's a nice break, as they're hosting and I've just taken over a contribution for the drinks selection tomorrow to help cover the 11 - 7 session.
Wishing everyone here the best possible Christmas/Festivus/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/whatever!
It'll soon be boxing day 😆
Last year this thread was a form of therapy!
MIL has been here since Monday. She's said the "don't pay road tax" classic while complaining of cyclists coming through her village.
Still, two new patios will be nice when summer comes round...
Just get really. really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really pissed!
Then wake up tomorrow with a hazy recollection of an some shouting, and everyone glaring at you.
Since getting divorced I find I no longer have to dread christmas, and putting up with my awful lemon-sucking, sour-faced, whining, tutting MIL, and her bland, anodyne, patronising, bigoted Daily Mail reading 'conversation', and her belief that having more than one small sherry made you an alchoholic! And my FIL (who was actually an ok, long suffering bloke) surreptitiously raiding my lager stash while trying to make it look like he wasn't constantly topping his glass up. Christ! If I'd put up with her all my life, I'd be drinking heavily too! Poor bastard! 😀
I like my inlaws, they're staying with us for 4 days over xmas....
I have lovely inlaws, so I don't know, but surely you can have a good couple of days sport winding these bastards up? Just out bastard them.
Mine are here already and the (pre-)Christmas dinner is in the oven. Industrial quantities of sausage meat [s]dog food[/s] are ready.
Well, we did the honourable thing and had a massive argument with the in-laws a few months back which has resulted in everyone not speaking and a Christmas off. Winner!
I used to get on really well with my in-laws before they both died, and siblings wives/husbands also really good company, as is Mrs. Pinkster's brother's family (their son can be a bit of demon spawn but we don't see them too much anyway as they live in the Philippines).
Never really understood this problem with them. Perhaps I've just been really lucky know folks who just want to get along?
Have a good few days of celebrating folks, you know you love it really. 😉
I showed my inlaws the Christmas photos of them where they'd stayed with us for a week. They had absolutely no recollection of coming.
I just need to reprint the photobook with a different date from now on... 😈
I'm really, really, really convinced that Binners gets his inspiration from this:
Tom,
You lucky, lucky, b&$7&£d!!!
Mine arrived yesterday and are staying until the weekend 😥
My father in law passed away this year, he was a top bloke and thoroughly enjoyed a glass of red wine with me at Christmas. I'll miss the old bugger, he was a legend.
Be thankful you have family to share Christmas with, and don't let your dislike and negativity take over. It's Christmas, the season of goodwill to everyone after all.
Hope you all have a great Christmas, may your stuffing be tasty and your bird juicy.
Mine live on a little Greek Island with a poor internet connection so a glitchy skype chat is the worst of it 😀
In laws are what Kalashnikovs were invented for
Just waved mine off.
I have the slightly detached situation of having Crimbo dinner at friends with one set of parents (his) and seeing female half subjected to her mother-in-law's passive aggression and be patronised by father-in-law about the health of our babies. It's gonna be awesome. 😀
Staying with the in laws for a week. There will be 28 of us in all here.
Things got off to a tasty start today when one lot turned up 3.5 hours late for Christmas Eve drinks and supper. And then the old dog choked to death on a bone in front of the eleven assembled grand children. You couldn't make this stuff up.
No pressure on me tomorrow; I am in charge of roasting a whole pig for the masses. Just hoping that not too many of aforementioned grandchildren recognise it as Polly who they have been feeding scraps to for the past 9 months.
Farmboy is your surname Griswold?
MiL is staying with us for two weeks. It's pretty good tbh, she has really traditional values and gives the wife a hard time for letting me do any cooking and cleaning.
We live across the sea from ours, but have a mate staying for 10 days. Should be fun as we've quite a lot of climbing and hill walking planned 🙂
tomaso - Member
Last year this thread was a form of therapy!
Coincidentally, I re-read that thread this morning.
My vote for the 2013 win:
oldschool - Member
“Ha amateurs the lot of you. We pulled up at the outlaws, got the dog out who had a pee (only a pee and still outside). MIL not happy flailing arms, shaking if the head at the window. Back in the car and home, not even 1 word spoken and we've fallen out.”
Not inlaws but The Northeners. They will insist on watching anything with ****ing Miranda in it even though they are recording it at home. Then moan about whatever weather we have and for some unknown reason use millions of toilet rolls in the process.
**** off.
You're all lucky. I get to spend Christmas with Peterpoddy 😉 😉 😉
EDIT I don't know why people visit family or allow family to visit that they don't like. Why bother? I just can't see the benefit in it. If they can't behave like normal human beings towards their own family then i wouldn't want to spend time with them. Especially at Christmas, which I love and want to be special for me and my wife. Visit another time for a shorter period or when the weather is nice so you can get away if you want to.
Not inlaws but The Northeners
This year we are the Northern invaders who have brought chaos and strong beer to the southern shandy drinking masses in the south east.
So far my M-I-L has:
1. argued with my wife about what time our children will be allowed to open presents.
2. got the hump with me because I won't be going to church with them this evening.
3. told us all that we couldn't leave the house this morning because we were to gather round the computer to take a Skype call from the B-I-L from Australia. And then got very upset when the call came when she was in the shower and they needed to keep it brief as they were going out.
It's not even her house that we're staying at but the sister in laws!
She means well but......
Aaarggrrrgghhhhhhhhagaghhhhhhhhhhgh
24/7 365 Shift work is often a blessing! 😀
Christmas Day at my folks, then they are coming round here for Boxing Day, so MrsMC will be posting on here then. The two women I love the most really don't get on, makes my life hell.
Next week MrsMC is taking the kids down to her folks. We get on OK, but having to split our holidays to cover the school holidays means I have to stay at home. With my bikes and a lot of beer.
I am inflicting my family on my other half but she seems to enjoy it and talks to them more than I do!
I'm staying with my MIL in Spain & she is just the best & treats me like a king. Rather here than anywhere else. Mmm tapas & vino tinto every day. 8)
Mine are over from the USA. Staying til New Year.
Good so far. Me and the father in law just been out for a roof down blast down some back roads in the MX5, and are off to the local brewery bar shortly.
Although we escape inlaws on the big day we are having Interfering Jim, our octogenarian neighbour with dementia round for lunch. Otherwise he'd be all alone for Christmas and that is about as christian as I get!
Looking forward to Saturday 27th and hopping on train to Staveley for some mountain bike action followed by a session in the brewery and a wobble home on the train. Although the weather is looking cold and wet with sleet forecas, so may not be going up on top.
I like my in-laws, but my ex-in laws were a mare. I cooked Christmas dinner for 8 a few times, and my MIL after arriving at our house, would walk straight from the car and into the kitchen and start poking into my cooking and disapproving of EVERYTHING and tried to force me to do the roast potatoes in her deep fat fryer- even brought the fryer with her after I said I didn't want or need it!
pedropete - Member
I'm staying with my MIL in Spain & she is just the best & treats me like a king. Rather here than anywhere else. Mmm tapas & vino tinto every day.
He's not wrong! Feliz Navidad.
I can't wait to get to the Inlaws tomorrow night. Love them to bits and they are like best friends, no doubt a food fight will happen.
However I'm not looking forward to a day with my miserable parents
Spending xmas with a puppy or a kitten is a million million way better than thoughts of inlaws visiting on xmas 😕 (Cannot find a vomiting emoticon)
I am married ..but inlaws i did not signed up for that shit! So yah im inlaw free xmas for life 😀
Customer told me they look forward to christmas, to see who will arrive or phone, as they usually only keep up with each on via Jeremey Kyle,and similar programes along with Crimewatch,caught on camera etc, they tried for benefits street, but failed as they dont get benefits due to income from fees from the tv shows etc, and being in and out of prison.
Mine live round the corner, have just popped in and left. Seeing them again on boxing day. They're quite nice and we get on OK thankfully. Unlike my sister who decided she didn't want to see me again 3 years ago 🙁
Everyone will be at ours this year, first time we have hosted. My mum and dad are great and father in law is a top guy. Mil is usually ok but SiL can be hard work sometimes. We have a flashpoint for a strop ready to go (next years holiday, SiL not coming, long story) that my Mum and Dad will need to be pre-warned to not talk about! Oh and a set of 90yr old grandparents and my kids are 4 and 18months ready to rock 🙂
If you want me I'll be in the shed with the cat
They're:
And because the northerners are coming the in-laws can't kip at ours so I will have to drop and collect them Christmas day and boxing day and not have a beer.
Ho ho ho everybody.
this christmas will be far quieter than last year...
last christmas one of my evil sister in laws slapped my wife on the doortsep so my wife floored her.
i missed it all but the MIL witnessed it, they havent spoken to the SIL since. she is a bitter twisted evil c*w!
the FIL is mental and i get on great with him he has a very dark sense of humour like me. i still laugh about the time i found a PDF on his laptop of how to make a homemade rocket launcher!!!???... i questioned it and he replied.. "you never know mate, you never know!!"
I enjoy my inlaws company.
See them most weeks.
Wish I saw my Mum as often.
My in-laws are great. They're very easy going and like getting p*ssed so a perfect combination 🙂 It's my own family that drive me mad. When my mum arrives on boxing day no doubt I'll be treated to the traditional tutting and dirty looks when I suggest that I might go out on my bike for a couple of hours, and then I'll get told off cos I haven't done various DIY jobs around the house. Then she'll moan that it's too cold and that she can't smoke in the house, and all the while my long suffering dad will put on a brave face and try to have a good time. Then when my brother arrives I'll probably get told off again for not being the devoted uncle to his two year old that he desperately wants. Still, at least there's beer to solve all this. And if that fails I'll be going out on my bike a lot.
My racist, homophobic, lazy, stupid, noisy irritating idiot of a MIL arrived on Saturday morning....
... and left on Monday morning! Best Christmas present ever, no family at all this Christmas. Just me, the Mrs and the kids. Plus a few friends popping in. Brilliant.
I always go to my sisters house. The gathering grows each year. This year we have
Sister, brother in law and two nephews.
My mum, dad, uncle, dad's mum and mum's dad.
My godmother.
My other half and his parents.
This could be interesting.
We are at the in-laws,
In Liverpool, they are pretty good tbh. Food is very northern as in we seem to eat 3 meals of red meat and potatoes every day but they aren't really drinkers
The only really issue is that my FIL thinks that Top Gear is the absolute pinnacle of the televisual art, possibly of all human achievement, so we end up watching one of 2 channels; either Dave or Davejavu
Both sets of parents, SIL and her *new* GF. My dad knows, my mum doesn't, dreading the inevitable cringeworthy 'look how okay with this I am and I don't care, good for you' speech. *facepalm*
Get on great with my inlaws thankfully as does the missus so it's never a problem. Barring my mother winding up my SIL (see a pattern emerging here?)
We're n our own tomorrow as its the first Christmas with jnr.
The inlays are popping in for a drink and nibbles in the evening which is fine. I really like them but the MIL never a seems relaxed in other peoples houses and it's the SIL I fearvthe most....she's hard work, very demanding, her and her baby must be the centre of attention and hyper car crash if a marriage always causes a drama somehow and F's everything up.
My stash of ale should see me through though.
My in-laws are great, feel for you guys with the difficult ones.
No family myself, and the wife's parents are divorced so we are able to say that to avoid favouritism, Xmas is a family only day with them taking turns to come for dinner/drinks on Xmas eve/Boxing Day.
Works really well and we do get on with both of them, but we've kept Xmas for us. No drama, no hassle, just a really nice Xmas day for the four of us. Grand.
Chin up, all those with painful in laws, and look for the silver lining, not the cloud. And if all else fails, ale and turkey will solve most of your problems.
Wish my in laws could be here for Christmas. FIL was a proper tent and a good laugh but he's been dead 20 years now and MIL can no longer fly due to her health. We have a get together with my daughter who's in the pub trade so no chance of her visiting us so it's driving around the South for the festive season. Christmas with family members is worth travelling for. I try not to be an arse with the son in law.
In laws were meant to be here but the old chap has had a fall, he's grand and 90. So, we're going there for the day. 160 mile round trip so no booze pour mois. A clear head is good though as I'm morris dancing in the market place tomorrow, will have a good drink after that.
My MIL and BIL are here for a few days. She has fairly bad dementia and i didn't think it would be this difficult.No memory at all and no realisation of time.Needs to use the toilet every hour even during the night which means no sleep for any of us.She can't converse as there's nothing after the first two words of a sentence.
My BIL lives with her in an attic in the house.He is pretty withdrawn and rarely speaks.He has no friends and his life is just looking after his mother.
My wife had romantic notions of it being a jolly Christmas with all of us,and even though its her mother,she can't wait for them to leave.
We are at the in-laws now.
Its ultra conservative and very, very religious.
No booze.
No Xmas TV.
No swearing.
Etc etc.
They are all off to church in a mo.
When they come back I'm leaving for work 😉
They are nice. I just have to be someone I'm not around them.
My inlaws used to be fine. Then when we had miniZ 11 months ago, they seem to have become both possessive and disinterested (which is as confusing for me as it probably sounds to you).
Consequently, I'm glad I live in Australia, and they, being in the arse end of the arse end of Anglesey, have a very poor internet connection.
Pity, I used to really like them, but not just don't have the time of day to be dealing with them. Worryingly, my wife feels similarly about them (her own family) as a result of this, which I find even more sad. She seems to get on with mine well enough.
Well the pig roast went well. Drive shaft on the spit broke mid morning but got it fixed easily enough. No other major family dramas and all was looking perfect as we all 29 (found one extra relly since yesterday) sat down at the long trestle tables in the garden - we're in oz - to tuck in to our feast when an enormous thunderstorm erupted.
Brilliantly my FIL and his 92 year old mum sat side by side nonchalantly chomping away under an umbrella amongst the torrential rain, collapsing marquees, screaming children and general chaos.
Olly2097 - is it like this at the in laws?
Mine aren't here yet, but I will be like an automated message in an hours time ,"get out of the kitchen"
Lacking a family of my own I'm At my sil's place now with my wife's clan all wonderful people, it'll be a great day. Worst thing I can say is my other sil bought me lovely shaving soap and aftershave, I have a beard, she was very apologetic.
My Inlaws came up Christmas Eve and are staying until the 28th MIL hates me with a passion as I,m apparently Soooooo Northern.Wife wants them to move up permanently 😯 the old boy is cool and a bit of a character and has lots of journo stories and likes his ale!
See you at The Brewery on Saturday will be getting the train to 🙂 hope there is not a limit on bikes which train are you getting Tom?
Gets into Staveley after 10 for 10:30 start at Wheelbase
Had Christmas last year with in laws.
They are old Thai and Buddhist. Mum hate dad dad is a ****. Cost me two hotel rooms as they wouldnt stay together.
I don't mind mil she had a tough life due to dad being a ****.
This year I didn't invite then even though we have rented a house with ample room.
The family bond culturally is something I don't get. Fil is a **** always had been a **** and now is a lonely ****. Nobody wants him he gets kicked from pillar to post he is meant to be living at our sil in the countryside but she is a **** too so it doesnt work. Do the Fil being the **** that he is had snuck back to our house in Bangkok and is living in living room again.
The missus can't stand him yet she loves him because he is her dad. If it was the UK he would have been kicked to touch years ago.
Luckily not had the misfortune of dealing with the now ex's mother this year. Although she did say on Facebook that she hopes my balls drop off. Stay classy you whinging Rucker.
Last year 4 days post op she had me hopping to the kitchen on crutches to get her beer and then wanted us to go to church. Then moan about her back pain all bloody evening.
Took my Oramorph and fell asleep.
MIL always comes for Christmas and a few days in summer too, for a bit of company and to stroke the cats. She is a sweet, inoffensive old dear, grossly fat and unfit, never baths or showers so smells of wee wee, necks about a dozen tabs every morning although she hasn't a clue what they're for; doesn't touch alcohol and talks absolute bollocks all the time about TV soaps and supermarket tokens and special offers. It's usually enough to get up and wander off to another room and she will fall asleep, then you can tun the TV off and get some respite from ITV at full volume.
My only issue with her is that she occupies my favourite sofa position and the other chair gives me backache.
My own Mum never comes up (5 hour drive) because my wife hates her. TBH she would be much more wearing on the nerves because she repeats the same old stories all the time and enjoys tittle-tattle.
Now for something far worse than the in-laws, who we had a pleasant day with yesterday
My own family! 😯
More specifically spending the afternoon at the enormous house of my crass, willy-waving, Clarkeson-o-like of a cousin. Last year he spent the evening boring me rigid about the spec on his new Range Rover. This year promises to be far far worse! My heart sank, and I let out a truly heart-felt sign, and visibly wilted, as my mum informed me that he's 'got into mountain biking' recently.
I fully expect to be immediately ushered into the garage on arrival, to be shown some XTR-kitted piece of carbon exotica, I'm guessing a Santa Cruz Bronson, or similar. That's possibly been to Llandegla once, but more than likely pootled down the local canal towpath to the pub.
Oh joy! 😥
See the silver lining binners - you can tell him in 6 months it's useless and that he needs to get a yeti whatever and to sell the bronson to you really cheap.
And it's been to the pub at least.
Well my mum's here and she's requisitioned the telly for wall-to-wall soaps. I could just about tolerate Coronation St but Eastenders is something no sane and rational person should ever be subjected to. On the plus side she's not had a go at me yet for not doing any DIY or going on a bike ride. That must be tomorrow. Looking forward to getting my house back on Monday.
Just got back from 2 days at the in-laws.
Holy ****ing **** I hate xmas right now. Humbug.
Just got back from my parents. Dad currently dying of a brain tumour so that wasnt what you would call fun. MIL and SIL arrive today, wish me luck!
Spent boxing night at the in laws .The ticking clock was the highlight .
Apparently I may have mentioned that the turkey was dry ,several times.
I'm not in the missus' good books.
My worry is the sister in law might eat the dog she's eaten everything else!!
Found out today my mum and dad are staying til Tuesday 😯 The Mrs was worried about telling me fearing that I might go a bit mental. I did.
I have the inlaws until tomorrow. They're lovely people.
I have my parents stay all the time. I love them loads so have a great time. They're not getting any younger and I'll so miss them when they finally pass away so I make the most of the time I have with them now whenever I can.
Didn't think it would happen to me, but yes its gone off here. Happy new year xx 1 shed
i actually hit my MIL in the face with a snowball this year, I was aiming for my BIL, honestly
Of course Kimbers we...... believe...... you.....