After 18 years together, last year Mrs North and I tried bringing all families together at our house for Christmas Day (this included siblings and a couple of cousins – my daughter is the only grandchild). Within 3 minutes of arrival my mother in law had upset my mother. My father was of no help – after 45+ years of marriage my parents don’t really get on. So I spent the rest of the day coordinating seating and socialising to avoid the risk of further upset.
And then we got to the meal. Not only were we eating turkey, which smells and tastes vile, my mother and sister endured a series of professional carnivores questioning their long held motives for being vegetarian.
I’ve already made my excuses about going to my mad uncles place on Boxing Day (or st stephens day, as I prefer to call it – my day, so I shall do as I please, i.e. staying at home and drinking myself into a warm slumber.
No in-laws, but I do have a stepfather who requires careful management, due to his tendency to say appalling things when he has had a few wines, then get really upset and accuse people of bullying him when they call him out for it.
His best trick is making racist comments about Maoris in front of my (Maori) BiL. Fun fun fun.
Kryton57 – Member
My in-laws have informed me my beer-du-jour is Stella.
My brother showed me the beer he got last year, I may have insisted in going shopping with him the next day, mostly spent in the best aisle Waitrose has
I love my in laws. They come and babysit whilst we go an play on our bikes and cook the dinner whilst we’re out. We then open our presents and all get drunk together….perfect! 😀
So things have already kicked off here. Relatively complicated story but Mil has now been banned, by us, from travelling to see us this Christmas. Epic eastenders style family blow up, before the festivities even started
I’m stuck at work till 8 (for a bit of peace) I would love to hear more of this, can’t catch up with Eastenders till after the in-laws sod off because TV was invented by the devil or something
Blimey. Cheery times eh? My in-laws arrive boxing day. MIL is lovely, increasingly batty and passes comment (but not opinion) on anything and everything. FIL is the kind of generational racist bigot of which many examples abound in this thread. They’re not terrible but it’s s relief when they’re gone because it’s just an exercise of sucking the joy out of everything. Never done done anything really but enjoy belittling the efforts of others.
The option I suppose would be my own parents. So shouldn’t grumble really.
Anyway they turn up, I put up with it for about 14 hours then bugger off to Afan for two days. A man needs a coping strategy 😉
My MIL and FIL stayed with us (separately) until my daughter was about 2, fairly normal for Polish family IME. Whilst I struggled with MIL after the 6 month mark, in general they are good people and I miss them. Just wish we had a bigger place so could accommodate them more often. My sympathies for those with hellish relatives, must be so difficult when you have to refuse societal norms for your own sanity.
Been drinking quality port with cheapo lemonade (I have cheap port for that), flinging cigarette butt ends onto the lawn because “it’s raining” and the 3 steps to the bin are too far.
No arguments as such, but my wife and two teenagers are upstairs with me, whilst my wife’s family are downstairs. Nothing said, just happened naturally.
I’m grabbing dishes to wash just to escape to the kitchen.
I feel for you all – I really do.
Me? I’m pissed because the weather reports that have been bang on for the last 10 days are wrong today and its wet.
Really wet so the 200+ ride the long way up to the midlands I had planned has gone out the window.
Textiles it is and the fast way – at least it’ll be clear and she’s left me a massive dish of fresh pulled pork, sauce and brioche buns to demolish tonight. 😀
Just me, the cat and no neighbours so the stereo will be going on loud seeing as there’ll be alcohol – sometimes being able to feel your legs has downsides….
So help me I’ll be building a patio tomorrow. FiL has already skidded his car to a stop on the lawn(despite being told not too) and one more wisecrack and so help me………..
Apparently we’re being spared the in-laws. That’s an unexpected but most excellent Christmas present. I don’t know the reasons and I’m not asking in case that somehow disturbs the karmic balance.
This has cheered up all members of the household. Sad really. Still… YIPPEE 🙂
My day: stayed at my parents house, got up at 10am, opened presents, sister and her kids came for dinner which we had at 2pm, I fell asleep until 3pm, then watched a movie.
Not an inlaw in sight and no conflict.
My Outlaws just gone. Had a good day and they’re no trouble at all and very grateful and easy going. A good laugh! And they done the washing up, so all good, can’t complain 😀
We are staying at my in-laws, I love them to bits as they are kind caring & very supportive. The MiL & I do all the cooking & I have to say we turn out some bloody good meals & the FiL does a great job of looking after my wife.
My Step Mother on the other hand acts like a spoiled toddler if she isn’t the center of attention. Its got so bad even her daughters get jobs abroad over Christmas!
FiL has just had us in stitches as he managed to fart for at least 5 seconds continuously while bending down lighting the woodburner!
When we meet our in-laws for the first time we are reasonable mature adults which gives us a good chance to build a working relationship with them if we/they are a minimum willing. Our own parents followed us through childhood and our formative years and the adult to adult thing can be harder.
So unless your in-laws are psycho/plain evil (gaidong style) and their relationship with your spouse isn’t completely broken, a little tolerance and seasonal good will pay dividends. Anyhow I miss mine, especially today.
Think of my poor stepdaughter, she’s been living with us for the last 4 months as she’s a little homeless so with her, her boyfriend and their 3 children plus others we’ve got 9 of us in the house.
I may be a grump but I’m sick of grandkids running over my sofas!
Am hiding in secret lair (loo) at present for peace and quiet, also waiting for my muderous Harvey Wallbangers to take effect so FiL has to get MiL home! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha