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Where's the usual in-law horror story thread? One of my christmas highlights
Won't be getting any stories from me as the GF and and are parked up over looking the Ligurian coast.
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Not an in-law in sight.
Waiting for my MIL to turn up with her partner. Original plan was to come Xmas eve and spend the night to be here to watch kids open presents, then stay until boxing day. But now changed to coming Xmas morning and then heading straight home. It's now 9am, kids been up for hours and she's still not here. Also changed the time we are eating, not as if we are hosting!
Made a bet with wife that we won't see her before 11 but hoping for the kids in wrong.
Nothing since I laid the new patio
Only got part of the day to be there. They are ok really, but one of the advantages of flying home from Finland yesterday is that we are only going for a few hours
Drank too much port last night watching Die Hard and feeling it this morning. Little man was up at 5am which didn't help.
Setting off to the sister-in-laws in about an hour where we're having Christmas dinner. Then off to the MIL/FIL on boxing day for another one because they can't be arsed going round SIL for Xmas day for some reason.
Two consecutive days of them...wish me luck.
Half way through. FIL guarding tv changer with his life. 24 hours of Sky News so far ffs.
Inlaws are a push over, it's the sugar crazed over excited over tired over spoilt grandchildren I'm dreading, now wheres that champagne gone! 2hrs to "brataggedon" 😉
My mother last weekend for a pre-Christmas visit (also my birthday, has become a bit of a tradition in recent years also making it easy to avoid my brother) and FiL tomorrow for a leftovers Christmas lunch. Easy for us, just two adults and 6 cats to cater for today!
We're heading to the in laws shortly. Thankfully it's just a flying visit and were coming back home for dinner ourselves
MIL got here about 2 hours ago. She's already said "we had to take {so and so} to the hospital the other day" and "guess who died the other week" and "oh {so and so} moved to Scarborough, but you don't know them...."
My mum is here as well, and she's just got back from a Caribbean cruise. I love her to bits, but if I here another story about that ****ing boat!!....
Aargh, don't know how to get a gif to work...
Mine are here, but no drama as they're perfectly decent, respectful and chilled humans.
MIL currently in recovery from a fractured hip so comfy on a sofa having cuddles from greyhound.
FIL browsing the office with all my military stuff in it, he's a big history buff so he's in his element.
Have a good one all.
Escaped SIL's MIL this yesr. We're at SIL's and everyone thought she was coming, but at last minute decided she was going elsewhere. We did Xmas last year. Bonus is my nephew has prepped the main course, and hes an ace pro chef.
My MIL and her partner arrived on Thursday, here until after new year. We’ve lived in this house for 14 years, they still haven’t worked out where the dishwasher is or what a coaster is used for. <br /><br />My MIL seems to have fear of silence. TV needs to be on, phone constantly pinging and any pause in either requires infill with constant commentary on the the weather or what is on tele
They looked to mix things up with a bit of racism , constant reminiscing and anti immigration rhetoric.
I’m waiting for the ancient crawling laptop to be pulled out with the usual request for IT service desk support.
Miss them most at this family time of the year,they were lovely humans.
There will be plenty of tears and laughter later at the favourite stories.
If you are lucky to have some good ones,hold them close.
Not an in-law in sight.
But where do you poo?
First Christmas without fil* this year 😢 so a bit of a downer but just collected mil & she is as batty as ever.
*He had a heart attack at the dinner table a couple of years back but insisted on eating the whole of his Xmas dinner before letting the paramedics take him to hospital 😯
*He had a heart attack at the dinner table a couple of years back but insisted on eating the whole of his Xmas dinner before letting the paramedics take him to hospital 😯<br /><br />
what a legacy, I want to be remembered like that.
My MIL and FIL who were lovely people are long deceased which is always especially sad for my wife at this time of year. My mum and dad, 86 and 90 are with us. My dad can be a bit cantankerous and like most people born in the 1930s, both of them have some views which would curl the toes of most on here, including me. They are old, frail, deaf and infirm and are quite hard work. There is no doubt that Christmas without them here would be a lot more relaxed for us. They love it though and soon enough we'll have no choice but to have our Christmases without them. So I make a few allowances.
It was agreed a couple of months ago and repeated a fortnight ago that we were to only having a couple of extras from our family for Christmas day, and certainly not cooking Christmas dinner for a larger group.
I'm currently in a (small) lounge surrounded by 12 people, including the in-laws parents, one of whom has just announced that they don't have plans for Christmas dinner...
One son has had enough and retreated to his room, one escaped to the solitude of a bike ride.
And I'm ignoring the family politics being played out using the newborn baby cuddle quota and manipulation.
Fabulous.
Mrs F's MIL already been and gone. Never any dramas 😉
About to visit my FIL in hospital with the rest of the immediate Fazzinis. He's a stubborn git and says no-one should visit.
He should know better.
He's met his daughter. 🤣
They were around last night for the buffet, we are heading to there’s soon for dinner.
Mine arrived late Saturday night, for a week.
MIL spent all day yesterday cleaning - which would be fine except she’s a compulsive tidier, so everything just disappeared into random places. I dare not open any cupboard for fear of whatever has been stuffed in there all springing back out. Highlights include 20 mins spent looking for the pillowcases left out for SIL’s bed, which turned up in the kids’ sock drawer and missing packets of blutak which will probably show up in July. This morning has been spent stuffing the discarded cardboard boxes and wrapping paper behind and under the sofa, including the ones I’d already piled by the back door. She’s also washed every floor in the house with the manky old mop she found outside, so the place reeked by bed time last night.
FIL arrived with a suitcase packed with food prepped for both Christmas Eve and Day dinners and his apron, so all is well.
May need to take my new running shoes for a test drive later.
MiL and boy are doing flute duets.
Yup your propa working class .
MIL I can tolerate but the SIL, give me strength!
FIL moved a year or two ago to some mansion in Ireland with his latest wife. He appears to have forgotten to get any Xmas present for his only grandson!
Yup your propa working class
I am.
She married way beneath her proposed criteria
He appears to have forgotten to get any Xmas present for his only grandson!
My dad was my 3 boys only living grandparent since they were very young, not sure he ever bought them any Xmas or birthday presents 😕
We're away in Cumbria just the two of us. It's bliss
No elderly parents sat there all day with the wood burner roaring away and refusing to take one of their many layers off whilst we melt in the heat
No pandering to other people's stupid wishes, like getting there at 7am to watch ungrateful brats open presents they don't need or deserve.
No silly rules about having Xmas lunch at precisely 1pm as that is someone's else's family's tradition
No snobbery about wine or food
We've got nice families but they often make Xmas very hard to enjoy
Just been for a bracing walk in a mini storm. Going to start cooking soon and will open a beer
Merry Christmas everyone
🎅🎄🍺
Survived, trip to the care home and even had the novelty of hearing the current No. 1.
I promised myself that I wouldn't be annoyed by my FiL's total indifference to his grandchildren. I haven't been entirely successful.
Pretty common in men, caused by a full bladder.
Wahey! 😉
Everyone comes to our house on both Christmas day and boxing day. I cooked today which has been all about the army of kids who are here, wife will cook tomorrow while I play golf with my step-FIL.
Most years we get somewhere between 2 and 6 of the kids left behind to stay at ours to supplement our own 3 for the days between Xmas and New years. It's a squeeze, and it's carnage but it's the best time of the year
I think we're the in-laws now.
But we had a houseful last night and had most of them stay over so we had 4 grandkids shouting "He's been!" early in the morning. It's been good, with some good Tarifa beats banging out and Champagne flowing while I was cooking the lunch. More piling in later for Christmas supper and daughter's partner jamming with me on my new guitar.
What a life!
The MiL is looking at houses in our village!
Tell her yours is for sale!!!
Her Indoors' parents are lovely. They really are. Well, her dad's a bit mad but heart in the right place etc.
BUT - they wanted a dog last year. We've had lots of dogs & gave them some helpful advice as to what might suit them (late 70s, not as active as they were, young grandchildren visiting etc.)
Border Collie. That's what they wanted. We pointed out they need lots of physical & mental activity. They're great dogs but they can be a bit nippy & need a firm hand.
Nope. Border Collie it was. From a Collie rescue charity. So a Collie that's already had problems.
Said Collie arrives. We suggest it might be more secure with its own crate. As did the charity & the people who'd been homing it. No. "She doesn't like the crate", they said. So no crate.
Said Collie bites everyone. "She's just getting used to us. It's not her fault."
It needs vaccinations to go in kennels as they're off on holiday so it goes to the vet who refuses to treat it without a muzzle. "She doesn't like a muzzle."
Their solution? Try another vet. Same result.
"The vets don't know what they're doing."
The solution? They persuade our 16yr foster daughter (who's great with dogs) to stay at theirs' for the week. She's bitten several times.
I feed it treats. They tell me to take her paw. "She's good at giving her paw." My thumb still has the scar.
We stop letting our children go round. The youngest are 8 & 10.
Apparently we're being "ridiculous".
We tell them the dog needs to be trained, or in a crate or wear a muzzle if they want the kids to visit.
We're being "unreasonable".
We suggest a specialist dog trainer but they don't act upon it.
They're coming round on Christmas day. Can they bring the dog? They ask.
No, says Her Indoors. They tell her she's being "unfair" & is "over reacting". They say the dog is "maturing" and will be fine.
They say they can't come for more than two hours because that's the maximum they can leave the dog.
Then the MiL turns up but FiL doesn't because "he's walking the dog". He arrives two hours late as we're serving dinner & sits sulking at the table.
Oh the Joys...
Got the MIL round tomorrow. As it’s pizza on Boxing Day, I’ll be outside setting the oven & wood up.
My daughter wants to set up the throwing target so we can have a session with the throwing knives I got today.
so that’ll keep me outside for plenty of time!
Got the MIL round tomorrow. As it’s pizza on Boxing Day, I’ll be outside setting the oven & wood up.
My daughter wants to set up the throwing target so we can have a session with the throwing knives I got today.
so that’ll keep me outside for plenty of time!
I've got a mental image of your MIL tied to the garden fence whilst you perform some lagered up circus knife throwing act!
Very mixed bag, a game of two halves, was dreading their visit and had said to wife no politics allowed. We started with MIL saying how much she'd enjoyed the GB news shows this morning, a spirited conversation followed about 'that global warming rubbish' with my 16 year old daughter destroying thier dogshit argument, then as I was chucking the Cauliflower cheese in the oven and contemplating stabbing them it was 'what do you think of prince harry?' I snapped and said I love him because of all he's done for invictus and seems like a decent fella, totally wrong footed her, loads of erm well yes erm yes but what about Megan she was rubbish in Suits (she's never watched it). We sat down for dinner and talked about my wife's childhood and other stuff and laughed and toasted Christmas and they loved the food and had a lovely late afternoon, GB news has a lot to answer for, they are lovely people that have been totally brainwashed, for the first 15 years I knew them we never mentioned the EU or politics and now it's the 1st thing they talk about :-(. Gave them a big hug as they left after a nice dinner knowing they will go home and put GB news on, very 😢. Had full new patio kit ready incase hey mentioned 'our Nige' as they have before. Merry Christmas all.
Refused to go to my family's usual do. Can't be done with it. Popped round mums , it's only 80 miles away, got breakfast and a chat.
Then went home via my mates house and got an invite to stay for a scratch Xmas lunch.
We actually laughed a lot , swore alot mostly at Ocado and their random substitution policy
Tried to find concert tickets for less than £100 , gave up.
Avoiding bil and his spoilt , unhelpful kids has made the day bearable
Christ, some of these stories, I do feel for some of you. Definitely makes me glad I found the courage to send my lot on their merry way a few years ago. Life is too short to have shit humans in your life, related or otherwise.
Hope your day/festive period improves soon!
Dinner was 90 minutes late and they forgot the Brussels 🤷♂️
Me and Mrs Binners have had a wonderful everyone-else-free Christmas Day, apart from an early afternoon stroll to the pub to meet some friends, thus avoiding any parental murders and any of this nonsense….
Merry Christmas everyone! 😃
binnersFull Member
Me and Mrs Binners have had a wonderful everyone-else-free Christmas Day, apart from an early afternoon stroll to the
pubGreggs to meet some friends, thus avoiding any of this nonsense….
It was shut 😫
Not an in-law in sight.
And everything is alright, I got a beep from Kim and she can **** all night.
they forgot the Brussel
Yes, as caterer in chief here, I “forgot” the sprouts too.
Dinner was 90 minutes late and they forgot the Brussels
A few years ago at the in laws I got my dinner about 45 minutes before everyone else. I have no idea why.
We live on a farm with my inlaws (separate properties)...my wife and I don't really do Christmas.... she was working all day, same tomorrow. We did have a lovely meal and drink with them tonight though. Fairly lucky I guess, I had a HUGE bust up with my MiL a few years back, but she genuinely doesn't bear a grudge at all.
We're braving my parents tomorrow evening, they get harder to deal with year on year 😕
Hats off to people that have got relatives staying with them for a week/houses of multiple families of kids etc 😳
Had my parents over today for Christmas dinner. Fortunately we all get on really well.
Watched (fell asleep in front of) the new Chicken Run film. They're staying over so will throw some breakfast down them tomorrow morning.
Then we're all off to the SIL & BIL's place tomorrow afternoon where the FIL is staying. Again we all get on so will be a laugh.
Then a few days off and the other BIL & SIL, two kids and two dogs are coming up on Friday and staying for New Year's eve.
Busy time of year and even though I get on with them all really well I am a bit antisocial, but think I'd find it odd having a quiet Christmas.
Spent thirty minutes explaining four cracker jokes to two old (definitely deaf and probably a bit senile) ex-in-laws. A mixture of frustrating and hilarious
The other two quotes which I remember from the day are something about how refreshing bananas are and 'I though Paddington was mostly fiction?' (bear, not station)
In-laws live next door
You're ****ing mental.
I love mine and my own family but sure as hell couldn't deal with that sort of proximity.
MiL and boy are doing flute duets. I’ve opened my first beers
Missus and SIL were doing piano/flute duet earlier. If the class warriors ask they grew up in a flat in Abronhill.
Had her and FIL down since yesterday, off home tomorrow. Actually enjoy their company AND my missus' roasted sprouts.
My in-laws are diamonds. I'm at my SiL's place. She cooked dinner today, and I am even typing this from her bed (er, it's me and MrsDoris in here, just to be clear) - she was worried about my arthritic spine and long COVID so she and her husband are downstairs on the sofa bed so I could have a proper bedroom to escape to. Which I did need to do this afternoon, following 4000 steps round the park. Very lucky to have such nice family!
Quiet one, spoilt a bit food wise (in a good way) as we went to SIL's house and her son was cooking for 10 of us, and he's a propper chef.
Did have to hold my gob a few times as our 'other' SIL has bought a new car (after many years with an old Corrola - PS - My Nissan is older). Anyway, she's going on about all these buttons she has no idea about, then says, if you are feeling a bit tired 'driving' the car will 'help you' - I was like - you need to stop driving then. I did say all these driving aids are for shit drivers - it's bloody frightning people think these are there for driving when tired...FFS.
She's then like, oh the car has a trail, normal, sport and SNOW button (it limits the throttle input only). It's in a Yaris Cross (4x4 possibly) - she won't drive in snow as her driving is rubbish, this car on summer tyres -she thinks this is a magic button.
We've an older Qashqai on cross climates that will do shoot conditions better than a poor driver with magic buttons.
These magic buttons are going to 'crash' alot of cars.
With my elder son - at his house - and his little lad, my grandson of 4 1/2.
Plus my daughter and son-in-law, daughter's FIL and the former mrs frank from many years ago - she is mother to aforementioned son and daughter.
Huge potential for...boom!
Pleased to report it didn't happen.
Grandson had fabulous day and was front and centre.
All is well in my world - I think and hope!
In-laws here for three days.
They're mostly OK.
Usual casual racism replaced this year by casual homophobia. Made a change at least... I'm no longer allowed to point this stuff out but Mrs Noise found a way to make our displeasure obvious without a major argument.
Went out Christmas Eve for a meal. Pan-Asian place. FIL as usual didn't like what he ordered. Have agreed that in future we stay in and cook or get a take away.
To be fair they enthused over Christmas dinner. Only point of contention was MIL asking for chilli sauce (her addiction - eats it with EVERY meal). Bit my lip and allowed it despite the effort put in to making the meal actually tasty in the first place ( it wasn't an Asian approach).
Good fun playing cards this evening to be fair.
They're now all in bed and I can get some alone time. One day and one night to go...
TBH it's not that bad really. Better having them here than us being 'trapped' in their home.
Biggest positive is that here the dog is well behaved. At theirs he's a nightmare as his routines are all disrupted and he REALLY doesn't cope well with that.
I love mine and my own family but sure as hell couldn’t deal with that sort of proximity.
I’ve been living next door to my In-laws for 22 months now. In fact they’re seeing SIL2 in Canada for Xmas so I’m living in their house. It’s been pretty good. Help with kids, BBQ, car loans when needed, access to tools and help with the odd job.
Back in Blighty is more concerning. Dad had blacked out and had a fall last week, has been in hospital for nearly a week with cellulitis and a nasty blister. Has only seen a Dr once. His partner is supposed to be having a knee replacement mid January. Meanwhile Mum is on an ‘emergency’ wait list for a gallbladder operation and has heard nothing about when it will happen. Frustrating.
Just me, wife and kids yesterday, then my son's GF came over later. Sounds like her 'in laws' experience had enough drama for us all (parents divorced, mum's new BF's family were..... well, different)
Today we'll be visiting my wife's FiL and SiL for boxing day cold meats and bubble. So that's my Dad and sister, but not my Mum. First Christmas without her and it's not going to be easy. My Dad's a diamond (as was my Mum), dotes on his Grandkids, is a bit deaf and frustrating because of that but we'll manage as we always do with a bit of rolling eyes and repeating ourselves.
Daughter's BF comes tomorrow, down from pie country and then Thursday we'll go and visit my MiL. That's the unintended racism element of Christmas covered as well then. Daughter will probably get annoyed, especially as I primed BF last time we saw him and so very much looking forward to seeing if I can get him to corpse when all my 'exaggerated' descriptions turn out to be true.
No family this year - we live in the south of France and both sets are a thousand miles away in different directions. We just fancied staying in our village to see what it was like at Christmas (having moved here a couple of years ago). Our friends from Wales had some time off this month and have been staying with us running and riding our dry trails and stocking up on vitamin D and enthusing about where we live. It’s been lovely, low pressure, combined effort. Everyone enjoyed the outdoors in the middle of the day when it was warm, then we made all the food and ate a few courses over several hours. Definitely can recommend for a change.
Round to my in-laws yesterday and round to my dad's today. We've both been lucky our in-laws are decent.
Growing up my mum used to invite her ex in-laws and ex grandmother in law round every Christmas so they could see my sister and I for Christmas.
My last good memory of my (paternal) grandad was inviting / telling him he was having Christmas dinner at my mum's and chatting to him in the kitchen all evening. P
We ARE the in-laws this year.
Mrs Scape has been planning and prepping for weeks if not months, and we were both really looking forward to the kids' and their partners' arrival. I'm pretty sure Mrs Scape enjoys "refilling the empty nest" thing.
No need for details, but so far it's been full-on festive fun with loads to eat and drink, no fall-outs or disagreements, everyone mucking in with chores etc.
Immensely proud of both the kids and full-on approval all round for their choices of partners.
A big family do tomorrow as it's my landmark birthday just into the new year and apparently we won't be here to celebrate, so the fun just keeps giving.
So, yeah, it's been tough, but the in-laws are surviving, ta!
My MIL arrived last Thursday and still has not left the house once. Has zero interest in fresh air, despite claiming to always feeling groggy. Not even been out into the garden and complains if a window or door is opened.
Mother and Brothers Inlaws round yesterday and back today.
Theyre not too bad at all. Its more me being a grumpy sod currently than anyone being a dick.
ugh the levels of faffing is at epic levels, with zero comprehension that small kids can only sit still at the dinner table for a relatively short time without causing chaos. especially when they are hungry.
I'm tempted to suggest taking the kids out to play football whilst we wait for desert
BiL feigned constipation to have a quiet boxing day at home alone. git
I really don't know how some of you lot put up with this shit.
Life's too short for that.
Even as a kid I used to hate all the fuss and arguments it caused so from the age of 15 onwards always opted out.
Thankfully Mrsstu is also pretty keen on us doing our own thing without having to pander to anyone else.
Last year it wasn't the in-laws that were the issue, it was our own mother!
My sister hosted Christmas. Her plus husband and 2 girls (aged 7 and 9). Her FiL (recently widowed so going through a tough time anyway but put a stoic expression on it all for the kids). Me. And our Mum.
Mum is very frail, bent almost double so can't join in for the pre-lunch dog walk or walk the kids up to the park so they can have a run around and she gets very tired quite quickly. She's also not great with noise and fast moving "situations" both of which happen a lot with two hyper children. So she'll be trying to help but basically just getting in the way, then she'll have to have a sit down, then she'll get fed up with the kids "making a racket" (that'd be "playing with their presents..."), then she'll try and go back to "helping"...
She started doing the washing up in spite of there being a fully functioning dishwasher just waiting to be loaded so that took some persuading to leave everything alone. She doesn't drink much at all (half a glass of wine is the limit) and she doesn't eat a lot so in a house where the alcohol was plentiful and excellent (my BiL and I both provide some fantastic wines) and where there's loads of food choice wasn't really her scene. She tried her best but when she watered down her red wine, I thought my BiL would have a fit!
There's a reason my sister did her own family Christmas this year!
Mum's great and she means well but she's hard work.
I do not join family for Christmas for a number of reasons - not least because I am the easy going conciliator in my family. The rest are even more argumentative and I do not want to spend time diffusing their arguments 🙂
tjagain
Full Member
I do not join family for Christmas for a number of reasons – not least because I am the easy going conciliator in my family. The rest are even more argumentative and I do not want to spend time diffusing their arguments 🙂
😲
😅
The Battle of TJ's Back Garden, circa Christmas 2009.
Oh no it isn't 🙂
^^ 👍😄
Jesus the things some of you endure!
Not my inlaws but the most we had was some gender stereotypical career ideas for toddlers based on selective observation of their competence playing with different toys. Don't think anyone but me noticed. Actually it's the girl I'd put money on being the better engineer, if given the same encouragement.