A small vent...People who are LATE for DINNER!!!

[Poohbear123]

My DD and her Fam is ALWAYS late for ANYTHING! Grrrrr!!! I told her Dinner was at 3:00pm. 'On, no I have to be somewhere else at 3:00!" I said fine, howabout 2:30? So, I rushed to have everything ready by 2:30! Guess what? SHE's STILL not here! Just called a few minutes to say, she was at Walgreens to get batteries for her camera! Yes, we ate without her, hope she don't stay long, cause I am a bit peeved!

 

[kaylajr]

I'm with You BIL and family were suppose to be here at 1 cause they had stuff to do this evening but the kids were sleeping so I moved dinner to 3 for them
Guess who still isn't here

everything will be cold and they will have to microwave and if they aren't here
in 15 minutes I am eating with out them

 

[LJC1861]

We are at Lisa's Dad's house and have been waiting on her sister in law for almost 2 hours!!!! Lunch has been ready and sitting on the stove. ARRGHH!!!!

More later....they JUST arrived.

Linda

 

[Antonia]

My MIL tries to have dinner at weird times like 3:00 p.m. and I hate it. 3:00 p.m. is not a meal time any way you look at it. I say give her a break and next time plan the meal for either lunch or dinner - 12 noon or between 5 and 7.

 

[LJC1861]

Well, just when we thought it was safe to put the now very dried out food on the table, we have to go and pick up the step daughter!!! So they left shortly after they arrived asking sweetly " Would that mess you up?" Lisa's Dad just smiled and said politely, "' no, I just roll with the punches." Well, needless to say I am not rolling with the punches too well. But, it is not my house and not my party....I am merely a guest here and apparently this happens quite often......

So when they get here with Ellie, we will sit down to dinner....I hope!

Linda

 

[dbogen]

Linda,

Are you atleast getting appitizers( I spelled that wrong didn't I)?

Deanna

 

[denisem]

Wow, this brings back memories from long ago. Brother's family was always late. I tried:

1. Accomodating their schedule. (They were late).

2. Planning dinner an hour LATER than their accomodated schedule. (They were still late).

3. Telling them "Hey - I totally understand you have in-law's/other commitments. Have dinner with them, come by earlier/later & visit, you'll get appetizers or dessert!". (They'd STILL commit to dinner and were late).

4. Have dinner at scheduled time & let them fend for themselves when they arrived late. (They were...offended).

And people wonder why I moved 1,000 miles from my family...

 

[Talking Hands]

We've given up on a set meal at Christmas. It is help yourself when you are ready. Jim and I were up early for church. One daughter was up but had to go help a friend and the other slept very late. Now both are gone and who knows when they will show up again. DH and I were hungry so we ate. We never seem to eat together anymore.

 

[LJC1861]

Yes, we did have a few appetizers and then Lisa had a leg and I had a wing to help tide us over. Lunch/Dinner was supposed to be at 2....to accomodate the naps of the small children. Once we sat down to eat everything was fine and it was a pretty quick little visit. Now we have to clean up........

Linda

 

[BillSears]

Dinner is served bufftet style around here. I start serving at the appointed time and people graze throughout the afternoon.

Even if it was a sit down dinner I'm not going to wait for you. If you show up late then it's your fault not mine. Dinner is served at the time it's supposed to be.

 

[Marseeya]

Wow, I'm amazed at how rude some of your family members are! I'm thinking 1/2 hour isn't too bad, but over an hour???

My sister and her family are usually late, but this year it was my family. I was having a problem with the dish I was bringing and was running five minutes behind. By three minutes after, my mom was calling all upset to see where we were, because my sister was on time for once. We only live a block away.

Is always being late a form of passive aggressiveness?

 

[Poohbear123]

We had a great time anyway! My DGD was a hoot, she would get one gift, play with it, and when we told her she had another to open, she would say: "Another pwesent?" She is 2 and knows about Christmas and presents now! They came at 4;00 and just left about 10 min ago!

 

[BARBARAAPPLE]

I have a brother that is always late so we tell them an hour earlier than the dinner will start that way they get here on time.

 

[EthansMom]

I hate it when guests are late for a meal. I always tell my guests to arrive at X time (X time being 30 minutes prior to when I intend to serve dinner). Anything later than the 30 minute window without a darn good excuse (buying batteries would not cut it in my book) is rude. I will hold back on serving dinner, if possible, if someone calls with decent reason for being late and says, "I'll be there in 10 minutes." Much beyond that, we'll dine without whomever it is.

Of course, my friends and family know that about me. FIL and StepMIL were due for dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. When they arrived at 5:25 p.m., DH said, "Boy, have you got them trained!"

I'm not a happy camper when I'm at someone else's home for a party or dinner and food is not served at the designated time, whether we are waiting for a late guest or through some change by the host(ess).

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Everyyear we take turns having Christmas Eve dinner at one of our houses and everyone brings a side dish to who ever is hosting. LOL - DSIL was late as usual plus the dish she brought needed to go in the oven for 30 minutes - however this always happens so we were prepared - just sat back and had a glass of wine and munched on appetizers til her dish was ready - LOL

 

[Disney Doll]

I wouldn't wait a meal for 2 hours if everyone else was there and ready to eat. I'll give you 15 minutes or so, but that's about it. If you get here late, your problem not mine. Help yourselves to the leftovers in the fridge, cuz I am not going to wait on you either!!!!

And don't act all offended either, because I'll have no problem telling you off as to how rude and self-cenetered you are to think that the entire world is going to plan their life around you!

 

[shortbun]

My in-laws were 1.5 hours late yesterday and had neglected to tell us they were leaving early to go somewhere else. THEY were the only reason I put together a big meal as we are leaving tomorrow for vacation. I am once again reminded that MY expectations become MY disappointments. Luckily, it was buffet and I ate before they arrived. I was getting testy!!! lol!

 

[poohandwendy]

For holiday meals, we serve buffet style (we could never fit all of the food on the dining room table anyways, LOL). If anyone is not there yet, they will get a phone call...if they are on the way, we will wait. If not, we eat and they can catch up later. We would never wait hours for anyone and I don't know anyone in my family who would expect people to wait for them either.

I agree that people who are habitually late are inconsiderate. I also see it as self-centered. It leaves an impression that your time is more valuable than others, IMO.

 

[Marseeya]

I agree that people who are habitually late are inconsiderate. I also see it as self-centered. It leaves an impression that your time is more valuable than others, IMO.

I just don't get that mindset! I can't imagine being the kind of person who can walk into a room knowing that several people were waiting for ME, and not seeing a problem with it. The two friends I have who do this just don't see the big deal. Okay, well, you've got six people in a restaurant who can't be seated until ONE person arrives? Sure, no problem, they like sitting around waiting for your royal highness.

My DD is starting to be this way. She's really slow and doesn't understand why I make her start to get ready well before everybody else, but I won't let her get away with making us late. I'm constantly telling her that it's rude to everybody else who manages to be ready on time. Let's hope it sinks in before she's an adult.

 

[Nancy]

My MIL is ALWAYS late, but yesterday took the prize. Dinner is always at 5-5:30. My Mom comes over by 3:30 so we have time to open presents in peace and quiet. She helps me get stuff ready and on the table. (MIL always offers to bring food for the meal, which I decline because the food usually shows up when we are done eating!) MIL finally shows up at 7:30 yesterday...BIL and SIL were with her.(They are from out of town and stay at her house, I don't blame them because if they are by themselves they are always on time) I had already put all the food away because we ate on time, so I re-heated it for them. Turns out they were at my MIL's friends house all day. Joan made brunch for them and they just stayed there until almost 5:30. They then had to go home and get all the presents wrapped before they could come over. HMMMM, 5:30 Christmas day and you are just wrapping the presents! MIL lives by herself, she has to work, but she does nothing else with her time. I hear from SIL that my MIL had to find the presents, because she couldn't remember where she hid half of them...why she had to hide them I don't know! She lives next door to my DH's sister and she even showed up late at her house for Christmas Eve. (I was late too that night, but they knew I was at work until closing, and they knew not to wait dinner for me) I love my MIL dearly, but it amazes me that she is a social worker and tells people what to do with their lives, when she has no clue what she is doing in hers.