Family Visits, Common Sense, & Manipulative Inlaws

[diesel]

well our holidays work out fine with my in-laws, it's Mothers Day that's the problem. I swear my husbands family forgets that I also have a mother. For the past 7 years my mother has a cook out for Mothers Day at 1 pm then we got to my In laws for dinner around 4pm. This works out great. Well for some unknown reason this year my mother in law decided to have her meal at 2pm. I was like what? I told my husband to go to his mothers and I'd go to mine. So this year I've booked a Disney trip over Mothers Day weekend so that I didn't have to deal with my mother-in-law changing things around again!

 

[C.Ann]

I'm not even crazy about dragging kids out of the house on Christmas Day to visit relatives locally, so I certainly can see your point.. There's only "one" of her and I assume she wouldn't be upset if she couldn't be home on Christmas Day to "play with all of her new toys.."

I wouldn't give it another thought..

 

[we3disneygo]

I''m glad to know I'm not alone.....I just got my Christmas gift from my dad and step mom...who live in FL.....dh a used army watch,clearly woren and sweat marks on the leather band, dd12 a mickey coin purse with 5 smashed pennies from magic kingdom, I got 2 passholder pins. Merry Christmas!!!!! last week, i heard step-mom say "tell her not to send us anything"???? we don't see the in-laws for many of the same reasons stated in above posts.........

 

[inaminute]

Trust me, my MIL loves to play the martyr. She was definitely trying to guilt us into coming. She starts the "come visit me for Christmas" whine in May.

Ahhhh. That's different, then.

As far as her "perfect Christmas" scenario. Sounds like MIL could use a reality check. Wonder where those can be purchased? Might make a nice gift!

 

[minkydog]

You are not alone. We finally had to tell my Dh family "the road runs both ways, ya know." They always want us to drive(8hrs) to see them and in 25 years of marriage his sister has come to see one exactly twice--once to flee a hurricane and once when DH had brain surgery(but she left because he wasn't "sick enough" ) We do feel obligated to go down to see his Mother a couple times ayear, even though it really is difficult for us. She's 85 and frail. But we don't go at holidays. Too much stress.

Now my family is totally different--every one of them will hop in the car and drive for hours to see the others. It comes from all those long summer car trips we took as children--1000 miles each way to see Grandma & cousins. My mom is still young enough to travel (72)and will use any excuse to see her kids. Now we even take trips together. i can't wait until we can all meet at WDW

Cathy

 

[Chicago526]

Not alone. My father's brothers and sisters were this way when I was growing up. They lived in WI, we lived in IL. But we always had to visit them, they would not visit us. They said it was too far for them to drive (but not for US to drive, I guess!). then we'd find out they took a road trip to FL and didn't even stop in to say "hello" when they knew they were welcome to stop by anytime, even unanounced!

Eventually, my dad stoped trying. We didn't go and see them anymore. As a result, I never really knew any of my cousins, and barely knew my aunts and uncles. My aunts died a few years ago, and I wasn't the least bit upset on their behalf, I was only sad because my father was sad.

 

[golfgal]

Didn't you know that the way from your house to their house is shorter then going from their house to your house???? We get this a lot, everyone is always complaining that the don't see us enough and when we suggest they come here we get "it's so far, why don't you come here". We only live 3 hours away, not half the country away.