who wants to trade family members for the holidays?

[OhMari]

I'm going to give my youngest sister to my sister-in-law.
So, none of you have to take them off my hands.

I think it will be the best exchange.
Who ever thought of this idea, thank you!!!


They both make everyone miserable on Holiday's, so
now they both can make each other miserable.

 

[budbeerlady]

I've found my own way to cope. A few years ago, I sat myself at the kids table (I'm 50). This is where the fun is! I ate their vegetables, we told secrets, nobody bothered us. Now I'm the "cool" aunt. Try it, no pressure at the kids table! A glass of wine helps too!

Shhhhh, that is our Thanksgiving coping secret for Dh's dads side! We hide at the kids table also which is oddly in another room. After the food makes the round in the other room its dumped on our table in the kitchen. (They are all in the "formal" dining/torture room!) Oh yeah, all the rolls and none of the snarky!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Wow! I'm sorry that so many of you have awful family members to deal with, but you certainly can't have any of mine!

My DH's parents are deceased and his brother and sister-in-law live in another state. So, we spend every holiday with my family (mom, dad, sister, brother, us and our 2 boys). My parents cook for Thanksgiving, my sister does Christmas Eve and I do Christmas dinner. My brother shows up wherever he's told to be!

My family members give great gifts. My parents are always too generous, but that's how they like it. We all get presents, gift cards and cash. My kids are the only grandkids so they get showered with love and attention.

We don't argue or fight. We don't insult each other (except in fun). We're just an easy-going bunch of people who love spending the holidays together.

I'm not trying to brag, just trying to show that there are still families who enjoy each other's company, and I'm glad mine is one of them!

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Shhhhh, that is our Thanksgiving coping secret for Dh's dads side!

Are we sharing coping secrets now? OH! ME ME ME!


I highly recommend this. If you have to go to a dysfunctional family celebration and you can't even predict the crazy things that may happen there and you are dreading it like no other event......... get together with your spouse and MAKE BINGO CARDS before you go. Just the two of you. Each of you will have your own card and fill in your own squares. Example: MIL will become drunk or SIL will walk out of the party mad.
When you get home, the two of you can have some fun seeing who got the most squares right. I guarantee you'll say at least once h shoot! I didn't think of THAT!"

 

[budbeerlady]

Are we sharing coping secrets now? OH! ME ME ME!


I highly recommend this. If you have to go to a dysfunctional family celebration and you can't even predict the crazy things that may happen there and you are dreading it like no other event......... get together with your spouse and MAKE BINGO CARDS before you go. Just the two of you. Each of you will have your own card and fill in your own squares. Example: MIL will become drunk or SIL will walk out of the party mad.
When you get home, the two of you can have some fun seeing who got the most squares right. I guarantee you'll say at least once h shoot! I didn't think of THAT!"

I LOVE this idea!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kirstenb1]

Are we sharing coping secrets now? OH! ME ME ME!


I highly recommend this. If you have to go to a dysfunctional family celebration and you can't even predict the crazy things that may happen there and you are dreading it like no other event......... get together with your spouse and MAKE BINGO CARDS before you go. Just the two of you. Each of you will have your own card and fill in your own squares. Example: MIL will become drunk or SIL will walk out of the party mad.
When you get home, the two of you can have some fun seeing who got the most squares right. I guarantee you'll say at least once h shoot! I didn't think of THAT!"

 

[NVDisMom]

Are we sharing coping secrets now? OH! ME ME ME!


I highly recommend this. If you have to go to a dysfunctional family celebration and you can't even predict the crazy things that may happen there and you are dreading it like no other event......... get together with your spouse and MAKE BINGO CARDS before you go. Just the two of you. Each of you will have your own card and fill in your own squares. Example: MIL will become drunk or SIL will walk out of the party mad.
When you get home, the two of you can have some fun seeing who got the most squares right. I guarantee you'll say at least once h shoot! I didn't think of THAT!"

Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.

 

[PUZZLDY5]

OMG! I have to add to this. I have a BIL that someone can have. Every stinkin year I can count on him getting unbelievably drunk and then falling asleep, sitting straight up mind you, SNORING to beat sixty so we have to turn the TV up to a ridiculous level. Then there is my SIL who thinks she deserves a gift and wants one although she never buys a thing for anyone else. Did I mention that she has a champaigne (sp?) appetite for our beer budgets? I almost forgot my SMIL. Good god this woman is a witch. She pretends to like you to your face in front of my FIL and then as soon as he leaves the room she turns into a monster. This is the same woman a few years ago convinced me to stop by the mall on our way to a "family" event and that my FIL wouldn't mind if we were a few minutes late. Well I agreed and it took her about an hour and a half to get her shopping done. Needless to say my FIL was furious and then told him, with me standing right there in front of her, that it was my idea to stop by the mall and I was taking too long. I really really don't want her back.

 

[agnes!]

Whoever mentioned this over on the Community Board...THANK YOU.

agnes!

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Free to a good home.....One father who hates every gift he has ever recieved and complains after opening his gifts that they were all things that "his wife wanted." Along with said father comes one mother who hates the father and is having an inappropriate relationship with her "friend's" husband, but still pretends like everything is normal. She will complain loudly to anyone who listens about how badly her husband treats her while criticizing his every move! (I have several other relatives that I would throw in, but since I refuse to be in the same room with them anymore I don't have to worry about seeing them over the holidays).

Thank God I have sane in-laws!!

 

[memster]

Alright, I've got one lethal crazy Sister I will trade up anyone for. I will even throw in a $100.00 gift card to boot!!! Just keep the sharp utensils away from her at meal time and give her a plastic spoon for meals. OH P.S. For safety reasons pretend like your enjoying her company.

 

[jgates]

You can have MIL. Haven't spoken to her in a few years since DH actually stood up to her. Then we became the spawn of the devil. They didn't even come to their grandson's wedding last month - obviously camping (same as every weekend) was more important. I could go through an hour of raking her over the coals but I don't have the energy. But when sitting around a campfire getting drunk is more important than your grandson's wedding....well you get the idea.

My suggestion for grandparents who have everything is a donation to something that might means something to them.

Are they a pet lover? Local Animal Shelter
Did they donate a lot of time at church or locally? Food Pantry, Sunday School, etc.
Love to read? Local library, children's library, school library, RIF, etc.
Love kids? Give Kids the World, Make a Wish, etc.

You get the idea. We have done that for funeral rememberances also - often in local obituaries favorite charities are even mentioned - might be more of a regional thing.

 

[nepean]

I will donate DD future inlaw family. All of them. The self centred, narcistic parents, the lazy brother with the crazy GF and the party girl sister. Our family have family BD parties, Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas as a group. No fighting and lots of good food.

Boyfriend's family insisted that he had to be home for Christmas Day and we changed our Disney trip dates to accomodate them. NOW they are going to friends for Christmas (only the parents). We could have been at the World as we were last year and I would not have had to cook and neither would my sister. It is all about them and they do not give a #@#@ about their children. Fortunately DD BF is a great guy and avoids them as much as possible. I will move them to whereever you are.

 

[rbork]

I'll throw in my sister. She is the ONLY one left in my family who is not already deceased. Im only 37 Called her for years....tried to plan a holiday gathering for dinner a couple of years ago 5 months in advance. She "didn't have time" to squeeze us in. REALLY 5 months in advance! She only lives an hour away.
This was a funny thread. Got me thinking how much stress the holiday's cause for folks.

 

[FINFAN]

It's just easier to trade myself off to another family.......as far as gift ideas...well, sounds like a nice gift wrapped box of bed -bugs would be appropriate for some mentioned on here...and it's a gift that keeps on giving!

 

[donac]

I have been reading this thread and I guess it is my turn to post.

I will trade all 3 of my dh's sisters.

Two do nothing to help with the meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They usually don't even bother to help clean while I have cooked the entire meal for both holidays.

My other sil only asks me one question "How are your folks?" After I answer she then leaves me alone. She interupted me talking to my nephew last year and wouldn't let me in on the conversation.

This is the same sil who this year wanted people to come to her house for Thanksgiving because no one has been to her house in about 7 years (the day she yelled at my dh and we have never been back). She is not a cook and I don't remember the last time she made dinner, it was usually catered and not always heated up.

She sent and email and told the family that she would be doing Thansgiving at her house. I have been cooking Thanksgiving for this family for the last 7 years and she never thought to ask me if it was okay. NOt to mention my mil is too frail to travel a distance and fil can't go more than a half an hour without a bathroom stop.

Dh emailed her back and said we would not be there and gave some reasons. Her response was that she was TOO BUSY TO CHECK WITH ME and then told us we hurt her feelings.

It gets better. She sent an email this week asking dh if we could go back to mil's house and have me cook. No I"M SORRY. I am going to do it only because of my mil. She deserves a good homecooked meal at least once a year.

Keep the storues coming I love them. Mine is calm compared to some.

 

[disneymom3]

Are we sharing coping secrets now? OH! ME ME ME!


I highly recommend this. If you have to go to a dysfunctional family celebration and you can't even predict the crazy things that may happen there and you are dreading it like no other event......... get together with your spouse and MAKE BINGO CARDS before you go. Just the two of you. Each of you will have your own card and fill in your own squares. Example: MIL will become drunk or SIL will walk out of the party mad.
When you get home, the two of you can have some fun seeing who got the most squares right. I guarantee you'll say at least once h shoot! I didn't think of THAT!"

That is hilarious. Can you make duplicate squares for the same things though? DH and I currently lay bets on how many times SILs kid will hit or try to hit ours. He is 5 and "doesn't know better" so if they hit back everyone makes like it's the end of the world. Ticks me right off. And his mom does NOTHING. This is the third child of hers we have gone through this with. The oldest didn't ever "know better" until my youngest finally hauled off and hit him back as hard as he could. (With permission...I think we even gave him a cookie. ) So, I need several squares for "so and so hits someone."

 

[neatokimmo]

(With permission...I think we even gave him a cookie. )

 

[C.Ann]

Don't get too excited, but I might be brokering a deal for my DD - if that's allowed..

She's pretty sure on one - the other is still "iffy"...

Details to follow upon confirmation.....

 

[C.Ann]

Whoever mentioned this over on the Community Board...THANK YOU.

agnes!

That would be me.. And you're welcome.. LOL..

Initially I had nothing to offer up, but DD called me today and I'm pretty sure she's going to want "in" - using me as the go between..

Still waiting to hear back if it's a solo or a two-fer..