All those people who are having in-laws/parents over on Christmas Day...

[Misfitless]

what time do you ask them to arrive, and what time will you be eating your Christmas meal? Oh..and what time do they leave? TIA

[shinybaubles]

Mine are staying for a week , but in terms of eating we have light breakfast, then canape bits, then Christmas dinner at 4 ish. The canape bits serve as lunch/starter to keep the kids and cook going, then an earlyish or late Christmas dinner depending on how you look at it before the kids combust.

[HuevosRancheros]

Ours are fairly local, I would be happy to have them here from Christmas Eve, but I think they like having a peaceful Christmas Eve!
So they arrive about 10.30 Christmas morning, we will have brunch, they will take DC (3&5) to the park while I get on with lunch.... which I reckon we'll have about 3.
They will stay overnight (so they can have a drink :)) and leave teatimeish on Boxing Day

[Flyonthewindscreen]

When my ILs have joined us on Xmas day, they have arrived late morning, 11.30ish for fizz and canapés and gone home after Xmas lunch and tea at 10ish in evening. Probably best to be clear what time to arrive and which meals are included beforehand to avoid them arriving too early while you are still in chaos or them leaving before Xmas tea when you have loads of extra food, etc.

[EarlGreyCuppa]

Having in-laws round on christmas day, they live about 30 mins drive away. DH and I prefer the main christmas meal at lunchtime, so will ask that they arrive mid-morning-ish, in time for an early lunch. Lazing & an afternoon walk, small-ish tea and I guess they'll be heading home 6 or 7 ish at the latest (they're elderly and won't stay overnight any more).

[JoinTheDots]

We are going to them, but I do the meal, so... We shall get there mid morning (they will be at church) and I shall do the meal for about 2pm. I would like it earlier and they would like it later, so its a compromise.

We will stay over night, and leave after lunch on Boxing Day (as soon after lunch as I can get away, to minimise the sleep DD gets in the car and therefore keep bedtime slightly less stressful).

I would like Christmas dinner to be about 1pm, like a usual Sunday lunch, purely because I am pregnant and can't go too long between meals, and DD is 3 and also cannot wait. We will snack obviously, but then I find it ruins my appetite for the meal itself and I LOVE Christmas dinner!

[CrotchStitch]

My DPs are here for a week

[marleebrodie]

In laws coming Christmas day then going home then coming Boxing day...they live local to us but two days on the trot feels like overkill....
Dh's bother and wife just don't invite them.....

[StairsInTheNight]

I have not yet set any parameters

I need to do this don't I? In laws don't live that far away-30 mins drive. Is saying lunch at 2 so come anytime after midday ok?

Do I have to say please bugger off by 5/6 at VERY latest, or will they do that anyway?

[Methe]

Well my sister will be coming over at about 12 and helping me and then my parents will be arriving about 4 as my mum is working Christmas Eve night. They can stay as long as they want.

[wordfactory]

I'm quietly weeping into my keyboard here.

No one ever seems to come for less than four days!!!

The hoardes arrive on Xmas Eve and leave on 27/28th. All hints to come later or leave earlier are cheerfully ignored.

There was one Xmas when snow stopped anyone coming and ... it is the only Christmas I have not be bloody filmed opening my presents!!!

In my ideal world family guests would arrive around noon, in time for bubbly and nibbles, by which time the meal would be well under way, table laid and I would be showered and fragrant. We would then eat around 2pm. After munch we'd chat, play games, go for a walk. I'd give everyone coffee around 6pm, pass around the digestif and chocolates. Then people would start getting their coats around 7.30pm. By 8pm I would be laid on my sofa watching the telly .

[LauraChant]

DMiL is staying here but the other hordes will probably arrive between 11 and 12 for lunch at 1, tea at about 5:30, maybe leave 9ish? I want them to stay a full day, it's Christmas!

[AnneOfCleavage]

PIL, BIL and niece are coming to ours this year and I have suggested 11am ish. Will do champagne and nibbles around then and lunch approx. 1.15pm. I will coax us all out for a walk if it's dry then have tea around 6pm but only a light one then I'm assuming they will want to leave 8pm to catch programmes they are interested in or if it's Downton Abbey they are welcome to stay so long as I am not asked to get drinks or nibbles or chat inanely

[WhereIsMyHat]

They'll come over around midday, we'll eat at about 5ish. Drink and nibble and chat the afternoon away.

[rovercat]

I would love Wordfactory's ideal Christmas too please! Everyone comes to us and stays. It starts on Christmas eve and if I'm lucky they go Boxing Day evening. I would love everyone to come just for the day and then go home. DH and I have never had a Christmas day on our own in 30 years.

[BiddyPop]

We are either running around near us visiting relies before they all eat, then home to cook for ourselves.

Or else, we are the travelers. But we rent a house near both our parents homes to avoid overkill. We arrive PIL mid morning after mass, dinner about 1.30, leave there about 4ish, go to my parents and presents, drinks, nibbles before dinner (the bets this year are currently between 7.15 and 9.45 pm, mum always says 6!). We leave pretty soon after dinner as dd is shattered, as are we, by then - that's usually around midnight.

[Misfitless]

Thanks for all your responses. I'm going to re-read again. I'm feeling a bit guilty - there's no end to some mners open-house hospitality!

My problem is they want to come as early as possible, and my dad, in particular is quite intolerant of my DCs which stresses me out and just makes for an awkward and tense atmosphere.

Someone wanted to be fragrant and showered - that's me! My parents want to come before noon, which means it's a mad rush trying to ensure that we're dressed and the house is tidy before they arrive, which takes away any possibility of a nice chilled out morning! They aren't bothered if we're dressed, but I am! I don't want to be trying to get my Dcs to brush their teeth as my parents arrive with a load more presents to open.

I'm thinking to ask them to come about 1:00pm, with the meal to be served at about 2:00pm, then they can stay as late as they like!

The last couple of years they've turned up at about 10.30am 11.00am, but like someone pointed out, I need to set the parTmeters.

Thanks all.

[Misfitless]

*parameters.

[nipersvest]

we have our 15 yr old nephew coming to stay from the 18th-27th, he's currently living with my mil as sil has lost custody of all her kids (younger ones are in foster care), mil is 74 and needs a break so we're having nephew over christmas.

before all this happened, we invite my mum & stepdad, and they're still coming too as i haven't seen them on christmas day for years, they're coming on the 23rd, home on boxing day.

7 of us for christmas day, our dc's are looking forward to it, will be a change to have people with us as it's usually us that do the travelling.

roll on new year though when it's just the 4 of us and all the guests have gone!

[MissBeehiving]

Oh Lordy, having people for days at a time!

DF lives next door as does, as does aged aunt and Dsis and her brood so we all get together about 12 for lunch, take the dogs for a walk and go back to our respective houses, with various children who ricochet up and down the road between the families.

If FIL and step MIL or MIL come then we put them up somewhere nearby (we all like our space) and have sort of similar short bursts of entertaining.

[bluebayou]

All my rellies arrive Christmas eve , stay 5 / 6 days . love it , nowt like family . we all muck in and a good time is had by all . Plenty of food walks , games, general good time had by all ..

[Sleepyfergus]

I feel the need for a support group. This is the first year in our new house and we're having my parents and the ILs plus associated sisters and brothers. The ILs will be staying, dates have not been confirmed yet. My folks live locally so will arrive an leave at sensible times (my mum is sensible in that respect). DH is going to do all the cooking, so he'll be holed up in the kitchen avoiding the tension and no doubt using every pot, pan, dish and utensil we own

I am dreading it. It will not be relaxing as I feel I will have to police eh conversation as the mums subtlely (and not so subtlely the more wine is drunk) outdo one another. My FIL will wind up the kids to beyond giddiness and they will also be spoilt despite me asking for not too many presents. Plus, (and I apologise to dog lovers out there) the ILs will bring their bloody dog which means our cats will be nervous wrecks the entire visit, plus the dogs stinks (sorry, but it does) and will shed hair everywhere. But it can't possibly go into kennels apparently, as it's never been before.

Bah humbug!

[tobiasfunke]

My in laws live less than an hour and a half away but the last time they were here for Christmas they arrived at lunchtime and stayed until the 28th.We were expecting them to go on the 26th. They basically got pissed, were rude for 3 days and expected me to wait on them hand and foot. Now we are inviting them for the Sunday before Christmas and they are staying until Monday morning when they will be, ever so nicely, kicked out.

[optimusic]

I did the big forced Christmas with the parents once. Never, ever, ever again. We stay at home. So much better. Sometimes get the odd nutter mentioning coming over, but are told no. Eat when we feel like it. Pop out to the pub for a couple. Spend most of the day in pj's. Eat when we can be arsed to. It's lovely.