Just at the end of another weekend visit with my parents where I am breathing a sigh of relief that they have gone home. They live a few hours away so when they visit or we visit them it is for at least a night. Feel so sad about this as I spend the whole time on edge and waiting for them to leave.
I’m married with two DCs. DCs are 6 and 4 so we are getting in to the ‘easy’ time of things although 4 year old is still a handful. DH and my parents have a strained relationship - all polite to each other but do not truly get on.
Parents stress and fret about everything. I am also a bit like this and try so hard to stop stressing but when they are here it is so stressful! They seem to go out of their way to find stressful situations - e.g. they like to take the kids into the city centre shopping for toys, go out to restaurants rather than eat at home. Then we are all stressed as I am on edge waiting for the DC to play up (particularly DD2), the city centre is busy, trying to stop DH getting annoyed about their constant fretting, trying to stop someone wandering off.
At home they leave a trail of chaos and destruction and constantly tell me to sit down while making more mess that needs cleaning up. My dad needs regular cups of tea and food.
Don’t even know if anyone understands this rambling?
Of course the reality is as soon as they have left I feel like a complete bitch who is making the time they do spend with us so stressful. They are lovely and really do mean well. Can I stop stressing somehow?
For context, I get on fairly well with my in laws and find their visits helpful and relaxing rather than stressful. I’m well aware this is not life or death stuff which makes me feel even worse. I deal with life or death in my job and find it less stressful than a weekend with my parents!
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Relationships
How can I find seeing my parents less stressful?
RainbowBriteRules · 05/11/2017 14:34
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