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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How often do you see your parents/inlaws?

42 replies

Trunkybum · 27/05/2024 07:22

If you live locally to either yours or your partners family, how much time do you spend with them?

AIBU to think committing a day every weekend to spending time with them is a bit much?

OP posts:
sanityisamyth · 27/05/2024 07:52

Mother - as little as possible.
Dad - a year ago for a couple of hours? Before that was 5 years.

Not very often!

Sapphire387 · 27/05/2024 07:50

My parents live very locally but there's no 'schedule'. We probably see them once or twice a week for not always for long.

My in-laws all live several hours away. We see my husband's brother, and husband's sister and family, maybe two or three times a year. He doesn't speak to his mother or other siblings.

WildAloofRebel · 27/05/2024 07:47

God YANBU. FIL moved 20 mins away from us (previously 4+ hours away) in a pass agg effort to make us have no excuse to not see him all the time. So we make sure we see him just as little, probably 4x a year.

Bananasplitz97 · 27/05/2024 07:47

My Mum does child care for me on a Monday. We eat together on a Monday night. I probably see her once more that week. We live on the same estate.

See fil (10 min drive) every few months. Mil does a day a week child care too. DP sorts and I see her every 6 weeks ish. This is more than enough for both of us.

BigMandyHarris · 27/05/2024 07:46

We don’t see them at all anymore but we used to see mine and DH’s parents at least once a week for a few hours. For the entire day maybe once a month

Muffin101 · 27/05/2024 07:45

I wouldn’t like to commit, and rigidly stick to, seeing them once a week, but we do generally see them once a week anyway.
My parent and siblings (they all live an hour from me, but only 10ish minutes from each other) I like to see on the weekend as my parent works full time and my nieces and nephews all go to school/preschool now, and my son just loves to see them all. He asks to go constantly! I generally get there for 10ish and leave at around 4:30.
My in-laws live about 5 minutes away, and one works for us full time and the other does a day a week childcare for us 😂 so we see them a lot! We tend to do dinner together on a Sunday once every couple of weeks too. We don’t spend the whole day together in the same way as my own family though.
We all message all the time though, sending photos and snippets about our days etc. One group chat for the in laws and a couple for my family.

Minniemouse85 · 27/05/2024 07:43

When my mum was alive I saw my parents every weekend even if just a quick call round. I saw my mum every day as I worked with her.
when she died I committed my Sundays to doing my dad a Sunday dinner every week.
that lasted 18 very hard months of him speaking to us like shit, getting pissed and outstaying his welcome.
now it’s an hour a week tops, on my own as I don’t want to subject my husband to him any further.
don’t think I realised how much my mum filtered him!

MaltedMilk88 · 27/05/2024 07:39

Parents and in laws are approx half hr away in opposite directions.
See parents once every 2-4 weeks depending on how busy we are, in laws more sporadic but probably keep in touch more via phone.
My parents are very old fashioned and not tech savvy so no smartphones etc; I used to try to get to them once a week because of this but it was too much commitment and I was missing out on quality weekend family time of our own due to having to factor in seeing them so often so YANBU

cerebuswannabe · 27/05/2024 07:38

Parents I see a couple of times a week. I'll pop in for 30 mins before or after a school run. In law probably once a month, would be more but partner isn't about seeing his mum unless I mention it.

Dreemhouse · 27/05/2024 07:36

I see my parents pretty much every day as DF takes DS to and from school. I only see MIL maybe once a year because she lives about 700 miles away, but would definitely see her more regularly if she was closer. I’m lucky MIL is a lot of fun!

OnehundredStars · 27/05/2024 07:35

Don’t see mine at the moment sadly. But it was once a week for many years. It used to visit twice a week and like above, I got a guilt trip phone call to say how lonely life is etc and I got the blame for my mothers unhappiness. This time, my mothers temper and mean words have pushed me away.

fieldsofbutterflies · 27/05/2024 07:32

MIL died earlier this year but I see my FIL about four days a week.

I see my mum maybe twice a month and dad maybe twice a year.

ByPeachSeal · 27/05/2024 07:32

My parents are about twenty minutes away. We see them at least one day every weekend and sometimes during the week too.

We love each other. Why wouldn’t we want to spend that time with them?!

leopardski · 27/05/2024 07:32

My folks like 15 mins away, we see them quite often but there’s no real schedule to it at all. Depends on everyone’s plans! I’d say we probably average one weekend a month? But I do see them during the week too (they help with childcare - angels!)

Mothership4two · 27/05/2024 07:31

Probably see MIL once a month, but OH spends an afternoon a week with her as she lives on his route back from work - they usually go for a long walk. Last time I saw her (2 weeks ago) I took her out to an arty crafty exhibition for a few hours. SIL also goes over weekly.

I think it depends on how dependent and capable they are. At the moment MIL is fit and active with a busy social life. At some point I am sure she will need more input - hopefully not for some time to come.

My parents live at the other end of the country, so two-four times a year.

Makegoodchoices · 27/05/2024 07:29

I saw my mum last Saturday and then Tuesday and on Sunday called and received a long whinge about how bored she is and a list of other people’s children who call every day.

I see my mother in law on special occasions and when she gets cross with DH for not making time for her.

One side is divorced so a day a weekend would be more than an entire weekend. Not reasonable.

Brandnewskytohangyourstarsupon · 27/05/2024 07:28

My mother is 5 minutes away, maybe see her for an hour once a week/ 2 weeks.
My dad it can be 6-8 months, again, he is about 20 minutes away.
In laws, once every 8-9 months, they are about 20 minutes away.
My dad and the in laws have zero interest in us or my kids. No fall outs at all, get on perfectly fine, they just are not bothered about ever seeing any of us.
My mum is alone, so I take her shopping and Bob round to make sure she is ok.