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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

For not wanting to spend another Christmas Day with his batshit family?

229 replies

MsCrowly · 09/11/2025 14:39

When I first met DP’s family they seemed absolutely lovely, really really nice people. Charity work at the church, voluntary work at the local primary school, his dad cut the elderly neighbours grass throughout summer - I could go on but honestly they seemed like amazing people. So when Dp told me his mum had invited us around for Christmas dinner I happily accepted. On the run up to Christmas Day he told me his family were a bit wild at Christmas so be prepared but with what I knew about them I assumed he meant his dad had a few too many sherrys and tended to start singing Elvis or something!

No.

It was fucking awful. They were all drunk by time we got there at 12. His mother was ffing, blinding and cunting all over the place, his dad was watching world war 2 documentaries and screaming about how the kids of today would be too pussy to fight - when we first arrived his sister launched into a verbal attack saying it was just like him to turn up like a vulture when someone else was cooking 🫤 DP said we were invited so she screamed “so was fucking Judas”

over the course of the day his mother threw a glass of wine over his dads head, his sister continued picking arguments with everyone until she ultimately launched a tub of quality street across the room in rage, his dad started throwing up to which his mum got handfuls of it in kitchen roll and tried to smear it across his face - by the end of the day his mum was sat drunk in tears saying she wished she’d joined the army?!? His dad was passed out upstairs, his sister was sat furiously watching Grease screaming at everyone to stop talking and DP was drunk and going around squashing chocolates into the walls.

Couldn’t wait to get out - anyway he’s now asked if we can go this year considering how everyone enjoyed it so much last year, I was like “you joking? Everyone was arguing!!” and he got defensive saying it’s Christmas, people drink and get silly - all families do that. Mine don’t!!! A few drinks yeah but fighting and arguining? Nope

Thing is if I don’t go I’ll be alone Christmas Day - do I go or have a quiet (lonely?) one by myself? And AIBu to think this isn’t how normal families celebrate Christmas?

OP posts:
Pumpkinsonastring · 09/11/2025 16:01

AngelsuseAlgorithms · 09/11/2025 14:47

Honestly I know it's a leap but I'd be rethinking the relationship if I were you. The fact he thinks this level of abuse and bad behaviour is normal would be a big red flag for me. He expects you to just accept it as normal, it really isn't.

Consider it a visit from the Ghost of Christmas yet to come!

Imagine if you brought children into this mess 😮

💯 this.

Don't marry him.
Don't have DC with him.
He's not a keeper.

If you stay with him, all your Christmas Days will be marred by arguing even if you don't go, because he wants to be with his arsehole family and you don't.

Your future DC will be exposed to this and led to believe it's normal, not a message you want them to receive.

You'll also be in a position of either going so you can take care of them or DP taking them anyway and none of the drunk fuckers being able to care for a child and keep it safe, never mind the fact you really don't want DC around such abusive people anyway.

It's absolutely bizarre that DP even wants to see them at all, never mind in that state - and to describe it as "enjoyable" is next level bat-shittery. Take it as a sign of how psychologically damaged by his upbringing he is and run for the hills.

You're best off staying single forever than getting involved with someone like this. You'll be opening yourself up to abuse and neglect by him in the future. Why the heck would you accept Christmas Day alone because he chooses his shitty family over nice and lovely YOU, the person he's supposed to love and cherish and who is supposed to be his number one person?

If you're not his number one priority on Christmas Day, you also won't be his number one at any other time. Like the birth of your future children or when the baby and toddler years get hard. He'll be inviting people round when you've not yet recovered from the birth because their desire to celebrate will come before your need for rest. He'll be down the pub or the gym whilst you're child-wrangling, doing all the laundry and trying to fill in that form from the school.

He's demonstrating that he'll never be wholly in the relationship, never cut the apron strings, he'll always have one foot in the camp of his family of origin. You can't form a solid relationship that way, you'll never be you two united against all others, solid in the face of adversity, because he'll allow his family to pull him in another direction away from what's best for you and his DC. He'll go along with it because he'll want to appease them for an easy life. Look how he behaves when his sister is nasty. No standing up to her, no calling her out on her behaviour, no removing himself and his girlfriend from the shit-show. Nope, he just tolerates it.

Also, if you ever get divorced, this is the type of reaction you'll face from him - because getting drunk, screaming, shouting, swearing, picking fights and being unreasonable is apparently all just fine and dandy.

ChocolateAndCrispsAndBiscuits · 09/11/2025 16:00

Can you volunteer somewhere? Im sure loads of places would be grateful

Snowflakecentral · 09/11/2025 15:57

I wouldn't be spending another christmas with the Batshit family.
In fact I wouldn't be spending another day with your p if he thinks this is normal behaviour of people drinking and getting a bit silly at christmas.
They sound totally mental, no matter how you found them when you first met them.

Horses7 · 09/11/2025 15:57

Sounds like a nightmare - volunteer at a soup kitchen for the day.

GingerPaste · 09/11/2025 15:56

Womanofcustard · 09/11/2025 14:48

Sounds entertaining. Can you secretly record it?

This. I’d probably love it 😂

Endofyear · 09/11/2025 15:56

Christ. Not only would I not be going, I'd be dumping your DP! No way would I want to be with someone who thinks this is normal. Please OP do not have children with him or marry into that family. Have a lovely peaceful Christmas on your own! Haven't you got a nice friend who'd invite you for Xmas dinner? I'd happily have any of my friends for Christmas Day if I knew they were alone.

Beeinalily · 09/11/2025 15:56

OP please forgive me, it made me laugh. What a shower! Hole yourself up in a hotel for Christmas and write a play about them, there's a whole new career waiting for you.

Iloveacurry · 09/11/2025 15:55

Nope, I’d rather spend the day by myself. They sound hideous.

Mydogisblackandwhite · 09/11/2025 15:55

I'd definitely rather spend the day on my own than go through that again

mumofoneAloneandwell · 09/11/2025 15:54

W0tnow · 09/11/2025 15:53

I’d actually really like you to go and report back.

Please?

Yes, mumsnet needs this 😭

BauhausOfEliott · 09/11/2025 15:53

This cannot be real. If it is, your partner and his family are all complete nutjobs. The fact that your DP doesn’t see that this is utterly mental and not just a ‘a bit wild’ is a red flag.

W0tnow · 09/11/2025 15:53

I’d actually really like you to go and report back.

Please?

Shitmonger · 09/11/2025 15:53

They sound as rough as sandpaper and there’s no way I’d be subjecting myself to that spectacle for a second time. This relationship needs rethinking. Sometimes in these situations you can take your partner to your own family’s Christmas and the stark contrast ends up being a wake up call about the dysfunction in their own family. It doesn’t sound like that’s an option here though.

If you were to have children with him it would end up in a cycle of him wanting to take them there for holidays, claiming his family will behave if the children are there, they absolutely won’t behave, the children will get traumatised, he’ll get sulky and moody, etc. Until the next year, where it will be “Well after last year they definitely won’t…”

As an aside, some of you need to read more. Every time there’s any sort of description in a post we have users gushing “You should be an author!” 😂

Happyjoe · 09/11/2025 15:52

GehenSieweiter · 09/11/2025 15:51

Tag along?

Hell yeah, no contest! :-)

MaplePumpkin · 09/11/2025 15:52

I’m sorry OP but this really made me laugh, you have a brilliant way with words!

I honestly have never heard of a more insane sounding Christmas. What the actual fuck. I love “furiously watching Grease” and his mum talking about how she wishes she’d joined the army. Also what the hell was the part about her rubbing sick in her husbands face? Jesus!!!

I desperately need to know if you have seen them since, have they been normal? Do they only behave like this at Christmas?

Im half tempted to go again to see what this years drama brings. But at the same time, that’s me making light of the situation and it isn’t funny for you. I’d say no to your partner and remind him of how absurd last year was. And if you ever consider marriage or children with him, make it clear from the off that your child will never be around these people on Christmas Day (or…ever?). How old are you, out of interest?

GehenSieweiter · 09/11/2025 15:51

MsCrowly · 09/11/2025 14:47

My family always go to the states at Christmas unfortunately

Tag along?

BlindSpotForCats · 09/11/2025 15:51

So sorry but your account made me laugh so much. I am sorry. I hope you can avoid it this year.

Growing up my family christmases were pretty bad, and certainly elements of it could compete with your account OP. But as I was a teen we cousins used to take ourselves off to another room and take turns popping each others pimples and just let the adults get on with the fights. An ambulance had to be called one year when one of my uncles broke another uncle's nose.

We were essentially a 'naice' family too. Filled with professionals such as teachers, nurses and a vicar.

Happyjoe · 09/11/2025 15:50

It's like living in an episode of 'Enders! Sod that, don't go! x

HairyToity · 09/11/2025 15:49

Christmas alone would be blissful in comparison. I wouldn't go either.

Hoppinggreen · 09/11/2025 15:49

Your wedding will be interesting

zazazaaarmm · 09/11/2025 15:48

SoftBalletShoes · 09/11/2025 15:27

I don't believe this.

Lucky you to have a life where this is so beyond the realms of possibility. Sadly Xmas is like this for lots of families. I can think of a few in my life.

RealEagle · 09/11/2025 15:48

I’m still laughing at squashing chocolates into the wall .

user5972308467 · 09/11/2025 15:47

Good grief, that sounds like a wildlife documentary!
Stay home, and rethink relationship if your DP thinks thats normal…

Foundress · 09/11/2025 15:46

Sigh! Now I have to get up from my comfortable armchair to put this in my file labelled ‘Things that didn’t happen in real life’.

FeliciaFancybottom · 09/11/2025 15:46

DP was drunk and going around squashing chocolates into the walls
I could never be with a man who disrespects chocolate that way. Why are you still with him?

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