My MIL is narrating our Christmas Day

[LadyCampanulaTottington]

Caveat before I begin, I love my MIL. Adore her. She’s wonderful, kind, caring and treats me like a daughter.

You know the saying, if you want to know me come and live with me …. She lives alone so I can only assume that she does this narration as a way to cope with feeling alone sometimes. But OMG I’m ready to stick forks in my ears to stop it. We’ve had a running commentary of the day.

What annoying habits are your loved ones driving you crazy with?

My parents are both a bit like this. I suspect if only one did it they wouldn't have been happily married for over 60 years. Their days are punctuated by exchanges like this, prompted by what they notice out of the window:

• Mary! That's Alan going up the road again.

[If I'm there I will be treated to Alan's life story and daily habits, as observed by my parents. They will also speculate in detail where Alan might be going.]

• There's Dougie with yon big dog. Every day in life he's up and down the road with the dog, four, five times a day.

[The shake of the head is because Dougie has made a life choice different from theirs. Inexplicable!]

• Jim! Jim! Quick, it's her.
• Who?
• The lady I was telling you about! The one with the red hair. We saw her in the Co-op that time. She was buying toilet rolls and teabags, and we wondered if she was running a B&B. Anyway, now she's going into the chemist's.

All day long.

[All names changed to protect the innocent]

When we also had my BIL staying at the same time as DM (usually a pre-Covid Xmas) he was genuinely interesting, funny and intelligent and wouldn't talk for the sake of it. But DM would get competitive if he got more attention than her (basically because he was talking interesting and knowledgeable stuff that invited conversation) and keep trying to butt in with a story about Joan-next-door etc type stuff!

I have a theory on this. A while back there was an I interesting thread about how some people can 'see' things visually internally and others can't. I can't but have a continual internal monologue in my head as did some other posters. Perhaps we are the type that eventually start doing this out loud, I suspect I have already started and am a bit worried once we stop wearing masks in shops because I feel it has given me the freedom to start talking quietly to myself in the supermarket about what I need to get. 🛒🤔😳

My MIL is also perfectly lovely, but also gives us a running commentary on whatever those around her, or on TV, are doing. She also screeches with laughter at any mistake one of us makes (eg. getting the teabags out of the cupboard when I went to get coffee/dropping something etc).

This is the first year in last 20 that we have not spent Xmas day and boxing day with her and it has been quite refreshing not to feel the need to hide in the kitchen 'washing up' for an hour just to escape. Having said that, we all have covid which is shit too

DM does all of the above.

Reading out loud every written word when out in the car - shop signs, words on lorries, road signs everything. BUT this is only when she's briefly stopped monologuing and i'm trying to speak. Which is for about 10 seconds out of every 15 minutes

@IcedAbstinente

Oh Lord I do it too. I think it is because I had a child who was completely non-verbal until 5 so it was a way of trying to get him to engage I think. he is autistic and gets really anxious so needs to be prepared for things so i narrate to him 'We will get in the car and then go to Aldi. I have to get sausages, croissants and a car jack. Then to the checkout.Maybe Caroline will be working on the checkout today but if she is not that is okay too. Then home, and we will go the long way because i want to see that house's extension is getting on'.

I do it when I am alone too.

My DS2 had a speech day too and it's what you have to do......I took me years to get out of the habit, especially in the car!

"Oh look, there some cows, yes cows. How many cows can you see DS? Shall we count 1,2,3,4.
They're in a field with grass, green grass. Cows eat green grass. etc....."

I remember doing it with a friend and she had to ask me to STFU!

@underneaththeash how is your DS now? I hope going well. :)

OMFG MY MOTHER IS DOING THIS AND IS DRIVING ME INSANE!!!!!!

HELP ME

Just to counteract some of the pps. My child had a speech delay too, and it was only after we stopped using an incessant talker as childminder that DC started to speak up for themselves

Wow there’s a lot of it about! Just popped back to update that my DM has arrived for a few days and has already read all our Xmas cards out loud to us and most of the stuff that’s stuck to the fridge. I am LOLing at the PP who’s parents end stories with a shake of the head at inexplicable different life choices 😂

@LouLou789

My DH does this rather a lot. Sometimes I say it back to him in a Big Brother Geordie voice: “ Day 42. John is going to sweep the leaves from the drive then look in the garage for the green screwdriver” etc

Oh lololol, this made me snort! I actually found myself reading it aloud in a very bad take off the Geordie Big Brother bloke's voice! What does your DH say when you do this? I'd love to be a fly on the wall!!