Entitled CFs at Christmas - stories please!

[BarbaraVineFan]

I always love the CF threads on MN and thought I'd start one with a Christmas twist..not much to add myself but csn offer the story of my uncle, who never used to lift a finger at Christmas (Or any time) and expected all the women of the house to scurry round fetching him drinks and snacks, then would complain about whatever he was given, 'these mince pies have way too.much pastry' or similar. Even as a child I remember getting frustrated on my aunt's behalf!

Anyone got any stories to share?

My PIL and two BIL and their two dogs came to stay for my daughter's first Christmas. She was 6 weeks old and I was delighted to have a family Christmas.

Delighted until reality hit...

MIL frequently refused to hand me back my baby, even when the baby was crying with hunger (EBF). It took my husband actually taking the baby from her.

They didn't help at all until after Christmas lunch when my father (there just for lunch) shamed them into helping him clear up.

Eldest BIL would have long baths in the day, in our only bathroom. Not helpful blocking access to the only loo in the house when there are 5 other people in the house and one of them is post-partum! Plus he'd leave pubes in the bath. 🤢

Middle BIL didn't warn me that his dog was incontinent in other people's houses. Dog urinated on the carpet frequently. MIL cleared it up a couple of times, otherwise it was left to my husband. No apologies from the BIL.

And honestly, that was still way better than the Christmas when we went to visit them 🤣

This is horrendous. But please do elaborate on what happened when you went there. Im intrigued lol

What did your DH make of their behaviour?

Leaving pubes in the bath is just gross.

F

Hosted new year at our house. Friends brought a very miserable and dull friend with them who we didn't know on the basis he was single and didn't have many other friends.

He brought two cans of lager with him which he downed in about 10 minutes then requested wine ('do you have anything better? I don't drink merlot'), accepted whisky and cocktails and then totally destroyed a cheese board to himself while criticising the crackers for being too seedy. He also declared our bathroom 'far too small' after taking a huge stinky dump.

I was running around like a blue arsed fly keeping everyone topped up with drinks and he laughed at me saying 'hahaha you look a state! You are all red and hot!'

He then pointed out the music we were playing was 'shit' and put in his own music on Spotify (some vile noisy grunge shite) and hid the remote control ' I didn't want you to play any more of that crap... you'll find it tomorrow when you are tidying up!' We had to see in the NY with that racket banging on. We eventually found the remote control in an outside plant pot which made it unusable.

DH had a smoke on our deck and he complained about it

We told friends never to bring him again. Twat!

He has pitched up at various things our friends have hosted over the years and he remains single weirdly enough.

Bit different;

But as a 15 year old I had a really shit family and my boyfriend at the time was lovely and his family invited me to stay with them at Christmas (boxing day) so I spent Christmas alone and then went to his on Boxing Day and they had all waited til Boxing Day to exchange gifts, I got them all a small present with my tiny Saturday job wages and i sat there and watched him, his 2 brothers, his mum, dad , aunt, uncle, cousins, grandparents etc all exchange gifts and I got nothing from no one.

It was so so awkward, and I was specifically invited! They asked me to go because I was alone at Christmas. His mum said that she thought I'd be happy just watching other people open things because my family didn't give me anything either..

Let me add I was in a children's home because both parents died earlier that year.

Shit behaviour from an adult really!

@FangedFrisbee it’s terrible, no one should be treated like this at Christmas, they’re awful people. Hope you dumped their son and never looked back.

@pizzaHeart oh I did! This was over 15 years ago! I wish I'd done it sooner though!

When I went there, MIL screamed (literally, no exaggeration) at me in front of my children on the last day, a number of accusations.

-I'm a bad mother (hope not! But if so, have a serious conversation without the children there)

-it was presumptuous to use her kitchen to cook meals (she asked me before arrival to cook a couple of meals to share the burden. I was happy to and popped and extra one in the freezer for after we'd gone)

-we prioritized our children over her dog (yep, the toddlers were expected to behave appropriately around the dog, but if the dog growled at them we told off the dog too)

-it was unfair to ask her to babysit for a few hours the previous day (she'd begged to be allowed to babysit every day of our visit and for two months before that)

My husband stood up for me and told her she was wrong and was never too speak to me like that. He helped me collect our things and said I never had to go back there if I didn't want to. We have been back, but only for very short visits, never for Christmas, and never leaving her alone with the children. And she wonders why!

Bumping.. Any more stories? These are gold!

There was the year I made an extra Christmas cake, and mince pies and took them with me on the plane down to my mother's (consequently losing about a third of luggage space).

My mother informed me I hadn't baked the cake for long enough (I had, then poured 1/2 bottle of whisky onto it). When I tried pointing this out I was told I needed to learn to accept criticism.

Her only comment about the mince pies were in relation to them being in filo pastry: do you REALLY like them like that? No thanks for any of it.

The next time I went she complained I hadn't brought her any baking. I wonder why???

HairyMcLarie

Hosted new year at our house. Friends brought a very miserable and dull friend with them who we didn't know on the basis he was single and didn't have many other friends.

If he'd have done that to me, I'd have thrown him out and told him in no uncertain terms why.

@ElegantlyTouched your post is making me angry on your behalf! What a cheeky response to some delicious home made baking!

@HairyMcLarie

Now now Hairy! You know the mumsnet rules. Even if they are a stranger you MUST invite them to your house so should be inviting him this year. It is the Christian thing to do whether you are Christian or not!

Someone got absolutely lambasted (spelling?) for saying she did not want Brother's friend (a stranger) to stay.

I trust you will think on that (ha ha!)

There was the year where my brother accidentally woke my stepmother when he went to bed late (just a banged door or something, he's always very considerate), so she woke him at 7am and made him wash both the cars as 'punishment'. Did I mention he was in his 30s?

Nothing major, but, some years ago, I was doing Christmas dinner at my parents' house for eight people including DSIS and her ex. I gave notice it would ready for 1pm.

DSIS and ex decided to go to the pub en route. At 12:30, when I was trying to make the gravy, finish off the bread sauce, en sure the sprouts didn't boil over etc. - you know, that manic phase while the bird is 'resting' - her ex phoned and started on a detailed, pissed, rambling explanation of when they might or might not be arriving, because so-and-so was due at the pub and owed them a drink and they might go to see so-and-so other pisshead on the way to my parents' house.

In the end I cut him off and said 'Dinner will be on the table at 1pm, whether you're here or not,' and put the phone down,

They arrived at 1pm!

@FangedFrisbee that's verging on cruel to do that to anyone.
Did your BF not feel embarrassed?

SIL complaining via text to DH that we “only” got her a bottle of champagne and chocolates one year for an insignificant birthday right before xmas. Still makes me laugh.

New years one.

Last new year we had invited SIL & her family over. She got into a heated argument with DH as dinner wasn't ready when SHE wanted it ready. All DH said was calm down.
She started screaming & shouting and promptly left leaving us with her DC to babysit for the night!
Haven't invited them this year thank goodness. Even DN was embarrassed over her mums behaviour.

I will never understand why people put up with this shit in their own homes there is no need for it, you throw them out and if your friends who brought him don't like it they can follow him.

The only reason people like him get away with it and continue being cheeky fuckers is because people enable it and martyr themselves to it then complain afterwards.

BIL TOLD us we were going to his. He was sick of hosting his in laws every year and wants his family for a turn after 10 years.
SIL has a major tantrum at the ‘cost’ (our family smaller than all of hers) so we were made to pay (a lot of money as well). Christmas morning she rings MIL and demands we make a starter and pudding to bring. There was nothing to make so we didn’t so she was FURIOUS and stomped about.
Served a tiny Christmas dinner. Apparently serving the bulk to her family the next day when she had postponed them. Hardly had anything to drink and SIL hid all day and made it very clear we weren’t welcome. MIL was in a foul mood because we had lunch at 3pm and not 8pm when she liked to have it.
Thing is it’s her DH she should have been furious with. So he now spends every Christmas with her family, which I know he hates. Oh well.

Years ago I lived in a house share with friends and we all agreed that it they paid for the food I'd cook Xmas dinner. My then boyfriend was part of this plan.

He was going to give me the money on Xmas day. He didn't. "Are you really going to start a row about money on Christmas day?" he said.

I cooked a huge dinner- turkey, duck, ham, loads of veg etc, a home made Christmas pudding. Housemates were happy. "Oh," says twat boyfriend, "No Yorkshire puddings?" He managed to find gristle, burnt bits and raw bits. (None of these actually existed btw.)

"Oh... Christmas pudding. No, no it's just that I only like Marks and Spencer." Proceeded to eat most of the Christmas pudding and all of the cream.

After dinner we all sat in the living room to watch a film. Twat boyfriend gets his fucking guitar out and plays non stop complete with soulful singing and facial expressions until my housemates left the room.

"I really think you should apologise to your friends for being such a nag today," he said.
I apologised to them for bringing him and dumped him not long after.

To have that level of power??? I'd use it for evil too.....

My MIL is profoundly disabled following a stroke and can only manage 4 hours absolute max anywhere. Our house is a really old cottage and not very wheelchair friendly. We need to be home at Christmas as we have animals to look after and we eat in the evening as I have to drive late afternoon to do the horses and I don't drink until them.
FIL wanted them to come to us for Christmas. We explained we normally eat in the evening and checked he was happy with that. We would have sorted something else out if he hadn't insisted that would be fine. We sorted out a commode for MIL in the playroom as her wheelchair doesn't fit in the downstairs loo. I arranged with another livery that I would go earlier to bring mine and hers in in and she would sort their hay later so we could eat at 4, a lot earlier than usual. Eldest DS was spending the morning with his DPs parents and coming over early afternoon. All explained weeks in advance as we kept double checking he was happy with the arrangements.
Lunchtime Christmas Eve DH phoned to talk to his dad about the arrangements we had made to make sure he could park close to our house (no off street parking). FIL announced they would be here about 10. No way would MIL be able to last until the start of the meal at 4. He then announced they needed to be home by 3 as he had only arranged to drop the lunchtime carer call and not the teatime one so we needed to eat about 12.30 latest ( it's an hour drive)
DH had to fly out to the supermarket 8 miles away as I was still working and just grab whatever party food he could find that we could do for an early lunch taking into account dietary needs. Then they didn't even arrive until nearly 12 and FIL moaned it wasn't the roast beef.
Come the evening we were still too full to eat the roast.

Nothing like these, I think. But growing up one of my aunts bought all the food, divided the cost up by 15 and sent everyone a bill. All fine, and actually what was agreed in advance, other than that the number of people was actually 19 and she did not contribute to it at all for her family of four. She was not even cooking it either- the plan was she would sort and buy and my mother would host and cook.

Same aunt LOVES turkey skin and pork crackling and I went into the kitchen to see her peeling the coooked skin and crackling of both with her fingers and eating it at the sink, justifying it by saying; 'No-one likes this as much as I do so it is mine'.

Currently I am a godmother and the parents send me a christmas list each year where the cheapest item on it was around £50. They however are also godparents to one of mine and have not sent him a present for the past 5 years at all. This year I just did not send one and received a text about an hour ago saying they 'assume' Rotal mail has not delivered it yet. I am sitting on my hands......

Wow! The cheek of them! I bet they follow it up after xmas as well.