Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Christmas visitors moan thread

8 replies

sickbucket67 · 23/12/2023 12:41

Disclaimer- bloody love my in-laws. They are fab. I love having them to stay from overseas. But I don’t want to spew negative energy in real life so I’m doing it here. They are the type of people where the desperately don’t want to be too much trouble to the point where they can cause trouble.

for the past 4 weeks since I booked the online shop slot I have asked if there are any ingredients they need for their traditional dishes. ‘Nothing special’ was the response. DH obviously knows the basics so shoved it in the basket and sorted it out. I asked again if they needed anything or would like anything, and the response is no. Said ‘I have X, Y, Z….do we need anything else?’ - the response is no.

Obviously, they get here and the ‘nice to haves’ (things like aromatics, seasonings and extra onions) are missing so mad dash to the shop. Also, there are breakfast foods that they wanted immediately which I could have added to my shop, but they didn’t want to cause a fuss- so we get those too.

on the 23rd December, the day before our Christmas (we celebrate on Xmas eve) MORE STUFF IS MISSING.

We have been in 4-5 supermarkets for top up shops and picking up the other missing stuff over the past week. I want to chill with DC and watch nigella, but we are bloody piling in the car again and going to another supermarket. It’s not stuff that you can Tesco Express.

Again- love them, see them infrequently so we will do it with good grace to get this vital spice, but oh my Christ. I will be making it clear next time I do this ‘no, FIL- what do you want for breakfast, tell me exactly’ ‘MIL, send me the recipes and I’ll buy everything….no, it’s not too much trouble!’

aghhhh- come 3pm I’ll have a baileys in hand and NO MORE BLOODY SUPERMARKETS.

OP posts:
TwentyThreeFifteen · 23/12/2023 13:11

Why are you piling in the car though? Just send DH.

Shoxfordian · 23/12/2023 13:24

Send dh or just send them on their own if its that important

Reallybadidea · 23/12/2023 13:27

I'm picturing your in laws as Geoff and Elizabeth from Motherland 🤣

Wishing you serenity and patience 😀

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

AffIt · 23/12/2023 13:57

Ah yes, people who are so desperate to avoid 'being any trouble' that they inadvertently become an enormous source of stress...

My own very lovely and much-adored PiLs are like this too, OP - I feel your pain. Just grit your teeth and send your DH out. 😄

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 23/12/2023 14:06

Well they now either get it themselves or do without?

I can't be bothered dealing with this sort of ridiculous behaviour. Plan the meals, get everything you need for that, and if there was something they wanted but didn't want to bother you with "oh that's a shame, I don't have it but if you had let me know I could have added it to the shopping list and it would have been here for you! Oh well, next time!"

If you twist yourself into a pretzel, making sure everything is perfect for them, they will never change.

howshouldibehave · 23/12/2023 15:05

Well, I wouldn’t be going back out to endless supermarkets the days before Christmas! I would say, ‘when I asked you if there was anything else you needed, you said no!?’

If DH wants to take them/go himself-that’s fine, but I don’t see why it has to involve you. Please don’t say that between you all, you’re the only person that can drive…

sickbucket67 · 23/12/2023 15:53

howshouldibehave · 23/12/2023 15:05

Well, I wouldn’t be going back out to endless supermarkets the days before Christmas! I would say, ‘when I asked you if there was anything else you needed, you said no!?’

If DH wants to take them/go himself-that’s fine, but I don’t see why it has to involve you. Please don’t say that between you all, you’re the only person that can drive…

It involved me because we took a detour for a nice lunch whilst they babysat to make the best of it 😂The mad dash to Waitrose was somewhat softened by a great pub lunch just us two

of course I could have kicked off and demanded HE sort out HIS parents, or demanded his elderly parents go out and drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road- but they are lovely and no harm done. Just annoying when I tried to prevent this situation happening.

anyway, home now- all snuggled up with a full tummy and drink in hand. No more supermarkets. Christmas can begin!

OP posts:
mrswhiplington · 23/12/2023 17:28

As they say - No good deed goes unpunished.😄Enjoy your Christmas.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page