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I am dreading Christmas

107 replies

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 17:05

I usually adore Christmas. I think it brightens up the winter and I think it's important to try and make a good Christmas because nobody knows what the future holds and noone knows what's around the corner and what may lay ahead - sickness, other difficulties, death. Noone knows and I love living it as if it's going to be the last. Usually.

Also I work hard all year and Christmas is a few days off where I can enjoy a meal, a dessert, maybe some wine and a movie or two.

This year I am dreading Christmas. It's really filling me with sickness to my stomach.

You see, I never carved out a family of my own. I have a partner but it's not going well between us. I live at home with my mother. I live in an area with poor housing opportunities. Anything that is available it's so expensive. I would have to move to mainland Europe to be able to afford rent.

I never took a dvantage of living at home. I help at home. I would provide security and company for my mother. I reckons she doesn't see anyone in her days and more. She has no social life or friends.

As she has become older, there's a bad tone and vibe from her. Every day is different. She can be rude and snarly so easily.

I can remember one Christmas maybe about 4 or 5 years ago, I can't remember if it was boxing day or new years day but she came into the sitting room and started throwing storage boxes at me and she was in a bad mood ripping down the Christmas decorations. It was the most oddest behaviour. Christmas wasn't over but she was ripping it all down. There was such a bad atmosphere in the house. I think at the time, she was acting out because I had a brother at home at the time and he was drinking a lot and hungover in his bed and she was just acting out against that. But she had me. I was sober and I was trying to do my best. She wrecked Christmas and I felt like I wasn't never really fully rested going back to work

Two christmas's ago was awful. I tried my best to put on a good Christmas for the two of us. It was only the two of us. I bought groceries. Because it was only the two of us, We went with a chicken and the usual vegetables.

I cooked a Christmas meal. I was aiming for about 3 pm dinner sit down.

At 1pm in the day my mother decided to go for a walk in the pouring rain. She came back at 2.30, changed her clothes and ate a tomatoe sandwich. She refused any of the dinner I cooked. She refused the desserts that I organised. She refused to sit in the sitting room where I had a fire going in the fireplace to watch any of the Christmas TV showings.

So I wasn't alone at Christmas but I might as well have been the way she was behaving.

Last year we had a visitor for the Christmas so she put on a show for that visitor. I remember last year before the visitor came I was ill, I was working late and I had to go to a funeral and all she could do was sternly looking around the sitting room. I didn't have any sleep. She was like a school head mistress ready to blow to find fault with any little thing.

I am dreading Christmas this year. I do t want to put any decorations up. What's the point. She will find fault with it all and literally piss on it.
I don't even want to prepare a Christmas meal. Just treat the day as of it's any other day. I was never like this before with Christmas.

OP posts:
mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 18:36

Is it worth confronting her in a calm way? When she talks about ordering food remind her of last year and that you are not willing to do that again. It’s abusive in a way. This year you decide, to protect yourself.

CustardCreams2 · 14/11/2024 18:39

Definitely get yourself some nice treats- a Turkey ready meal like you said and some puddings and chocolate, crisps etc.

Villagetoraiseachild · 14/11/2024 18:40

Maybe keep the food very simple. Don't make yourself a martyr.
Just have some nice food that can be heated up or prepped very easily.
Do something lovely for yourself. Christmas can bring out the worst in some people.

Interested in this thread?

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BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 18:43

mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 18:36

Is it worth confronting her in a calm way? When she talks about ordering food remind her of last year and that you are not willing to do that again. It’s abusive in a way. This year you decide, to protect yourself.

It is abusive. I made a huge effort ordering food and spending a small fortune and ordering food and desserts that she likes too and all she did was write Christmas off. That was two years ago. She made an effort last year because of a visitor.

So many of my Christmass has been ruined for years. For a few years I had a brother had home who was likely doing Dr*GS. He's gone abroad now. That resulted in some bad atmosphere at home. Then my mother didn't get the attention she wanted from him and took her mood out on me. There was about 3 or 4 years of that.

Then another year. About three years ago she used the death of a family member as an excuse to not celebrate Christmas. Apparantly there was an old tradition of someone dies in the family, you don't celebrate Christmas. Apparantly it's bad. But the thing is she was not close to that man and it was over 30 years since she even saw him. Then that.

Then there was the Christmas two years ago where it was just me and her and she wrote off Christmas and the efforts I made to put on a good Christmas day. I even ordered firewood so that I could make fires and the place would be warm and cosy. She never even sat in the sitting room with me.

OP posts:
BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 18:44

CustardCreams2 · 14/11/2024 18:39

Definitely get yourself some nice treats- a Turkey ready meal like you said and some puddings and chocolate, crisps etc.

I think I might go this way. Just get a turkey ready meal and some treats and spend the afternoon doing my own thing.

OP posts:
ginasevern · 14/11/2024 18:48

I really feel for you. For many years I was in a similar situation with my mother. Firstly, you must stop trying to dance to her tune. I know this is easier said than done because all your life you have been conditioned to fear and react to her unpleasantness. She says jump and you say how high. But you must stop it. You'd be surprised at the inner strength you will find when you decide that your happiness is equally important. Don't bother with cooking a nice Christmas dinner or putting up decorations. If your mother wants to, let her get on with it. Start looking at things you can do on Christmas Day and then go out. When you get home, fix what you want to eat, pour yourself a glass of wine and settle down to watch Christmas movies. Alternatively go to a friend's house if possible. Please don't pander to your mother, you are fuelling the situation. I did something quite similar with my mother. I thought she'd never speak to me again, but it actually made her think and realise I was all she had. Things improved. In the new year try to move out if humanly possible.

ColaCar · 14/11/2024 18:48

Go over your brothers, your partners or a friends?

& move out. If you work full time and live at home then you must be able to save up to rent a room somewhere

TheYearOfSmallThings · 14/11/2024 18:53

Honestly Christmas is not even the problem here - Christmas is just one day. Much more important is your whole life. You need to get out of where you are and start to live a happy life with good people who make you happy. Otherwise you will go around and around the same depressing loop endlessly. Draw a line, put all this shit behind you, and set out to build a better life for yourself.

mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 18:54

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 18:43

It is abusive. I made a huge effort ordering food and spending a small fortune and ordering food and desserts that she likes too and all she did was write Christmas off. That was two years ago. She made an effort last year because of a visitor.

So many of my Christmass has been ruined for years. For a few years I had a brother had home who was likely doing Dr*GS. He's gone abroad now. That resulted in some bad atmosphere at home. Then my mother didn't get the attention she wanted from him and took her mood out on me. There was about 3 or 4 years of that.

Then another year. About three years ago she used the death of a family member as an excuse to not celebrate Christmas. Apparantly there was an old tradition of someone dies in the family, you don't celebrate Christmas. Apparantly it's bad. But the thing is she was not close to that man and it was over 30 years since she even saw him. Then that.

Then there was the Christmas two years ago where it was just me and her and she wrote off Christmas and the efforts I made to put on a good Christmas day. I even ordered firewood so that I could make fires and the place would be warm and cosy. She never even sat in the sitting room with me.

So, this year when she is talking about Christmas tell her you are not doing Christmas. If she asks why tell her the truth, you will not tolerate being abused anymore. No more discussion. She has made her bed. End of.

Go live your life.

safetyfreak · 14/11/2024 18:57

How old are you OP? will you answer?

I feel for your mother really, she can't be bothered with Christmas and why should she? just because her adult daughter is there, you need to create your own life outside your mother.

mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 18:59

Have you written here before? Are you 24?

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 19:03

safetyfreak · 14/11/2024 18:57

How old are you OP? will you answer?

I feel for your mother really, she can't be bothered with Christmas and why should she? just because her adult daughter is there, you need to create your own life outside your mother.

She enjoyed Christmas last year because there was a visitor home for the Christmas. She's someone who seems to think Christmas is only to be enjoyed when she has her son's are home. But me, her daughter, I wasn't born with a cock so I don't matter to her.

OP posts:
mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 19:07

Has she got dementia? She is enjoying looking forward to Christmas, but when the day comes it is not the feeling or the reality she imagined or remember from years ago. So she refuses and lashes out, at you because you are the only there?

ColaCar · 14/11/2024 19:08

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 19:03

She enjoyed Christmas last year because there was a visitor home for the Christmas. She's someone who seems to think Christmas is only to be enjoyed when she has her son's are home. But me, her daughter, I wasn't born with a cock so I don't matter to her.

Why stay living with her then…

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 19:12

mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 19:07

Has she got dementia? She is enjoying looking forward to Christmas, but when the day comes it is not the feeling or the reality she imagined or remember from years ago. So she refuses and lashes out, at you because you are the only there?

There's no diagnosis of dementia. Sometimes I wonder if it's happening though. It's not presenting with a typical forgetfulness though. It's more behavioural and mood stuff with her.

Like, I really think this could be a possibilty. In that maybe when she's chatting about Christmas that's an older memory for her and she's only talking about it out of routine/habit/tradition. I don't know.

I don't know how to proceed with my suspicions. I thought dementia was a memory loss but from what I read online it's more of a cognitive decline. I did chat to her GP about two years ago but nothing came of it and even GPs think it's memory loss. What I am seeing is behavioural and mood things.

OP posts:
invisibleboo · 14/11/2024 19:14

How old are you? Why won't you answer this?

alpenguin · 14/11/2024 19:17

Is she like this at other times of the year or is it only Christmas?

I’m in no way excusing her abusive behaviour or suggesting you have to put up with it at any time but if she’s only like this at Christmas then there’s clearly a trauma associated with the time of year. If she’s like this all year you need to get yourself out of there.
Either way you deserve better.

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 19:23

alpenguin · 14/11/2024 19:17

Is she like this at other times of the year or is it only Christmas?

I’m in no way excusing her abusive behaviour or suggesting you have to put up with it at any time but if she’s only like this at Christmas then there’s clearly a trauma associated with the time of year. If she’s like this all year you need to get yourself out of there.
Either way you deserve better.

We don't have any other events during the year where a family meal is cooked and the whole lot like Christmas. So it's hard to say if she is like this at other times. Other things during the year is usually low key.

Two years ago for Christmas, it was going to be low key and it was low key. I ordered firewood to make fires in the fireplace. I got the food ordered. I prepared a Christmas meal and dessert but she didn't take part in any of it. I expected her to take part in it but she never did.

She does have some odd things at other times. Like being anti social with any of her siblings. That is only just one example.

OP posts:
BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 19:25

alpenguin · 14/11/2024 19:17

Is she like this at other times of the year or is it only Christmas?

I’m in no way excusing her abusive behaviour or suggesting you have to put up with it at any time but if she’s only like this at Christmas then there’s clearly a trauma associated with the time of year. If she’s like this all year you need to get yourself out of there.
Either way you deserve better.

I really think, it's because she lived all her life through my brothers. They gave her a purpose. Now none of them are at home and I really think it's do with that. I have e no idea how she thinks.

OP posts:
fedup33 · 14/11/2024 19:30

get a curry

mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 19:31

BrainstormGreenNeedle · 14/11/2024 19:12

There's no diagnosis of dementia. Sometimes I wonder if it's happening though. It's not presenting with a typical forgetfulness though. It's more behavioural and mood stuff with her.

Like, I really think this could be a possibilty. In that maybe when she's chatting about Christmas that's an older memory for her and she's only talking about it out of routine/habit/tradition. I don't know.

I don't know how to proceed with my suspicions. I thought dementia was a memory loss but from what I read online it's more of a cognitive decline. I did chat to her GP about two years ago but nothing came of it and even GPs think it's memory loss. What I am seeing is behavioural and mood things.

But that is dementia though. Or can be. Being very mean and sometimes behave differently.

Start to write examples down, to show her GP.

mrpotatocat · 14/11/2024 19:36

invisibleboo · 14/11/2024 19:14

How old are you? Why won't you answer this?

I’m guessing in her 40’s or 50’s.

Gymnopedie · 14/11/2024 19:37

Right OP you're not replying to any of the many posters telling you you need to move out so I assume you don't intend to do so. (Though please don't stay out of some misguided loyalty to your mother. She has none to you because you don't have the right chromosomes.)

So if I were you I'd plan a lovely Christmas Day (and in the run up) in my room. A small tree. Fairy lights. Christmas music and films. Your hobby. Chocolate and wine - or whatever floats your boat. Snuggly pjs. Wash your bedding so that it's lovely to get in to. Food wise I wouldn't do a ready meal for one, turkey or no turkey. I think that would make me feel worse not better. Pigs in blankets. A small piece of pork to roast, with stuffing and apple sauce, for sandwiches. As many nice puddings as you can eat.

But most of all - expect nothing from your mother, do nothing for your mother. if you have no expectations you can't be disappointed. And I'd quietly give back the delivery slot. You know it's not going to be worth the expense, the effort or the heartache.

GoldenLegend · 14/11/2024 19:39

Book yourself a holiday somewhere nice, even if it's only three nights. I used to go away every Christmas and it was fab. I stopped spending Christmas with my parents because my father picked a fight with me within half an hour of my arrival one Christmas Eve. I was stuck there until the day after boxing day (don't drive) and I swore never again. And never did.

SuffolkUnicorn · 14/11/2024 19:42

Scapegoat I wouldn’t bother let me guess your brothers were the golden boys

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