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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To say NO to Christmas at the In Laws.....

19 replies

trafficwarden · 07/11/2010 13:37

We live overseas. For the first time in years we both have holidays at Christmas and DH wants to go home. I don't. No children to consider, both in our 40's.
Background - when we lived in the UK I often worked at Christmas and would choose to do 4 or 5 nightshifts then have New Year off. Invariably he would go home (to a different part of the UK, 4 hours travel), see all his family and mates and I would join him for New Year. This suited us fine. I would see my family (4 hours in the other direction, isolated) at other times of the year as he has never enjoyed going there, too many women in the family! I can accept that.
This year however he wants to see his mother he says. This is the woman who has cursed us both to leave her house and never return, made no contact for 3 years and suddenly turns up in the same hotel with my SIL when we were holidaying in London. Pretended nothing had happened. This is not the first time she has acted in this manner, each time he says "That's it" but his sisters pile on the guilt.
Now his father, who he has never got on with, is displaying signs of Alzheimers and MIL is stubbornly refusing to accept it. She lets him drive (although he gets lost constantly) as she can't drive. She shouts at him for forgetting stuff, poor man can't help it. She has isolated herself from extended family by her behaviour over the years. DH sends her money and she never acknowledges it and generally I am so frustrated by her attitude I have just had enough. She has made my DH cry with the things she makes up and tells people and I have reached an age where I don't want to have situations like this in my life.
AIBU to say I will not go to stay with them? I just don't want to waste any more time with them.

OP posts:
PinkieMinx · 07/11/2010 13:40

YANBU to not want to go but think you need to support DH in his relationship with parents, no matter how awful. If anything happened to his parents he may feel resentment toward you if you have created a barrier to his contact with them.

asouthwoldmummy · 07/11/2010 13:45

I agree completely with pinkie. You can either agree to spend Christmas apart or you can agree to spend Christmas at home together or with your IL's. Either way you need to agree, causing an argument over it won't help anyone (and your MIL would probably enjoy it).

Hedgeblunder · 07/11/2010 13:50

Pinkie said it very well. Is there a compromise here? Could you agree to just the afternoon instead?

trafficwarden · 07/11/2010 13:54

I have told him he can go if he wants but that I would be annoyed that he chose to spend precious holiday time with her rather than me. He could choose to go at another time of year on his own. I have suggested numerous ways of addressing his father's illness which have all been ignored. In the past I have opened my home to them, treated them with respect and been as welcoming as I would be with my own family and have had it thrown in my face too many times.
Being ignored for 3 years and then turning up uninvited on our holiday was the last straw, although SIL has responsibility for that too.
I am fed up being the nice DIL!

OP posts:
asouthwoldmummy · 07/11/2010 14:01

It's understandable that you feel this way, although not very tactful!

ChippingIn · 07/11/2010 14:34

Trafficwarden - fair enough too and well done for not being all 'passive agressive' and saying he 'can go if he wants to' then sulking. You have laid it all out on the line - now he can choose who to upset... Have you told him what you would like to do (specifically)?

trafficwarden · 07/11/2010 14:43

Tactful???! We have been married for 18 years and for 15 of them I have bent over backwards to accommodate his parents. DH has made no effort with mine but I have accepted that, water under the bridge. I just feel that after every outburst he has said he's had enough of these dysfunctional people and now he wants to spend 2 precious weeks with them. They can't have a conversation without some old disagreement surfacing and I end up pacifying them all. DH understands why I don't want to go but can't see why I would be upset if he went himself. Any other time of year it would be fine but it's very rare that we have this time of year off together. I'd like to spend the holiday with him but not with his parents! AAAAAAAgh! Does nobody agree with me??? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?

OP posts:
fedupofnamechanging · 07/11/2010 14:59

I agree with you totally.

Say no and stick with it. Your husband is married to you and his first loyalty should be to you, particularly as you have done everything you can to be supportive.

I think that there is only so long you can bend over backwards trying to accommodate people who don't try to meet you halfway. Time to give up and do what's right for you. Your husband needs to get a grip and remember he has a wife he ought to be spending Christmas with.

ChaoticAngel · 07/11/2010 15:00

YANBU I agree with everything Karma says.

ChippingIn · 07/11/2010 15:16

I agree with you totally... absolutely.

However, I also think that if anything was to happen to them, he would hold this against you - forever. I would send him on his way, but tell him that I was less than happy about it and that I did NOT want to hear about any arguements he has with them.

Then I'd stock up on Christmas goodies and prepare to enjoy myself Grin

Katey1010 · 07/11/2010 16:49

Maybe he feels this way because it may be the last year with his Dad being able to be himself to a degree. I think there may be some emotional stuff around this he isn't dealing with.

Having said all that... YANBU. I would be miserable to have Christmas ruined when it is so rare to have it together.

fedupofnamechanging · 07/11/2010 17:07

Been thinking some more and if he is absolutely dead set on going, perhaps you could both stay in a lovely hotel, have a fab Christmas together and he could just visit his parents while you do something much nicer. I think that your DH should be open to compromise, as he has to be fair to you. I don't think it would be right for your husband to completely disregard what is good for you.

Hope you get something sorted.

clam · 07/11/2010 17:07

Well, why don't you make your starting point that you will spend Christmas together, you and him. Somewhere. Then work out what your ideal Christmas together would be. Perhaps a stay in a country house hotel? Then work out if you can fit seeing your respective families into the mix at some point. For short periods if it's too stressful otherwise.

clam · 07/11/2010 17:08

X post, karma!

fedupofnamechanging · 07/11/2010 17:09

See, we can't both be wrong Smile

trafficwarden · 07/11/2010 17:37

Thank you all for your opinions.
Sharing ourselves out with our respective families is a nightmare of trains, planes and automobiles. 8 hour flight to UK then 1 more flight for him, 2 more for me. Neither family prepared to compromise by meeting in the middle, even at our expense, we tried that before. It's all such a blinkin hassle and I just want to spend some "Us" time with him.
I don't like issuing ultimatums as I'm pretty easygoing but I am NOT going to that house again. Off to investigate Christmas in London then split up to do the dutiful bit - but does the the Maldives not sound more appealing??!

OP posts:
asouthwoldmummy · 07/11/2010 18:03

Trafficwarden - i really didn't mean to offend you and I'm sorry if I did. I didn't realise it would be for 2 weeks. Thankfully I get on ok with my MIL but there's no way I could cope with 2 weeks of her!

If you don't normally get to spend Christmas just the two of you together then it's only fair that you should, and both your DH and IL's should accept that. Perhaps you could compromise to visit them for new year?

Personally if both sets of parents want to see you I would propose they either meet you halfway or nothing. How about renting a holiday cottage somewhere and all of you spend Christmas together? (forgive me if that sounds like a stupid idea!)

trafficwarden · 07/11/2010 18:12

No offence taken:)
It's hard to portray the frustration I feel without sounding like a moaning witch so I've enjoyed the rant!
Thanks again all of you

OP posts:
diddl · 07/11/2010 18:30

2wks-no way!

Can you have at least Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & Boxing Day together & then he sees them & you see yours?

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