DH's family come to stay for the weekend (read Thursday to Monday) maybe six or seven times a year, and we go down to see them around three or four times. In the past, DH and his father have always headed out to play golf for five hours or more on at least one of the days, leaving me alone with his mother. And they usually arrive and leave when he is at work, so there are quite a few hours I am alone with them then.
Our relationship has never been great, but really deteriorated the last time I saw them, as I was suffering from ante-natal depression, and MIL doesn't "believe" in mental illness and told DH I was just not making enough effort. DH stuck up for me, and told her she would have to button it if she still wanted to spend time with us, and she accused him of blackmailing her.
So, from now on, I really just don't want to be alone with them to put up smilingly with all the pointed questioning (they don't approve of so much that I do, and its exhausting to constantly have to diplomatically deal with this). They also take over the kitchen for their whole visit, even bringing their own dishcloths because mine aren't the right kind, and when DH isn't there, it gets unbearable, and I feel like I should stay in my bedroom. I am just not strong enough to deal with these very, very forceful people, and need DH's support.
So aibu to ask that he is around when they are, so that they can't get pissy with me for not having proper fish knives, or not being able to find the instructions for the iron, or having two pushchairs (the extravagance!)? etc ad nauseum???