to hide the tv remote on christmas day?

[hophophippidtyhop]

Pil coming for dinner, get on really well with them, but fil has an annoying habit of turning my tv on, flicking through the documentary channels and ignoring everyone after a couple of hours. Basically commandeering the tv like he does at home. WIBU if I hid the remote in the saucepan cupboard (he'd never go in there!) and pretending one of the dd's must have put it somewhere if he asks for it?

No. YWNBU.

The last time I hosted Christmas here my FIL switched on the bloody sports' channel in the kitchen. To escape it, my Dad (who never watches sport on the tv, as in fact none of my family do) went into the sitting room, only to have my BIL come in and switch the sports' channel on in there!

It pisses me off, tbh,it's so rude,so hide away!

Oh good, glad I'm not the only one who finds it rude! I would never dream of switching their telly on if I was round for an 'event' kind of day - he did the same on dd1's birthday! If the tv went on, there would be a likelihood of eastenders/emmerdale being put on, which I can't stand, plus I'd have to listen to mil telling me all the plots even though she knows we don't watch it.

YANBU

But you need to consider whether he would be more of a nuisance if he didn't have the TV to keep him occupied.

He'll be ok as long as there's a good supply of lager to help himself to! Plus I'll just ply him with food so he can't move/ have the energy to look for it!

Do it! I can't stand the TV dominating family occasions, I feel the same about video games.

YABU

dh once hid the television at the PIL because BIL is a telly addict. We ended up with nothing to do and nowhere to just sit and relax and veg out.

It's nice to watch television on Christmas Day. You should tell FIL that he can't just take over and has to learn to negotiate like we all do

Give him an alternative escape!!! Am guessing a lot of in laws get tired if family events very quickly.

We had a family rule of no TV on Christmas Day ( this was the era when there might a good film on in the afternoon). Though I seem to recall we once or twice sneaked on Noel's Christmas pressie thingy on a few times to make Grandma cry.

We did have a huge amount of games organised though. Quiz for the adults and one for the kids, pass the parcel, spinning ginny, the tray game etc...

I won't hide it forever, he won't want it til after dinner, and I'd like to watch a film with the dd's before bedtime ( just don't want to watch 'when crocs go mad and attack' or similar).

of ..course if he starts to get the dt's from no telly, I will relent.

I do think it is very rude to just turn on the TV in someone else's house without asking, let alone to commandeer it and expect everyone to watch what you want!

What would happen if you told him there was something you or the DCs wante on the other channel so could he turn over please?

Thank goodness for Sky Plus. If there is anything on we really want to watch over the holiday season we will record it then when guests are round we can either leave the TV off (preferable) or let them have their choice, safe in the knowledge we can catch up on the must-sees (Christmas Dr Who) at another time.

We never ever watch any T.V. on christmas day, it's spent eating, drinking, playing trivia, marathon games of charades etc It's 20 years plus since I've seen christmas day T.V. Keep it unplugged

Don't hide the remote. Unplug the bloody thing and sellotape the lead to the top of it, with a message saying NO TELEVISION IT'S CHRISTMAS! - add a sprig of holly or some such thing. And mean it!

YABU.

Do you really want to spend Christmas day trying to make conversation with someone who would rather be watching something on the TV, and who knows they're being treated like a child by having the remote hidden from them?

Let him watch TV. Jolly family Christmasses are all about compromise, not pretending to be Victorians with nothing but parlour games for entertainment.

Our TV doesn't tend to go on until much later in the evening. During the day, there is so much going on we don't have time - of course I do go through the TV guide with a fine toothcomb, making sure I've recorded everything I don't want to miss. We don't usually eat until 4pm, so by the time we've finished, played a load of games, drank lots of wine etc, it can often be 9pm before we migrate to the sofa. I don't think it is a bad thing, maybe he's just not that sociable. I think it's a good idea to hide it for as long as you have the heart to keep it up, but when it is time for you to watch the TV, make it clear you are in charge of the remote and it'll be Mary Poppins (or similar!) not River Monsters.

My advice would be to plan some games that you can all participate around the table after dinner. If you don't plan them, you'll probably lose the momentum and then he'll slink off. Have them ready to whip out once the last mince pie is consumed. Get the kids involved and excited so that they will encourage Grandad to stay and play. Once he's done his Grandad duties, I then think it's only fair he's allowed to relax on the sofa albeit watching something of your choosing.

I would find a stack of dvd's to put on.. nice festive family ones, and put them on, so that there is something christmassy in the background.. and hide the tv remote.

If FIL moans, tell him its Christmas and it is family time, so shut up and stop being so anti-social.

I admit, I do enjoy getting the meal out of the way, and settling down with a glass of port, nibbles, and free reign over the remote to watch my soaps while my husband and MIL snooze on the sofa.... that is my perfect day.. but we dont have kids running around now.. they will all have been and gone by mid afternoon.