Children might be family, but that doesn't mean you have to like the buggers right?

[Islebonita]

I come from a large loud Italian family where all of the siblings are really close and visit a lot. I live in the country and now that it is summer, my house has become a family gathering hub. Legions (it seems) of family members are descending on my house and they are bringing their lovely(!) children with them and frankly, it is hellish.

I have two children and they are no angels, however compared to the barely human demons who are visiting they really are. Just because they are blood relations doesn't mean that every wail and twitch is adorable.

Am I being unreasonable to hate other people's children, even if I am related to them?

My nephew (6) is currently running up and down the garden screaming like a banshee and I am this close to locking him out there. Inside my nieces (4 & 7) are doing their best to reduce my kitchen to ruins because they are helping make a cake. If they are not careful they might end up in the oven.

You don't have to like other people regardless of age, just because you are related to them.

You sound lovely OP, what are they doing that is actually that bad.

yanbu...

YANBU, I dislike most other people especially if they come to stay. I have narrowed it down to about 2 family members that I can tolerate for more than a few hours. Not inc DH and the DC!

Basically they are acting like hellsprawn. Noisy, messy and into everything.

Screaming like a banshee for one

I've never really got why you should like children just because they're children. Children, like adults, are individuals, some you'll like others you won't.

Parents are no help...

Awwwww look Nico just brought a ton of mud into the hall. How sweet he wants to be a builder.

Awww Alicia and Carlotta just poured your extremely expensive maple syrup over their soggy flat burnt cake. They are just so creative.

No they are bloody annoying!

It's your house, send them all home!

And tell them you're really looking forward to the next family gathering at

Screaming like a banshee for one

Children make noise and play, its really sad that people are soo intolerant of children,

I mean are they breaking things? being rude?.

See, I'm the opposite, I quite like other people's children; its just my own that really give me the shits...

Mud in the house is a bit much I would say no if my child did that,

Why is no -one supervising the children in the kitchen?.

Children can't be expected to supervise themselves.

Several things have been broken including family china!!!! this morning i almost caught them attempting to play dress up in my wedding dress.

If I could chuck them all out I would but doing so would make me a family pariah because children are everything.

Like bollocks they are.

Supervised as much as three generations of woman are in the kitchen cooking the dinner.

I would love a big,warm, loving family but only because I haven't got one.

YANBU

Oh dear have you said anything, what would the women do if it happened in their house.

I mean its tough I have a very Hyper son and getting him to sit still is hard, and sometimes people are very intolerant.

But these kids are older.

I actually like children. But there are some -not many- who are a right pita.

Btw, I am Italian too and would have thought that bringing mud into the house would be met with shrieks of horror by the averge adult

Bake the children into the cake and feed it to the others as an example/warning. Works in this house.

U need to take control, it's your house so your rules, mud in my house = a massive bollocking!!!

Show you are bloody angry and stop being a push over!!!

Have plenty of and count the days. This too shall pass

I detest my neice. I'm not big on children full stop, although my own are ok most of the time but I don't subscribe to all the "ooooo aren't they adorable" just because they're young crap. Some children are thoroughly unlikeable and obnoxious.

:) I'll let you into a closely-guarded secret.

I cannot BEAR other people's children. In fact it deserves an acronym. OPC. They are a fucking nightmare. When they're toddlers, you have to watch them like hawks to prevent them from killing themselves. When they're older than toddlers, but not quite human, they are as dull as anything. When they are gawky and shy and at all odds and ends with themselves it is just painful.

So in summary. I can cope with OTC from 0-12months. I can cope with OTC when they are 14+. But in between? Gimme a break. Hide them away.

Had the big family gathering at my mums last sunday. The noise grew and grew my own ds once with my nephew gets into a frenzy and goes into hyperdrive til he crashes. I noticed in the fever pitch a plume of coming from the far end of the garden behind the shed. I confess I went and hid with my sister and the dog.

YANBU

lastnerve, I don't have any problem with children making noise generally but when they scream it goes through me.

YANBU.

Its normal to not like folk innit. Cant like everyone young or old.

They'd be driving me nuts too OP, I don't get this attitude where children are allowed to get away with murder just because they're children. Esp when they're in someone else's home - fine if they behave like that in their own home, but it's seriously crap behaviour to trash someone else's and scream their heads off while they do it.

A little respect for other people's belongings is essential, and while yes, kids do make noise and scream and shout, shrieking non-stop for the sake of it drives me up the wall!

Re the specifics - great that they're having fun baking, but not great that they've been rummaging through the OPs cupboards and helped themselves to her maple syrup without asking. And crap of their parents to allow that.
Presumably the OP doesn't leave her wedding dress out on display either, so v bad for them to have found it and played dress up without asking.

Tbh OP I'd have a fit about it so they understood my home isn't a playground - maybe next time they'll be a bit more careful.

My DNs have learnt that they need to do is ask before taking things, and it hasn't killed them. I don't care if they think I'm Bad Aunty Morris, they're not trashing my house again!