To think this is a bit strange...

[lurkedtoolong]

DPILs are visiting for two nights. They offered to bring a chicken and a cauliflower to help with dinner one night which is lovely and was quite gratefully received. But when they arrived they had a chicken, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, breakfast cereals, snack bars and several other food items. And MIL brought her own potato peeler. Apparently you can't visit people and eat their food.

Am I being U to think it's a bit strange to visit someone and take quite so much food? Seems a bit like overkill. There's no dietry requirements. And now I'm worried that when we visit people and just take some wine and flowers we're being really mean.

I would love that!!

We can't have overnight guests because of house size but I would be relieved that I wouldn't have to pay for extra food. They are probably trying to save you from using your own food on them. Very thoughtful.

WRT the cereal, maybe they like a certain cereal in the mornings that you don't have? I know DS likes cheerios but when he stays at my nans, she doesn't have them so I just take some for him.

The potato pealer maybe because some are different and she may find others awkward and she is used to her own? I have trouble with my hands and I would find it hard to use my nans but I am used to my own one.

Strange but well meaning if it's their first visit.

If they've been before and not done this I personally would be worrying what prompted the change!

I find this lovely, my dad brings food when he comes along with a large box of cream cakes for my DD's to eat :-)

My brother who comes up every month or so brings nothing but will go shop if we are running out of something without been asked. He comes to our house every Christmas and has always bought the meat we have picked works in a butchers . He really is sweet at Christmas and makes it extra special for our DD's makes up for our family been abroad. I have to tell him what to get us or he'd spend £1000's on!

Yep mine does this too, she'll be 3 hours late as she's stopped at 18 shops on the way over. Drives me mad but its lovely really

Dw about it, they're just trying to be helpful in a misguided sense! My parents came to visit dp and I last month. They bought me a load of food I didn't think I could get here that they'd stockpiled for me, much more than they had told me about! And then a few bags of normal shopping too 'just in case' which I then had no where to put as we had just done the weekly shop

Some parents just like to feel like they are being helpful without asking how they can be I suppose

I do this when I go to PILs, I can be quite funny with what I eat and most of the time I wont eat the food they keep.

Could it be they don't like the food you buy?

I don't think it's strange if they are bringing stuff for everyone for their visit. Now if they were bringing bits just for them and didn't want to eat your food, that would be strange.

Maybe it's stuff they had in and needed to use before they got home?

I would gratefully receive any offer of food.

I also understand fully the need to use your own potato peeler. I take my own and also a selection of sharp knives if we ever hire any self-catering accommodation.

I'm very grateful and they can either take on extra or leave it here and I'll make a lovely big soup. Neither would bother me. Not complaining at all but we've been married 10 years and it's the first time they've done this so I was just a bit surprised.

I do understand the potato peeler thing although I would never take mine with me.

Fairly normal in our house if it's family. If my sister's staying with her family a few days, she'll bring a meal for one day with her. I'd find it odd from a friend, unless it were to bring food for a fussy eater/child with allergies.

My MIL comes to stay for a week ever 6 weeks or so, before she comes I make sure I buy the naice cheese she likes, her favorite kind of cake and the wine she prefers.

She arrives with a full family shop with everything the DC need and the cheese/wine/cake she knows I like It's become a routine now!

My MIL does this; as well as bringing stuff she's made and jarred up (like her homemade rohtkohl, it's divine ) she brings random stuff that's she's picked up in Lidl - tins of soup, toilet brushes, packets of butter...

I have to remind her that we do have shops in Hampshire. Even Lidl

When my DM visits she brings:

• Her own potato peeler - it is 42 years old (a wedding present) and obviously nothing peels potatoes better.

• Her own washing up gloves - she has a particular brand that will only do.

• Several wooden spoons - she has a specific one for porridge and another one for curry and can't cope with using anything else.

• At least five bottles of white wine and a litre of gin - these are for me :)

She is not in the least bit odd.