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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Christmas laundry qu!

51 replies

3FrenchHenD19s · 15/12/2013 07:52

My DSis, partner and 3DC are coming to us for Christmas day and staying over night.

I have 3 young DC and only just keep on top of our laundry.

I asked my DSis if she would bring their own towels and bedding on with them to save me having a few extra loads of washing. She sounded a bit surprised. So AIBU?

OP posts:
GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen · 15/12/2013 07:54

YABU

MavisG · 15/12/2013 07:57

Yanbu.

AmbersFriend · 15/12/2013 07:59

Def yabu.
Can't you just leave it out of sight, and do it gradually over the next few days once they are gone? Towels first though, they may smell if left damp and scrunched up.

Phone her back, say you were feeling under pressure the last time you spoke and obviously you will provide linen. In a ' I don't know what came over me' kinda way.

CollectorofCookbooks · 15/12/2013 08:00

YANBU - my parents regularly bring their own bedding and towels to save me the washing!

ChippyMinton · 15/12/2013 08:00

Yanbu. She should have offered anyway.

HanneHolm · 15/12/2013 08:00

Yanbu

CatAmongThePigeons · 15/12/2013 08:04

YANBU. I wouldn't have enough towels to cope with an extra 5 people.

Shnickyshnackers · 15/12/2013 08:05

yabnu

nobalance · 15/12/2013 08:10

YABU

If guests offer to bring such things that is great, but to ask them to it is rude. Especially at Christmas with several kids, I imagine they will have a pretty full car! As someone said upthread, its not like you have to get it all washed immediately!

Passthecake30 · 15/12/2013 08:12

I'd compromise and say just bring the towels

Inertia · 15/12/2013 08:12

Yabu.

Why can't you do it over several days? Presumably you're not taking it to a stream to hand wash?

It comes across that you can't be bothered to provide the basics to host another family, but you are quite happy to create extra work for them on top of their journey. They may even struggle to fit everything and everyone in the car.

MavisG · 15/12/2013 08:13

With 3 small kids you've enough to be doing, ask for help where you can.

MidniteScribbler · 15/12/2013 08:17

I wouldn't mind bringing my own linens if the person doesn't have enough, but I'd be pretty miffed if their reason for me bringing my own was because they couldn't be bothered washing it.

Lucylouby · 15/12/2013 08:18

If they are only staying one night, will they all need a towel? If I took my three children somewhere over night, especially for Christmas Day, I wouldn't bath the children. I would probably take my own towel too, as I hate the extra work created by washing towels after only one wash. The bedding though, if they are sleeping in beds, I would expect you to provide it. If you don't have enough duvets and they are needing sleeping bags, that's different and I would expect them to bring them with them.

I have 3 dc and feel your pain at keeping up with the washing though. I have lowered my standards slightly recently and feel far better about it now than a few months ago.

BohemianGirl · 15/12/2013 08:18

I think you can have that conversation with your sister, mother, etc - because you are that close - I wouldnt tell anyone else to bring their own linen though.

Do you have enough Duvets etc? I have to say, my children always had their own sleeping bags

wonkylegs · 15/12/2013 08:18

YABU - they are guests
If you don't have enough fine ask for extras , if they offer feel free to accept.
If it's just extra laundry drip feed it into the other loads there is no rush to do it immediately.
I've got 11extra over Christmas, coming via a variety of transport and have graciously accepted offers of food/drink etc and expected to provide everything else after all we invited them here.

treaclesoda · 15/12/2013 08:19

If you don't have a washing machine at home and have to take your laundry to the laundrette, then yanbu. That's what I assumed from reading your post, because if its just a matter of sticking a couple of extra washes on yourself then is it really that hard, as a one off?

Crowler · 15/12/2013 08:19

I don't understand this, it's the second time I've heard of it (first also on MN) - surely this is part of hosting a guest?

I've never offered to bring bedding with me, and I've never asked.

I have two kids so I understand laundry; you'll have a fair bit after your guests leave but it's not so bad is it?

Motherinlawsdung · 15/12/2013 08:21

YANBU when it is your sister. She should understand. Anyone else might take offence.

notsomuchroomattheinn · 15/12/2013 08:27

YABU It's one night not a week. I usually ask if we should bring bedding etc when we stay at my sisters because there are only 2 of them and 6 of us.

Noflamingoshere · 15/12/2013 08:29

Yabu its one night.

JohnnyBarthes · 15/12/2013 08:32

Unless your sister and her family and filthy, I wouldn't bother changing any of the linen after one use. MN is weird about that kind of thing though.

NiSaBula · 15/12/2013 08:32

Yanbu. When we go to visit my sister in her holiday flat, she always asks us to bring kids' bedding and towels for us. It doesn't seem in the slightest bit rude.

StinkerBoo · 15/12/2013 08:34

YANBU if you don't have a tumble dryer.

I can imagine the issue isn't with the washing, but the drying. We bought a Lakeland electric airer after the birth of pfb six weeks ago and it has JUST helped us to keep on top of laundry. In winter drying bedsheets with no tumble dryer is precarious at best, esp as I'm in with DS and DH is in our room, so we've effectively doubled the load.

StinkerBoo · 15/12/2013 08:35

YANBU if you don't have a tumble dryer.

I can imagine the issue isn't with the washing, but the drying. We bought a Lakeland electric airer after the birth of pfb six weeks ago and it has JUST helped us to keep on top of laundry. In winter drying bedsheets with no tumble dryer is precarious at best, esp as I'm in with DS and DH is in our room, so we've effectively doubled the load.

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