To ask how you think you'll feel at Xmas when your children have families of their own?

[iPaid]

Had a lovely Xmas Eve and Xmas Day with DH and DD. We've now embarked on a round of duty visits to (divorced) in-laws and I'm just smiling, gritting my teeth and looking forward to being home. It got me thinking how I will feel if I become the one DD and her family visit before going back to their own unit.

How do you think you'll feel at Christmas when your kids have moved out?

I don't have a close relationships with my FIL, but if my MIL hadn't died we'd have spent lots of time with them (and I doubt dh would have wanted to emigrate). All my family do variations of every other year with each side of the family. I don't particularly expect to spend more time with dd when she is grown up than with ds, and in fact looking at my wider family it's the sons that are particularly solicitous to their mothers.

My MIL was way nicer to me than my mother has ever been to my dh. She cried one time she thought we had broken up, whereas my mum said 'oh dear' when I told her we were getting engaged!

I'll roll with the punches.

Happy to have them round, or go to theirs. While I've still got my wits about me and am in reasonable health, I think my DC and their (imaginary ) families with young children should take priority and have the choice. Christmas is for kids, in my books.

If my in-laws hate me and I'm all alone, I'd be quite happy to sit at home with a selection box and the telly remote. In fact, the idea sounds blissful .