Things that close family members do that aggravate you but for no good reason (lighthearted)

[badonkydonk]

Mine is my mum. I do love her dearly but the one thing that irritates me is the half inch of tea left in a cup. I know her reasoning - back in the day, when tea was made from tea leaves, if you finished the drink, you would get a mouthful of groggy tea leaf sediment.

However, its 2016 and (as a non tea drinker) I would go on oath to state my tea has no grubby leaves at the bottom (I use a bag). Why it annoys me, I have no idea......but finish your bloody drink!

In my defense, I've never raised he subject, just walked away with the cup inwardly seething.

Any other stories of mid annoyances?

[SalemSaberhagen]

happypoobum my DM always used to do that on the phone, and still does occasionally. It stems from when they got burgled years ago when I was a baby and DB was young. It turned out that it was someone my parents knew.

It left my DM feeling really vulnerable and so she would do that so anyone calling would know she wasn't alone in the house.

In fact, I wonder if it is my DM that you are talking about!

[PinkyofPie]

Whenever one of the kids burps MIL says "oooohhh paaaarrrden" in a really silly voice. Drives me batshit!

Oh god my DM does this! Also my 3yo is slightly obsessed with pumping (I know, I'm so proud) and laughs her head off when she pumps, or if there's a squeaky noise she gasps and says "mummy did you pump?" (She knows full well I haven't but she's got a daft SOH). If she does this round my DM, she puts her serious face on and says to DD "now that's really not very nice is it, little girls don't talk about pumping"

Fuck off with your "little girl" crap. She peddles it out all the time despite me asking her not to as I think it can be quite damaging and we avoid any gender stereotyping bollocks. I have told her countless times but she really thinks I'm still a child just raising another child and she knows best. Or she trots out "I'm from a different generation than you". Yeah but you still have fucking ears mother and can hear you asking me to not say things like that to her

Sorry maybe not such a 'mild' irritation

[PinkyofPie]

'what are you reading?', 'Where is your top from?', 'do you like quiche?'



Yep that's also my DM to a tee! It's like she's afraid to have a long silence, and has the overwhelming urge to fill it. It results in visits or car journeys talking absolute drivel, when sometimes I'd like to just enjoy the peace. She used to live away and the last ever time she visited I was taking her back to the train station at 5am. I am not a morning person, so fumbled around the house tired and groggy and not in a talking mood as we got ready. Despite being retired she gets up at the arse crack of dawn practically whistling so it didn't bother her. She randomly said "so do you wear trousers or skirts to work?". WTF! It's 5am stop asking random shit!

[JudgeLionelNutmeg]

My man-child BIL eats with his mouth open - he's 40 years old. My DS also eats with his mouth open but he's just learning about table manners because he's only 3.

I cannot sit opposite my BIL while he's chewing otherwise I'd end up ramming my fork into the disgusting fucker's eyeball.

[Huldra]

This is the conversation I always have when a relative calls me, I pick up the ohine and say
Hello
Whats WRONG?
Er Nothing
Why are you saying it like that?
Like what?
Why are you talking like that????

Bangs head on wall because now I am pissed off.

[littlejeopardy]

Here's one that both DM and MIL do. They wash up (great) but then leave a couple of inches of water in the sink that I don't find till a few hours later. I then have to stick my hand into manky water to pull the plug.

It baffles DH too. Why do they do it? Why not just empty the sink fully?

[MasterOfTheDIYBookcase]

DM always comes in to the room at talks at whoever is there. Even if you are in the middle of a programme. Back in the day before you could pause TV, this was infuriating but if you asked her to stop, she would look all hurt and confused.

[ThoraGruntwhistle]

Are you really supposed to use a fork by balancing all the food on the back of it?

[Diamondsandpurls]

My mum's teeth clapping together when she eats mashed potato, like a shire horse is sat next to me

[VioletBam]

My lovely Mum embellishes stories as I'M telling them to HER!

Me: So, DD won the hopping race today at sports day.

Mum: Oh that's lovely! And did she leave all the others miles behind?

Me: Well...

Mum: And at the finish line was her face a picture??

Me: Well yes...

Mum: And did she say I AM THE CHAMPION!

And then what she does is tell everyone her, "improved" version!

[VioletBam]

Thora yes you are. You're meant to push stuff onto it.

[Pawprintz]

My dh's massive sneezes.

The way my dad listens to the tv at top volume.

[ThoraGruntwhistle]

Sod that for a game of chess. I will continue to use a mixture of the poking things with the prongs and scooping. I've never once been chucked out of a restaurant.

[Smurfnoff]

My mother will ask 'What do you think?' when actually she's already decided on the right answer and will then spend the rest of her life trying to convince you of it. But instead of saying 'I think you should do this', she tries to turn it into your idea - ie 'But don't you think...'

I moved house six years ago. One of the first things she said was 'your dining table is a bit big for this room' (old lounge long and thin, new one L-shaped). 'I'll expect you'll want to replace it, won't you?'

I said I agree it's a bit too big, but it's in good condition and as I've just moved, I have other more important expenses. Remember this is SIX YEARS ago. Has she shut up about it since? Has she buggery. 'I've seen an extendable one in the Next catalogue; that would give you more space and you could just open it out when you need to'. 'Did you get a chance to look at that table?' 'How are you getting on in the flat with that big table in the way?' Then I wasn't allowed to buy anything else without her mentioning it. 'Do you really need a new bed? What about your table?' The bed was a 15 year-old divan that was sinking in the middle - I hadn't had a decent night's sleep in months Fast forward a year - 'A new sofa? How will you afford to replace the table?' Arrggghhhh!!

P.S. Guess who bought me the table in the first place?

[fruityb]

My siblings current obsession with vinyl. One gets a player, so the other one does (as he does with everything) and then constantly posts pictures on Facebook of the records he's bought - as if it's really hard to find them in the RECORD SHOP HE VISITS!!! One of my brothers does something so the other copies and then gets the stuff the first one wanted all along. It's so tiresome he's never been any different. He even bought a vaper when my older brother did yet he DIDNT EVEN SMOKE!!

And bringing up stories about things I did, and they don't actually have many, about 20 years ago as if I did them yesterday. That one does my freaking head in.

[GastonsPomPomWrath]

3 or even 4 cups of tea. It's vile. And the tea is just water by the last cup which is inevitably always my cup. Then she'll pass me the cup and wait for me to sip it then ask "do you take sugar?"
You've only known me for 5 bloody years woman "Oh yes please."
She gives me the sugar jar and says "Well you'll have to do your own" like she isn't allowed to make tea with sugar in! Every fucking time.

If I refuse the tea because I know the above scenario will play out, I get "you can have tea you know, we don't charge."

[GastonsPomPomWrath]

Oh ffs don't know what happened with the beginning of my post. Its supposed to read

My mil insists on using one teabag to make...

[User543212345]

My dad's refusal to confirm or admit anything.

Me: you know the other day when we were chatting about X
Dad: were we?
Me: you thought it would be better to do Y
Dad: did I?
Me: it might be easier to do Z
Dad: would it?

Fucking drives me mad. The first therapist I saw did the same thing. I thought it was very restrained to pay her and walk out mid session rather than kill her to death.

DH needs reminding that he needs to use his inside voice at least once a day. I'm 3 feet from him. He doesn't need to shout at me.

MIL always asks about my crazy/terrifying friend whose "crime" was to talk to her and FIL at our wedding. She always says something derogatory about said friend.

[Smurfnoff]

Gaston - My mother insists on making tea the colour of Ronseal, despite my telling her time and again that I like it milkier. I've taken to asking her if there's a war on whenever she serves it like that.

[strandedabroad]

Itchy my Dad does the driving commentary thing. OMG. I'm like - hello, how do you think I manage when you're not in the car? But of course I don't say anything. He's getting on a bit and lovely.

DH asking me what sauce I want on my pizza. EVERY SINGLE TIME we have pizza. I'm from Italy FFS - we don't put sauces on pizza. It's wrong and he knows this. Just like chicken in pasta, but that's another thread.

My DM can't ever mention a film she's seen without giving you the whole synopsis. It takes ages. She tries to be helpful but it's not. I've not been to the cinema in years as she spoils all the ends for me!!

[MrsJayy]

My stepdad thinking i am 15 drives me nuts, he asked me to book a taxi for the airport
i text the driver( who ive known years) dad did you book it yes are you sure he is coming at 6 yes the day before they go will you check he is coming ARGHH

[Pawprintz]

My FIL always arrives nearly an hour early and lets himself into my house with out knocking.

[MorrisZapp]

If DP wants clarification or further detail on any issue he says 'so sorry, I don't understand?'. I now refuse to answer any sentence beginning with those words.

Stepmother is lovely but refuses to engage with waiting staff until forced by the entire table, and then acts as if they've in inconsiderately interrupted her conversational flow.

Sister is a joy but absolutely will not give up her noughties bootcuts despite my tearful begging.

Dad gives me lifts everywhere, what a hero. His car hasn't been cleaned since the Blair administration and I can smell it on me hours later.

MIL could not love us any more than she does, and proves it by kissing us all full on the mouth every time she visits.

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Bloody hell, all these irritating parents! It's clearly something that just happens as we age and we're all destined to be exactly the same 😱😰 I really, REALLY hope I don't irritate my kids in equal measure :(

Whenever I'm trying to put the baby down from a nap, either at her house or mine, my mum comes upstairs and starts talking to me about stuff that could really, REALLY wait. Then she gets all confused and huffy when I don't answer. Why oh why does she think it would be a good idea to have a conversation outside the room of an almost-napping fussy sleeper??

She also tells me stuff about local people I went to school with, not friends but just people who attended the same school. Some of them I didn't even know who they were at the time, let alone now. I really don't care that Louise has turned into quite the gym bunny.