MIL and SIL live 2-3 hours away from us. We had MIL stay with us for 7 days at Easter which was hard work as the weather was awful. She also likes to stay up late and get up late and doesn’t really like doing much in between (so it’s hard going for myself and DC early secondary school age one like me likes to get up early).
DH and I barely get a moment to ourselves. She also falls asleep quite a lot in the day and is becoming quite opinionated about not liking certain things on TV that she knows we watch etc etc. The DC are early secondary school age so they are bored and turn to hours and hours on technology to alleviate the boredom then they are grumpy zoned out etc etc. I just feel hemmed in miserable and in need of fresh air and freedom.
DH phoned MIL last night and was told SIL (who has a partner well paid job and no DC) is jetting off on holiday again (it’s about her third holiday since our last one at the end of last summer so I am a bit envious). SIL has asked MIL who lives about 5 minutes walk away from her, to house and dog sit for her big old dog (who isn’t good with other dogs so can’t go to kennels).
The upshot is MIL and SIL thought that if our DC are off school that weekend then we could all go down and visit her (obviously the DC are off school as it’s the weekend and BH). I would really love a weekend away as a family that weekend but DH says we can’t really afford it as DH lost his job last year and took a massive pay cut but I am hoping to go camping for a week or something cheap the next BH (as I am off work if we can afford it). We also have lovely natured medium sized dog who we would have to put in kennels to visit MIL. It won’t be a cheap weekend with kennels, petrol and MIL wont have any food in for 4 extra people so we will have to buy additional food shopping for all of us all for during the day and MIL will want to go out for meals at night (which won’t be cheap). Also we are all tall our kids are early secondary school age and taller than most adults so the 5 of us including MIL wont all fit in our car to go anywhere so we will be tied to the house.
AIBU for wanting to spend the BH weekend with our family and not wanting to be guilt tripped into spending it in this way. I just want to spend it with DH and the DC in a relaxed way and we did spend 7 days around the last BH with MIL? I know their will be a time when MIL can’t be left on her own but that time isn’t here yet. If I don’t go down DH said he will maybe go down with one or both of the DC so I won’t see him all that weekend. I spoke to DS this morning and he doesn’t want to go DD said she will go to keep her dad company (but she will be messaging me and moaning she is bored all weekend as this happened last summer). I think DH is feeling guilty and feeling guilt tripped into going.
DH also has a brother who has a family and they live about an hour away from MIL also they could easily visit her for one day out of the weekend (providing they are not away). MIL also has a lot of other friends and some BIL and SIL’s in the area. WWYD?