To ask if there is anybody who is happy to spend Xmas with the in laws?

[sweeneytoddsrazor]

So many threads about in laws and Christmas. Is there nobody out there who wants to see the in laws at Christmas.

We usually go to my parents for lunch, my brother in laws in the afternoon and mother in laws in the evening.
My brother often goes to my parents for breakfast bacon rolls and we see them for a short while if we get there before they go to his in laws for dinner.
We are lucky in that everyone gets on with each other and live less than 10 minutes away. (although my brother is a little further).
My dh and dd are veggie so my dad will cook something different for him, and do the toasties do they are not done in the meat fat.

Not everyone dislikes the in laws.

My mum has a large family and before Christmas we have a get together. Not everyone can make it each year due to other commitments but there are usually around 20-25 of us and no arguments.

I like my in-laws. But having invited them to spend christmas with us a while ago, she announced that no, she could never possibly leave SIL and her kids at christmas, That christmas just wouldn't be the same without her grandchildren (insert shocked face at me ever proposing such a thing)

So as not to drip feed. They're retired, active and mobile and only live in NI so a short, cheap plane ride away.

SIL would never come and has only ever visited us here once/twice in 20+ years regardless of countless invites extended to her and her family. We're very fond of the Nieces/nephews too.

We can't go to them due to DH's shift work. We did it one year and it was just a f*cking nightmare trying to sort the kids, take all the presents and get time off work.

SIL has now moved away and remarried and lives an hour away from them as opposed to
Round the corner. Due to blended family there isn't enough room for the PIL for christmas anymore and PIL house isn't big enough to host 9 for dinner.

They now spend christmas alone. They visit us once a year and spend the entire time christmas shopping for the 'grandkids' (all grown up and moved out/away) at home.

I won't have our children realising they're not as important as the other set of grandkids so the invitation will never be extended again.

Sadly DH agrees and we just don't bother. Their loss

Well they are all coming to us this year! MIL is lovely and easy going and it's her first Christmas without FIL so want to make it busy and special with the whole family around her. So I've got 12 people in the house for 5 days over Christmas. Eek!

They have passed away, would love to spend Christmas with them for the 41st time.

Yes, delighted to see them, only wish we could afford the expense of flights more often with a toddler!

We're off to the In laws for Christmas this year. SO excited. Mil and I have been giddily planning the whole thing for months.

Me I love spending time with the in laws.

I wish I felt like that about mine. They are coming to us for the first year since the kids were tiny when they made it clear they’d not had a good time and went to bed for most of the afternoon. My DM died 2 years ago and DF has no excitement about Xmas day and makes it clear he’s not fussed about seeing anyone. So I’m not looking forward to it! Will not relax and unwind until they have gone.

Yes I love it! Last year we had 14 here all Dh's side. Lots of fun, wish it was happening this year. They can annoy me at times (just like anyone) but they're nice people and it's nice to spend Christmas with them.

I’m due to spend Christmas with my in laws this year. I’d rather spend time with them than my own parents.

We tried doing our own thing last year but my parents threw an absolute strop so

Me! My MIL was lovely. Chose a Christmas stocking for my sons' first Christmases, lovingly chose little things to go inside that were fun or tasty.

Beautifully wrapped gifts that they had consulted us on so there were no over-laps or doubling up of presents.

Made sure there was something that the children loved at the dinner table.

She took absolute joy in them, same with my Mum too. Sadly both have passed away and although we see FIL/DF at Christmas it isn't the same. It doesn't feel special. My FIL is lovely but he just doesn't see how special his wife made Christmas. He isn't uncaring or unkind, more practical.

But he loves us and the Grandchildren, takes an interest in them, remembers stuff like school trips and asks them about them. He loves conversing with them and then tells me and Dh what a lovely job we are doing. And he rings me to chat to me rather than Dh

Me! Feel truly lucky to have my in-laws, that includes the PIL’s and my SIL and family. Not super close, not in each others pockets but love spending time with them and in the past few years they’ve been a lot more use than my own. Have a very supportive and respectful relationship, feel for those who post on here who don’t have that

We are going away for a week this year......

We don't have any parents.Haven't for nearly ten years.

Me!!!! Why would I not? They are my family and grandparents to my kids.

We rotate each year with DS, DDIL, DD & partner + DGC. We all get on well and always have a great time together. I love being a MIL!
It all depends on your family set up and how you get along. We just click I guess - got lucky ❤️

Nope, not me. Me and DH have a long tradition of being on our own by now, having lived far away from both of our families most of our married life.

Some of DH's family now live relatively close by (but still hours' of travel) and now invite us every year, but I really really wish they didn't. We decline, and I'm sure they have a lovely Christmas without us (they have other family over), but it always feels awkward. Yes, I know IABU and it's nice they invite. I would go if DH wanted to, but he doesn't want to, either, so we awkwardly decline and try to organise a date to meet up over the holidays that isn't actual Christmas.

Me! My inlaws are lovely, we are going in holiday with them next year too.

Dh loves his MiL and "doesnt object" to seeing his FiL over Christmas either.

Surely it's not so difficult to believe that different people may have different relationships with their in laws?

I’m spending Christmas with my MIL. DH, DD myself and MIL. Promises to be a riot and a half.

My in-laws are no longer with us & I'd give anything to be able to spend time with them at Christmas again. It'll be especially hard for DH this year as his lovely dad died earlier this year.

My Mil who is sadly dead. A lovely woman.

I love mine. We do waking up and stockings at ours, then church and to in-laws for Christmas lunch and presents under the tree. Sometimes we stay Christmas night and sometimes we go home and come back on boxing day for Turkey sandwiches and bubble and squeak.

I also love my in laws, we go to them every year on Christmas Day 😊

Nope. My MIL ruins Christmas every year and DH and I have whispery rows in the kitchen. I get drunk so I don't punch her.