Alcohol consumption boasting!!!!!

[Zzzzaaaaa]

Just wanting to know if iabu and should stop getting irked every time this happens.

We spend a lot of time as a family - dads sisters family so cousins and aunts uncles etc. Cousins circa 28-31years old (same age age me). We get on so we’ll but there’s just one thing I can’t bear - they’re obsessed with being seen as ‘drinkers’ at occasions, family meals etc. They’re not. Bless them, if anything they didn’t do much when they were younger and while everyone else was out filling their boots.

We’ve got a family holiday booked for 3 weeks time and I can just hear it now: “weeeey let’s get on it!!!!” It’s just cringeworthy. I’ve never known anyone else to do it to this extent (none of our friends do this when we go out and do something as wild as have a glass of wine!!!!

Ultimately, how do you tackle this, it winds me up immediately because it’s almost like they are desperate to be seen as wild when they’re anything but and it spoils nice occasions. For the record, I am not tee total (not that that matters) but like I said I just don’t get beyond myself excited at a drink.

This is such an odd post, I totally understand that, and I wonder if it even makes sense but it really does spoil my enjoyment of spending time with family I really love. I just wish they’d stop sounding so naff. Any ideas?!

Perhaps this doesn’t make sense as I suspected!

Some people are just like that, the same as some people are showy about how much they work out or how much they actively parent. If it doesn’t suit you then you limit time together or suck it up.

No, I get what you mean. Like they suddenly go all 18-30 Benidorm lairy because they think that's what they should do?

Exactly that!!! I know it shouldn’t but it spoils the evening because it’s as if it’s designed to imply that they’re the fun ones 😂

If they’re not actually getting bladdered and causing a scene, this is at worst a minor irritant. Cock a deaf ‘un, as my mother would say.

To be asked: “how much are you gonna drink on holiday” by grown adults who otherwise live very ordinary lives is incredibly tedious and I know it shouldn’t wind me up as much as it does. Just have a bloody drink or 10 if you so choose, no need to act like it’s the most exciting thing in the world. It’s as though they’ve never been out. I really don’t want to feel negatively about them either!

Just ignore it would be your best bet.

stillcoughing- your mother is wise and this is usually my approach.
Cousins boyfriend however, will make such a big song and dance about how much of a “beer lad” he is at 34 years old and 4 pints in will be all eyes rolling and needing gaviscon. It’s the song and dance I can’t be doing with.

Winds me up too. Every family event is about getting pissed, followed up with faux embarrassment about how pissed they were, and telling all sorts of stories about the silly things they did when they were pissed (with the obligatory “I’m never drinking again” bullshit)

It is exhausting and really quite immature. Especially when combined with the constant pestering for me to drink.

Good luck on the holiday. You will just have to suck it up and pretend to enjoy it otherwise you will be the killjoy who needs to loosen up and get pissed.

I’ve also often wondered if friends and family are really close, why they need to be pissed pretty much any time they get together?

Tanners, it really is exhausting, you’re right.

It’s just naff!

OP, we get it, you were so much cooler and more fun in your wild years, now you’re a super cool adult because you’ve been there done that and you’re completely over it. Now you just sit in judgment of the non cool kids. And no doubt use passive aggressive body language and comments make your feelings clear to your family. The thing is.... I think you missed the memo that we stopped doing that after high school. As an adult it’s much cooler to just live and let live. I used to be like you when I was younger and I promise you it’s much more fun when you get over yourself!

I expected that. Really not the case - it’s more the constant : “how much are you going to be drinking” questions every single time.

For the record, I have a very active social life. I just never encounter this obsession with competitive drinking with anyone else.