Tips for surviving unpleasant company

[Sailorsgirl44]

Next week my husband and I have to go to a dinner with my mother in law, two brothers in law and their wives in a restaurant. (Organised by mil to mark a special occasion) There was a series of huge arguments earlier in the year...mainly between myself and the 2 wives. A lot of nasty and untrue things have been said - it's a very long story.

I have to drive so I can't drink. It'll be at least two hours, maybe three sitting at the table. How do I get through it?! My husband is good at making chat and pretending that all is okay. But I find it hard to hide how I feel and I have been so hurt by untrue things that have been said.

Seriously, is there something I could get otc in a pharmacy to take the edge off?!

I agree with the op who said to ask lots of questions, people love talking about themselves. Be relentlessly positive and upbeat. Don’t refer to the previous meetings.
Get through it, be the bigger person.
Then never see them again.

Use the loo.
If you know your going to blow, go to the ladies and stay there for five mins.

Also, pause and think before you reply to things they say, no instinctive responses.

Its tempting to make up an excuse and not go but that's not fair in my mil - she arranged the dinner to remember my fil, and he was a lovely man.
I won't get down to their level and be rude - I'll be polite and try not to rise to any bs. Like the idea of imagining I'm in a documentary!

If it’s a memorial dinner you can always say that the reason you didn’t talk much was to allow them all to share their stories of their times together and how much you enjoyed hearing it all.....

Definitely bullshit bingo. Childish I know, but it's got me through many a toe-curlingly awful family dinner.

Do you have a mate you can 'live text' throughout the night? I quite often converse with my friend when she's stuck with her venomous MIL ... its great fun coming up with various scenarios (usually involving a bus with very large wheels) and comebacks to her crap between us, all whilst she sits there smiling sweetly* in MILs presence ...

*may not strictly be true. Glaring is probably a better word

If they start bitching, then tell them in clear terms that you’re all there for Fil and for Mil and that for them to perpetuate the bitchy and idiotic behaviour is absolutely disgraceful and that they need to check themselves.