To ask do you enjoy spending time with your inlaws

[ILikePandas15]

Almost Christmas so it's likely most of you have to spend some time with your inlaws. Do you enjoy this? I hate spending time with my inlaws, mostly my Mil and it actually ruins Christmas a bit for me especially since we are guilted into staying a few nights.
Also how often do you see your inlaws during the year and how much time do you spend with them at Christmas?

My in laws live in another country. MIL was widowed 7 years before we met & OH is an only child yet she is never overbearing or demanding, shes always pleased to see us all and treats all 4 children equally despite the fact that eldest 2 are not biologically OHs children (which is all she needs to do to make her perfect).

1stH MIL was the bitch from hell & FIL was spineless git who let her get away with anything & had emotionally checked out of family life. She dismantled DTs nursery (in the largest spare room - we were having twins) so that they could reinstate the double bed we had in there because the other spare room was an odd shape so fitted 2 single beds easily but not a double.
I had made it clear that visitors when we were in hospital was fine but we wanted to go home alone to bond as a family. We spent 2 weeks in hospital so I didn't think I was being unreasonable.
That was the final straw and I never saw her again.

I love my in-laws as much as my own family. I feel really privileged to have been welcomed so warmly into their family and to be as loved by them as I am.
Mil in particular is just brilliant. Really involved in our lives and loves all her grandchildren, never oversteps the mark or interferes.

My in-laws are kind, loving and fun. But I just cannot relax around them.

I'm not overly keen, but that's all part of the fun of Christmas isn't it? Having to escape granny for some fresh air and hiding from Uncle Frank who loves to make you feel like a useless failure!

Plus my my kids love seeing their relatives, so I go along with it all and try and enjoy the madness and occasional bit of magic!

I find mulled wine and baklava help ease any frustrations! Proseco and a bottle of baileys if mil is REALLY grating on me!!

My PIL are great and we see a lot of them. My SIL is an alcoholic and her oldest DC is hard work. I tolerate them at family events but I’d never choose to spend time with them.

I see mine once every 4-6 weeks or so, sometimes more frequently, we would see them more but they live the other end of the country and we have a baby so it's difficult. I do like spending time with them, they're lovely people and we get on great. And they absolutely dote on our baby. I do sometimes feel a little relief when they leave but that's the same as when anyone goes, as I do like my own space and I'm fairly introverted. I feel sorry for people who don't get on with their in laws though, must make life very difficult!

My FIL can be a curmudgeonly old bugger but MIL is lovely - we spend loads of times together willingly

Not quite the same but I'm spending a lot of time over the holidays with friends. Which means also spending time with their parents and in one case their lodgers and anothers grandmother. Which should be interesting.

No. They are highly controlling, manipulative and undermining. My MIL is very insecure and gets angry if you say no to spending time with her so the time is forced. I have started just sending hubby and kids and also not answering all her questions about my routine etc, she is so nosey. I despise her and would be happier if I could be NC.

Mother-in-law yes, she’s ace.
Father-in-law - if I never saw him again (likely) that’s fine by me. I wouldn’t even attend his funeral.

Yes. We seem them generally once a week. Never any tension. No divide. Its nice.

Nope!

Mine are dead. But yes would love to spend time with them if they were still alive. I think my kids miss out not having them in their lives. They were nice people. I probably didn’t appreciate them as much as I should have when they were still with us.

I agree bringbiscuits, my mil is seriously I'll with alzheimers and I miss her. I didnt realise I would of you see whet I mean. Its only now I realise she made me smile.

Sorry terrible spelling errors

I don't enjoy it. They live far so we don't see them often but when they visit it's usually for at least 2 weeks. I could go on and on but as an example, my mother in law leaves those disposable dental flosses ( after use) all over the house (kitchen! Dining table.. Laundry machine), and my car! Who does that!?

Love my inlaws. Live about 30 minutes drive away and see them 2-3 times a week.

I love them but my God does my MIL go on and on and on with her advice sometimes. Most of it completely irrelevant to my life as it is. I'm pregnant with my first and she'll give me advice on what to do when the child is middle school age or how to apply to university. Or her favourite topic, the healing powers of the food from her country and how it cures all illness. Or how I will die from a cold if I don't wear socks.

She genuinely cares but sometimes I just feel like screaming at her to be quiet. I survived 30+ years without her input but she doesn't seem to realise this.

" I could go on and on but as an example, my mother in law leaves those disposable dental flosses ( after use) all over the house (kitchen! Dining table.. Laundry machine), and my car! Who does that!?"

I'm terrible for this. Only in my own house though. Minging, I know.