Why do they keep laughing??

[ShinyNewNameTimeAgain]

Sorry just a rant but my IL’s are driving me mad. They’ve been here for a week already and they just laugh at everything. Ask them if they’d like a cup of tea - ‘yeah ha ha ha’, comment that it’s raining ‘oooh it is, isn’t it? You wouldn’t expect that, ha, ha, ha,’ - at a cafe and waitress takes their order ‘oooh fish and chips ha, ha, ha’, then when it arrives they laugh at it again. They laughed at every present I got them. I don’t think they found it funny they just laugh at everything. Except jokes. You tell them a joke and they look completely bewildered.

I’ve never experienced anything like it. Why are they mindlessly laughing at everything? I’ve never spent quite so much time one on one with them (dh is I’ll so I’ve been looking after them mostly) but I don’t understand why they laugh at everything. I don’t think I’m difficult to get on with, I’ve never caused people to keep laughing at everything I say before. I don’t think they’re doing it because anything is funny, they just seem to think it’s a normal reaction to any comment about anything.

I’m getting fairly close to murdering them all. I know I’m being unreasonable but they’re completely insane.

They sound permanently high as kites OP

mopsrus I’m not grumpy all the time, I’m a fucking hoot, honestly. I just can’t believe I’ve gone a decade without noticing my il’s answer every single thing with a ‘hahaha’.

Poor you, this would drive me mad!

I reckon the laughing back at them is the way to go. Who cares if they think you're weird? You might even get the bonus of no more visits!

I hope your husband feels better soon.

I work with a woman who does this - it is nervous laughter.

They want people to think they're having a nice time when they're not, so they laugh to try to force their faces to join in with the jolly atmosphere. I bet it's quite tiring, although it's got to be involuntary so they won't ever stop now I don't suppose.

Next time they do it, you have to laugh back OP and keep laughing until they ask "why are you laughing?" Then say "I'm laughing because you're laughing it's contagious". See if that puts a blocker on it.

I'm laughing my tits off at this thread

Think yourself lucky OP, there's a thread running at the moment in Chat,
'What are your guests doing that's doing your head in?'

Farting and burping feature heavily.

It’s lack of social skills plus nervyness.

Are they on glue?

I’m feeling slightly bad now that I may be making them feel nervous. Not sure what I can do that will put them at ease enough to stop the laughing. It needs to be something fairly swift or I may end up murdering them.

OP, your posts are hilarious - in a good way

I’ve never experienced anything like it

Presumably you’ve experienced it with them before, I assume they haven’t just started it.

It does sound like nervous laughter. One of my friends does it and then play punches whoever spoke and says ”oh YOU ha ha ha”

Sometimes it's difficult to laugh that off especially as the play punch actually hurts!

Luckily she telegraphs every time she's going to make a move so those who know her step back when she pulls her arm back but by God! She's annoying.

Yes, she's on Mumsnet and no, I don't care if she does read it. C - if you do recognise yourself please stop it before you lose all your friends.

My brother does this. He's stayed with us for 3 days and gone back to London today.

He laughs at things we talk about because he's an expert on everything! Even though he's never been married, owned a house or got children he claims to know all about these subjects and laughs as a type of put down I think.

I take no notice and ignore him mostly, some things I do challenge him on because he doesn't know what he's talking about half the time and doesn't live in the real world, just his own bachelor/renting bubble.

Stick some Radiohead on - Exit Music for a Film.

I’m not grumpy all the time, I’m a fucking hoot, honestly.

Er...right....laughs nervously...

Fully expect the daily Fail to cover the story ... Looking out for the Holiday Ha-Ha Hacker strikes Headlines. I want to fill up this post with festive lol emoji but afraid of moving to top spot on your list.

This sounds like an episode of Father Ted

Could be worse. My ILs have a habit of going 'oooo' at everything and then tutting. At everything on the telly. And everything in general.

howdoyoulike I don’t mind people laughing, I’m a big fan of laughing. At the appropriate time. If someone tells a joke, a cat does something stupid or someone walks into a lamp post I’m there laughing and pointing with everyone else. It’s just laughing at the post arriving or my child saying ‘good night’ that makes me want to kill.

My MIL phones I answer "Hello" and she laughs. I do not say hello strangely or high pitched , it's every time, mobile or home phone. Known her 11 years. Feel. Your. Pain.

My sister is like this too. I have always thought it's some kind of social anxiety. She knows she does it but can't help it and usually it doesn't bother me - If I have something to tell her that's really upset me, I preface it with "can you please not laugh at what I'm about to say?" - it usually works and she assumes her "straight faced" expression. 😬

My mum does this. And reads every road sign, menu, any bloody thing out loud- but as she starts reading it never sounds like she’s reading, it’s like she’s about to say something hugely important or relevant, then alas the disappointment that she is just reading the street sign. Again. Often repeatedly. If you don’t acknowledge it, she keeps repeating it. I love her but it’s exhausting.

My aunt did that; we would ask what was funny and she would look at us blankly. It was more of a titter or a Mumsnet tinkly little laugh though.