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.

Op you need to jazz this shizzle up. No mail arrives through the Seasonal slot that isn’t given the OG Blues Clues reception “ The post is here, the post is here “ at our gaff. I have the singing talent of Linda from Gimme, gimme, gimme. You need to dress like one of the Von Trapps to accompany you child in their night time salutations.

I would say they are a bit dim & prob unaware of how they behave in social situations.

What does their own offspring make of this or have they always done it so it doesn’t even register they do it? They do sound like hard work.

“they” .... how many of them are doing it? Are they family, or friends?
Are they from same country? Probably uncomfortable and filling in awkward spaces with awkward laughing.

A friend does this when she's nervous or in an awkward situation..

😂😂😂 That is funny just imagining it! Maybe they are having loads of sex and are like teenagers again!!!!
I’ll leave you with that thought!!

My MIL also does this so I definitely feel your pain. Any time I bring out a new book, wear something different - anything - she'll ask me where I got it then say 'oh okay' and laugh. I mean, how the feck is m&s ever that funny?!

They sound nice. I’d try to get into it with them.
Off point, but this just gave me a lovely memory of DH’s gran and my MIL visiting. DH’s gran had terrible, anxiety inducing vascular dementia, but the four of us were having lunch and DH’s gran started a tale and couldn’t remember then MIL started laughing and saying “she can’t remember!” And we all laughed because DH’s gran was happy and laughing and sunlight was coming in from the window and it didn’t matter to any of us about her memory loss because we were all together and laughing. I’m a bit pissed.

Oh god, my mil and sil both do this! And it's much worse when they're together as they reinforce each other. They also punctuate it with happy sighs and 'ahhhhhh dear'. I start to go a bit mad by day 2...

My mum does this. It drives me absolutely insane. She's always done it but it's got worse as it gets older.

I laugh all the time OP. Sometimes it's a nervous laugh, sometimes it's just habbit, sometimes it's because I just like fun and am generally really happy.

Just get over it. It's not harming you is it? If you are struggling, have a bit more wine .....

ohmydarling, my mum too. Laughed at anything and everything (it became a game in the end, to see exactly how shocking/sad you could go and still get an inappropriate hoot of laughter), plus continually read aloud every street sign, card, menu, whatever. She still does both these things, but is sadly deep in the throes of dementia, and I now realise they were probably early symptoms of the disease and not just really weird, annoying ticks. Sorry to say, but may be worth keeping an eye on your mum.

OP, def sounds like your PILs have developed a habit borne out of nerves/people pleasing. They’re almost certainly unaware they’re even doing it. Totally sympathise with your murderous impulses, but tbh you make it sound bloody hilarious

I don't blame you getting irritated they probably aren't aware they do it. Book a hotel tell them you need to go visit a distant relative urgently.

This is brilliant and I'm actually crying with laughter just reading it My ex in-laws were just like this, you'd open the door to them and while saying hello they'd be laughing...very confusing so I completely get you OP

*It’s not that they’re jolly at all - they hate pretty much everyone and everything, they just mindlessly laugh. If they were on ecstasy I might be slightly more understanding. Afaik they’re just on Beta blockers and a daily dose of The Mail.*

They sound just like my PIL, who are also miserable pessimists who never stop tittering. I always find it so passive aggressive. Also, I raise you my ones’ occasional use of the ACTUAL words “tee hee hee” when “ha ha ha” won’t quite convey the utter non-humorous banality that is being related.

Customers that I dealt with at the time mainly lower middle class and generally very happy with themselves read smug...

Poor fuckers. Imagine being nervous of your DIL.

After 7 out of 11 days staying with the in-laws, I'd probably be going insane too.
Do they wear purple and have green hair?

I go with polite smile and waiting until they've stopped giggling before asking the question/making the statement again, in hopes of getting a coherent answer the second time.

I must admit that both I and my mother have/had an unfortunate habit of bursting into laughter when someone in our family is really upset. Never happens to me (or happened to her) with anyone except distraught children. It's obviously not great but I have no idea how to stop it/channel it elsewhere

Get pissed

They're on ecstasy

My friends husband does this I never noticed until someone pointed it out to me. I think it’s a habit of trying to appear friendly/informal

Is anyone else feeling a bit sorry for the nervous laughers? It sounds like a sign of lack of self confidence / assertiveness.

I say sort of / kind of too much and it's worse when I'm a bit nervous. Probably not as noticeable as the laugh though.

Why don’t you ask your partner about it?

I have one relative who does this because she's clearly deaf and assumes everything we say is jocular repartee, so she pretends to have heard and to have found it funny. And another who just opens her mouth, tips back her head and proclaims "HA HA HA" at anything we tell her, or any of the children's news we share, because everyone, except her, is a bit ridiculous and clueless and she wants us to know that.

Weird. It must become a motor reflex.