Boxing Day dread

[Orangecaryellowcar]

The worst day of the year has arrived. The annual 14-hour slog at the in laws. Arrived around 10, we leave about midnight. Every.single.year! I loathe it!
I am a massive introvert and would give anything to be on my sofa with films, books, and food. I’m not a mixer, I choose the people I mix with very carefully. I wouldn’t choose these. I do it for DH. Throw his kids (my SKs) into the mix and it’s pure pain!

Any advice on how to get through the next 12 hours?

Leave at midnight? That is awful!

You may need to offload here. Tell us what's going on.

Is there one person there you actually like and you can latch onto them? .

If anyone suggests a film, agree so that you can just sit there.

Make sure you get out for a long walk by yourself as you have a headache.

Sounds like you’re already determined not to enjoy it before you’ve ever got there. Bet you make it plainly obvious you don’t want to be there as well. I have a relative like this, always sitting in the corner in a grump. I just ignore him now.

Do your ILs have any books you could fall into and lose yourself while you're there? Preface with a compliment such as 'you've got such a great collection of books' or something.

"I wouldn't choose the see"

They are your husband's parents! Do they seem to like you, or are they not keen on you, and if so do they show it or do they keep things polite and cheery?

The one part of the day that is almost bearable is the post lunch walk that I usually initiate. Of course they all want to bloody come too but I can get some air and wander off in my thoughts for ten minutes while they all chatter away.
The food is terrible. They are a slightly strange bunch, it wouldn’t be so bad if it was only a few hours.
Keep me going Mumsnet friends.

I am very polite and try to join in their conversation but it’s usually about people I have never met.
I don’t sit sulking, I’m just not a chatterbox.

Bah! I know how you feel OP. I just want to stay in my nice, warm, clean house but we’ve got to trudge over to relative’s house and I don’t want to go 😞.

I just keep imagining the day being over and getting home, having a bath and a glass of wine in my own house.

There’s is nothing you can do, there is no hope left, your in the Pitt’s!
(The only answer is to get drunk, people seem more interesting when your drunk!) 😂

Exactly that @SugarHouse1 I have a lovely, peaceful, warm home I crave to be.

Oh yeah I’m driving too!!!!

Plan for next year. Time to tell DH to go on his own, with his kids while you stay home. Unless he puts himself through similar misery for you why do you do it to yourself? Perhaps start by being 'ill' the first year and then realise how much you need to have that time to yourself after Christmas day - but you're quite happy for him for toddle off to his parents without you.

You have my sympathy op! Is there a pet dog you can befriend and take out on walks.

Oh god, just don’t go next year. Why when dh and sk happy to go anyway, just stay home and read a book in piece.

For today:
-Be social
-Get through lunch
-Make afternoon walk go on longer.
-Find something essential that you need to go out to get, call call dh after 30 mins saying you aren’t feeling great, banging headache, so have decided to read on a bench somewhere quietly a while ( but go to a coffee shop)

• return, be social an hour or so, then unfortunately you all have to go home by 7pm as aren’t well.

How long is drive? Can you feel Now, drive home and pick them up later or they get taxi back this evening

How far away are they? Could you drive home and come back to collect him? Don't you have a headache?

Sorry you hate it. Have a walk, have a headache and a lie down, have an extra glass or two. Leave at 10pm due to headache.

But why is one say a year such a huge deal?? Do you get no time off after Christmas, or are they actively nasty or what?

I

I get you OP. I don’t have to suffer this, mainly because I work shifts all over and around Christmas so I’m limited to who I visit and when and I don’t dislike my in laws at all, I just don’t really have anything in common with them and it’s not the same as being with your own family. I’m not very sociable either. Just things like not feeling that you can put your feet up on the sofa and be comfy does it for me. They are really nice people though.

You need a treat planned for when you get home.

They’re nice people not nasty at all it’s just not comfortable or enjoyable. It’s incredibly boring and such a long day. It’s ‘tradition’ and DH would sulk if I tried to get out of it. DH would do the same for me if I asked him to, but my family situation is very different.

Lunch done, walk done! Still many long hours ahead of us!

Fake illness.

Last year was a revelation OP. I absolutely adored Xmas last year with just the immediate family. Going forward I’m trying to limit the things I really don’t want to do. Have visited the in laws today and we have stayed for 3 hours not the usual all day. I can cope with that! They are lovely people… they just live in a bit of a different world to me. However it helps that my OH feels the same as me.

As your OH would sulk I don’t know what you can do. Can you do every other year?

I've done nothing except watch coronation street and call the midwife. Lovely after a great tic Christmas Day. DH walked the dog so and we've just eaten leftovers.

I love both days.

Why are you the driver? DH's parents surely he should drive

Why not just stay at home. The sky won't fall in. Fairly sure in laws won't be surprised