Seriously, f*ck Christmas!

[Eurydice84]

• I am working until Xmas eve. My entire family is staying over, but my Mum/Dad/bro refused to babysit when I will working because "they're too tired"
• DH and I are doing all the cooking. Every. Single. Year.
• No one drives so I will be the official chaffeur for the holidays
• I have been wrapping up presents for two weekends in a row
• I spent an entire day making a gingerbread house yesterday and it has v predictably collapsed on itself
• Pre-school party tomorrow, of course in the middle of the working day
• Just got soaked to the bone delivering Xmas cards around the village

Hitting the Bailey's hard today. How is this the most wonderful time of the year?

Out of interest, why do you need a babysitter on Xmas Eve if you’re working. Is your DH working too?

Just stop it.

Otherwise this is your Christmas for the next 30 years.

Willyoujustbequiet here we go again. 2nd time I've read crap like this today

I agree100%. I find martyrs so tedious and irritating. I have a friend who martyrs herself then complains because her friends/family aren’t stepping in to help her. The things she ‘puts herself out’ to do are mainly unnecessary, so why should others stress themselves doing them? For example in the OP, was a homemade gingerbread house essential? No, Just don’t do it all. Problem solved.

If you've got to explain that you were being funny...

@fuckoffwithreadtheroom
let guess, you also do everything and no one helps and fuck Christmas?

@jkkkk

does it have to be crusty out of interest?

Too late to make changes this year. Think about what you want to do next year and warn people in January that they need to make their own plans.

you actually don’t have to do any of this stuff though, just saying! Make your life easier!

Gingerbread houses are annoying. Icing just can’t hold walls and a roof together.

I thought that would be a nice activity to do with my little nieces who got bored, ate the sweets and watched me piss about with a collapsing mess.

Try superglue and tell guests it’s just for show.

Don't invite your lazy family next year.

Leave a pile of wrapping for your Mum and brother to do with DH when DC in bed. Leave selotape and plenty of wrapping paper. Tell them you expect it all wrapped by time you get home from work.

Split up tasks, food prep, cooking, setting table, washing up. In our house Santa leaves a new tea towel in DH and SiL stockings. This is a sacred sign from Santa they are nominated for all clearing up plates, serving dishes and loading and unloading dish washer.

If you drink alcohol then you can't drive so others can stop treating you like an unpaid chauffeur and book an Uber/taxi.

I hope you have a few nice bits for your own stocking OP because I would not trust your selfish and lazy family to make you the stocking you deserve.

You don't deserve to be left to do everything your self and waiting on your family hand and foot OP. Be more assertive.

Of course it is not too late!!

“ok everyone, so how we going to divvy up Christmas lunch and the meals surrounding it?”

You cannot force fun, that's not how it works.

The pressure can only come from within, if you think about things you can always make life easier.

Christmas does not have to be stressful. I am having two guests who will eat what I cook, one guest is being picked up by me but will find own way home so I can drink, I'm cooking in the slow cooker, no stress, I stopped doing cards several years ago, gift bags were made for a reason, and the only kind of gift i will ever "want " is consumables, but preferably nothing or a donation to your charity of choice. Im all for a stress free life in general but most definitely at Christmas.

Or you can be like OP who seems to like being a martyr and then posting for kudos or something, not sure what.

Does it have to be crusty out of interest?

pissing myself 😂

Simple solution - uninvite! Say you cannot believe how much they are taking advantage of your good nature and you are not prepared to be walked over again! If they can’t babysit, they can’t eat and stay at yours, end of! You really need to let your family know how badly they treat you. And guess what they’ll be fine, they’ll find some other family member to leech off.
Otherwise send them a link to some supermarket websites and tell them to get an order in quick!
Alternatively have a lovely Christmas dinner when they’re gone and feed them fishfingers and chips on the day. My in-laws come to us every year and arrive laden with gifts and homemade jams and chutneys etc. Oh mention the car has got a clutch issue and you can’t drive.
Don't put up with their disrespect!

Deep breath, you sound lovely OP, but remember it’s your Christmas too. Wishing you a Merry Christmas 🎅🏼 xx

I also agree that Xmas doesn't have to ebay stressful, even if you are working right up to Xmas eve. It's entirely possible to have a lovely Xmas despite ignoring the extra stuff (gingerbread houses, multiple starters for Xmas dinner, seven kinds of pudding) that really just create work for no real benefit. Choose the bits that are worthwhile to you, and just do those bits. Your Xmas doesn't have to be insta-perfect, complete with homemade wreaths and decorations made from unicorn hair.

Doesn't have to BE stressful

Its tough, OP, I get it. In some families stuf flike this happens and its not easy to get out of it without causing an upheaval.

am working until Xmas eve. My entire family is staying over, but my Mum/Dad/bro refused to babysit when I will working because "they're too tired"
Assuming that DH is working too, I'd grab my bag and cry "Run to DGP/DU, darlings! Mummy is late for work" then I'd skedaddle.

DH and I are doing all the cooking. Every. Single. Year.
Since they come from abroad there's not much you can do about that unless you have a HUGE kitchen with room for plenty of 'helpers'. So just pare down your menu and give them a list of groceries to go buy. If they can't help, let them pay.

No one drives so I will be the official chaffeur for the holidays
Just don't. Tell them they'll need to either taxi or shank's mare if they want to gad about.

I have been wrapping up presents for two weekends in a row
Why isn't your DH helping?

I spent an entire day making a gingerbread house yesterday and it has v predictably collapsed on itself
Eat it (if it's edible) with a large glass of wine and vow never to do that again.

Pre-school party tomorrow, of course in the middle of the working day
Skip it, unless there's a performance. Your DC will never notice.

Just got soaked to the bone delivering Xmas cards around the village
If you don't want to get cards, don't send or return them.

Feel free to respond with 'Fuck you very much' to show your gratitude.

To be fair, crusty bread is the only nice kind! A flaccid crust is a sad, pitiful thing.

Out of interest, what do you think would happen if you just...stopped?

Hint: the world wouldn't fall apart.

Just give them jobs. Including babysitting. If they say they’ll be too tired, just point out that as you are working, if they don’t do these things then these things will not be done, end of.

Exactly @AcrossthePond55 !

Don’t leave it for another time , if they are all staying at yours then they muck in and at least entertain the child , tell them .

Fair point 😂