Adult child home from travelling, welcome party???

[widowtwankywashroom]

My child and their partner have been traveling for 4 months
Picking him up at the weekend
Partner's family all going to airport
Just me going from ours
They're going with balloons and banners
I'm not
Is it me
Am I a miserable cow
4 months they've been gone
Not 4 yrs

They’re excited
I think it’s sweet
I wouldn’t do it but understand why they might
doesn’t mean you’re a cow

Sounds fine to me to do you. I returned from a years travelling to a surprise party where my parents had invited everyone in my address book they found including quite a few X boyfriends....suggest you don't do that!

They've only been gone 4 months

They'll probably be exhausted and just want some time out to rest tbh

Yanbu, 4 months is a blink of an eye! I have sweet wrappers in my car older than that.

They haven't been to war or anything. Just no need - you could cook dc's favourite dinner but anything more than that is very OTT

Why don't you organise a takeaway and invite them to show you all their photos on your tv. After they've had a chance to rest and unpack. Leave the balloons and shit to the other set of parents.

Ps I'd never live it down if my mum picked me up at the airport with a banner. She'd never know my arrival time again!

I didn't even get picked up from the airport after 4 months. Got the National express 5 hours from Heathrow to home. Definitely ott

Families are different. They probably do lots of stuff that you’d worry makes you look like a miserable cow in comparison. Your children will understand that you all do things differently.

YABU for being coy btw - you want to say it’s naff and daft but didn’t have the guts to come out with it in your OP.

Balloons and banners is hardly a party. Don’t be miserable, let that family do what they want to.
if you don’t want to, that’s also fine

Where are they staying, perhaps a little welcome home in your house?

I always deeply appreciate these things from my own dm, even when I was away for a short time and she's dead now. Died when I was quite young.