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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not make Christmas dinner dairy free??

1000 replies

Bellyblueboy · 17/09/2023 10:14

Very early I know! I cater Christmas dinner every year for my family. I am single and child free but I host for my parents, brother, sister and their families. My parents stay with me for a few nights. It’s a lot of work.

My nine year old nephew was diagnosed as lactose intolerant this year. So of course I will be researching this and making sure his starter, main and desert is lactose free. I even thought of putting little flags in bowls that are lactose free. I was going to order little flags with a picture of a cow crossed out! Make it fun.

my SIL has said it will be unfair if there is food on the table that he can’t eat so the whole meal has to be dairy free.

I order Black Forest gateau every year - my parents love it. Apparently no. He never eats it - I get kid friendly deserts for the four children.

I am a lazy cook - I get the whole meal from marks and Spencer! Prepared mash the lot. I am now told I can’t do this as there are milk products in the mashed and roast potatoes. It would be a huge amount of work to do everything from scratch, I don’t want that to be my Christmas Day and my cooking skills aren’t up to it.

I have said no - this is what I am doing. My brother is now annoyed that i won’t bend to his wife’s demands and have ruined Christmas. I had said he is welcome to come to my house and do the cooking, or host. Or eat at his house then come for coffee and presents. He has told on me! My mum is upset that she won’t have all her family round her at Christmas - dad was ill this year and they have been looking forward to a relaxing Christmas! Agh. It’s only September.

rant over. But honestly give it to me straight am I a selfish child hating spinster! Would you all accommodate this???

OP posts:
Qwerty21 · 17/09/2023 19:27

You sound like a amazing auntie and I'd like to know if you'd like to adopt some additional nephews/nieces?!

It's utterly ridiculous to insist everything is dairy free including options he doesn't even like, but it's down right incredulous that they don't even do that in their own home and then demand it of you!

Totally unreasonable of you not to make real toasties though, legit the nicest thing done by hand and beyond disappointing prepared.

DelurkingLawyer · 17/09/2023 19:36

Your brother won’t host and I will tell
you why: because on Christmas Day everyone would turn up and find that after all their whingeing they didn’t do what they expected you to do..

If he is too lazy to do dairy free for the whole household every day he is hardly going to do it on Xmas Day when it’s more effort to cater generally and he’ll miss out on his special treats.

I am afraid you’ll be stuck with them and their cat’s bum expressions but you can say with impunity it’s your way or the highway.

SwiftieGrainger · 17/09/2023 19:38

Wtaf, I'm a lactose intolerant adult and I usually bring my own incase a host has forgotten etc so I'd be over the moon with cow flags etc. Anyone who has suggested the whole meal be dairy free is a disgrace of a guest!

KMA2023 · 17/09/2023 19:45

I wish you were my sister, OP.
Your Christmas sounds amazing and you have offered great alternative options for your nephew.
The utter rudeness in demanding dairy free for everyone is unbelievable. How on earth do these people become so entitled.
My favourite aunt was childless and I still miss her everyday. She always made any occasion fun.

MonkeyChiselTree · 17/09/2023 19:46

As a parent of a child with an allergy and an EpiPen who is a similar age I think your proposal is absolutely fine! In fact I insist people only make adjustments where they absolutely have to. And everything else is just the same as everyone else. Otherwise people find it a ballache to cater to allergies/intolerances and then the easygoing people with allergies get excluded (DC didn't get invited to a cooking party because of their allergies. Even though they were cooking pizza and that absolutely never has the allergen in it or on it!)

Coka · 17/09/2023 19:56

This is definetly going to be in the dailyfail shortly...

Devilsmommy · 17/09/2023 20:08

nonheme · 17/09/2023 17:21

Sorry but I just bought roast potatoes from M and S - they don't have dairy - at least not the entire range. You can make mash easily with lactose free milk. No sure about butter.
A little dairy will not hurt - for instance the butter. However I wouldn't say this to the parents.
There are lactase tablets you can buy to help digest lactose. Available from holland and barratts - unfortunately the NHS hasn't made them available via prescription like other progressive European countries. I am unsure if they are suitable for children but perhaps suggest this as well, so he can enjoy the lovely desserts etc

Plant based butter, voila 😁

nonheme · 17/09/2023 20:26

SuperNewMe · 17/09/2023 18:01

@nonheme
It's intolerance not allergy
Yes, and it presents differently in everyone.
Lactose tablets aren't just something you decide they might be able to make them tolerate the milk more!
Not anyone else's call to make.

exactly what I have said if you read my posts - just suggestions. Nobody has to follow them - free will and all that

nonheme · 17/09/2023 20:26

Devilsmommy · 17/09/2023 20:08

Plant based butter, voila 😁

As long as it's not processed crap I will eat it

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 17/09/2023 20:28

What you said was entirely reasonable

JCWiatt · 17/09/2023 20:33

Please come back after Christmas and tell us how it all went!

ItsClemFandangoCanYouHearMe1 · 17/09/2023 20:35

My DS5 has 10 allergies. I'm always grateful when people cater for him but I never expect it.

I bring food for him that he can eat and he knows what he can and can't have and fully accepts that. It's part of learning to cope with it.

Expecting everyone else to follow the same diet is unreasonable, especially as there's no where else that will do this for him either.

Newuser75 · 17/09/2023 20:44

My own son is allergic to milk. He will be getting his own 'special' version of Christmas dinner.

No way would I expect everyone to eat this!

Dymaxion · 17/09/2023 21:01

My own son is allergic to milk. He will be getting his own 'special' version of Christmas dinner.

No way would I expect everyone to eat this!

@Newuser75 aren't you concerned that he will be traumatised by this very rational solution ?

Coffeaddict · 17/09/2023 21:03

Bellyblueboy · 17/09/2023 15:05

Oh god no. The boys would mutiny!

I am taking Adam to lots of pizza places and we are marking the vegan pizza out of ten.

macdonalds burgers are so far the favourite. Burger King chicken sandwich also a big winner.

we have a deal of it is disgusting he only has to have one bite!!

I know this isn't the point of the thread but if it's a lactose intolerance rather then look into the lactofree brand. It's dairy with the lactose processed put so is and therefore tastes like dairy without the reaction.
They do a cream and Cheeses.

Also if you like spoiling him you could ( on a day that's not christmas) make him pizza at home using a premade base and the lactofree cheese. I popped on the links in case your interested
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/lactofree-grated-mature-cheddar-200g
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/jus-rol-classic-pizza-base-600g

Also lactofree do milk for use in your hot chocolates

Newuser75 · 17/09/2023 21:04

Dymaxion · 17/09/2023 21:01

My own son is allergic to milk. He will be getting his own 'special' version of Christmas dinner.

No way would I expect everyone to eat this!

@Newuser75 aren't you concerned that he will be traumatised by this very rational solution ?

Well I wasn't but perhaps I should reconsider this!! 😂

Coffeaddict · 17/09/2023 21:08

Newuser75 · 17/09/2023 21:04

Well I wasn't but perhaps I should reconsider this!! 😂

Haha between my 2 sons and myself we have 6 allergies, some overlaps and some different. If all parts of all my meals were allergy free we would have a very very sad and overly expensive life 😂

Beautiful3 · 17/09/2023 21:21

You sound like an amazing aunty. The kids and family are very lucky, you cook and welcome them for 2 days over Xmas! I saw the updates. Your brother is naughty to involve your mum, and upset her. You have done nothing wrong, stick to your guns. He is welcome to come, or host his own. But if he gets arsey with you, I'd be inclined to cancel christmas dinner this year. It's not fair how you're being treated.

Bellyblueboy · 17/09/2023 21:23

Thanks for all the supportive message and suggestions. I have noted down the lactose free deserts and will ask him what he would like. My sister will also make sure she gets something nice for desert.

I went for drinks with some friends this afternoon and discussed this. I have decided I won’t host Christmas next year. This is my farewell tour😂. I will ask my sister to host my parents so I don’t feel guilty and my brother can take care of himself.

I totalled how much I spent on food and wine and champagne and cleaning companies and it is well over £1,000. The presents is another £2,000.

I will still give food presents - but the main present will be for me!

thank you to all - and sorry to the batshit people!! We just aren’t on the same wave length.

OP posts:
Bellyblueboy · 17/09/2023 21:24

Good presents not doors presents! That would be crap

OP posts:
DebussytoaDiscoBeat · 17/09/2023 21:26

@Bellyblueboy Has your mother commented further since her tears earlier?

therealcookiemonster · 17/09/2023 21:26

@Bellyblueboy fantastic decision! please ignore the haters. in a way your brother and sil have done you a favour by helping you realise how much you are taken for granted. New York for Xmas sounds awesome. I am thinking I might do that too sometime!

Paynefully · 17/09/2023 21:27

I have a 6 year old niece with lactose intolerance.. she has never once complained that anyone else is eating anything different to her. She knows it makes her poorly.

this sounds like it’s more the adults having an issue than your nephew actually caring. I doubt he will care at all.

Olika · 17/09/2023 21:29

A good decision OP.

Bellyblueboy · 17/09/2023 21:33

DebussytoaDiscoBeat · 17/09/2023 21:26

@Bellyblueboy Has your mother commented further since her tears earlier?

No - she will have taken to her bed such is the upset!!

now every time Christmas is mentioned I will hear how hard brother is working to keep nephew safe and happy. She will be amazed at his outstanding parenting skills and concerned at how deep his worry goes. She will tell me I can’t understand brocade I’m not a parent.

the news of next Christmas will go down badly. My house is lovely at Christmas - chocolate box pretty. Open fires burning the whole time - neighbours popping in - mum loves to play hostess and chat to everyone. They have their own guest suite with en-suite. There won’t be these home comforts at my sisters. There isn’t room to stay over so they will only be invited to the meal. My sister has been better at establishing boundaries so she wont get away with the stuff she pulls at mine. And my gold balls brother wont be invited so they will have to visit him separately.

the emotional blackmail will be huge!! So I need to get something booked in january.

OP posts:
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