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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Going on holiday with in-laws without kids

37 replies

HolidayGrinch · 18/02/2025 14:02

So I can't tell if this is weird or not, my sister is off on a ten day holiday with her husband and her in-laws for a couples holiday.

Don't get me wrong I can understand family holidays but her DH has several siblings and it's only the pair of them going, none of his siblings. Also understand holidays with grandparents but they were only married last year and no kids yet!

Has anyone else done this? I can't understand why she wouldn't just go on holiday with her DH.

YABU - Couples holidays with your in-laws sounds amazing
YANBU - It's not a holiday if your in-laws are there

OP posts:
FrenchandSaunders · 18/02/2025 14:03

Bet they're paying 😄

Incakewetrust · 18/02/2025 14:03

Quite frankly I think it's none of your business.

Snorlaxo · 18/02/2025 14:04

Maybe the ILs are fun people and they don’t need the kids to act as a buffer ?

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 18/02/2025 14:05

Loads of people do it and why not if they enjoy each other's company

owlexpress · 18/02/2025 14:05

I'm not voting as none of your options are correct for me but YABU - none of your business and you don't need to 'understand' it.

Also 'no kids yet'? Why assume they'll have kids, you don't know (presumably).

BallerinaRadio · 18/02/2025 14:05

I cannot understand what you have even given this a second thought, people can holiday with whoever they like surely

Snorlaxo · 18/02/2025 14:06

I think it’s good that the ILs want to get to know their DIL better regardless of whether or not she has provided grandchildren.

Bluesclues1 · 18/02/2025 14:06

I’ve been away with my husband and ILs/ parents before - we all like each others company and enjoy similar holidays!

nutbrownhare15 · 18/02/2025 14:07

Is my husband weird for going on holiday with me and my parents when my sister didn't go?! 😆

Coffeeishot · 18/02/2025 14:08

I've been on holiday with my Dd and her husband I didn't think it was a "weird thing to do they also paid their way.

Why is it bothering you so much?

SJM1988 · 18/02/2025 14:09

I've done this with my parents (so DH did with his in laws) pre kids. Usually my parents paid!! It was an annual thing that has now turned into an annual trip to centre parcs with the kids.

toastandtwo · 18/02/2025 14:09

DH and I used to go on holiday with ILs before we had kids.

PullTheBricksDown · 18/02/2025 14:11

Incakewetrust · 18/02/2025 14:03

Quite frankly I think it's none of your business.

90% of threads could be stopped with this statement. However this is a forum for discussion, potentially of things that are not our business!

Justcallmebebes · 18/02/2025 14:12

Eh? I often go away with DD and SIL and separately DS and DIL, often before kids came and now with kids. We actually like each other, consider ourselves family and see nothing odd at all

I know it's a rarity on MN, but families and in laws can get on and enjoy each other's company

TheCatterall · 18/02/2025 14:13

I (50) and my partner have often gone on holidays with my folks in the last 10 years.

we enjoy there company. We aren’t glued at the hip on the holidays and do activities together and apart. Sometime we travel together and other times we meet up abroad.

Its a sad state of affairs when you can’t enjoy a parents company as humans in their own right.

PullTheBricksDown · 18/02/2025 14:14

I opened this thinking it was a couple with kids, who were holidaying with the in laws but NOT taking their kids / the grandchildren along. That would be weird. This is unusual but fine if they all get on and like the same kind of holiday. Problem usually is that people don't and holidays like this are purely for access to / a break from the (grand)children.

MammaTo · 18/02/2025 14:23

Because in the world outside of mumsnet, some people actually like their in laws.

snowflakelake · 18/02/2025 14:24

We holidayed in the past with MIL predc, we paid.
They were fun trips and we were happy to share some time with her.
I wouldn't want it to be all we did but it was fine sometimes.

Quitelikeit · 18/02/2025 14:25

Comparison is the thief of joy!!!

tilypu · 18/02/2025 14:29

I've been on holiday with my daughter and her friend and his boyfriend. Is that also weird? 😂😂

Longma · 18/02/2025 14:31

I can imagine Dd still coming away with us even if she got married, just bringing the husband along with her.
We enjoy spending time together so why not?!

RawBloomers · 18/02/2025 14:46

It’s not for me. My MiL is a lovely woman but we don’t share the same outlook on life and I find too much time in her company a bit wearing (as does my DH, to be fair). My FiL is interesting to chat with some of the time but goes off by himself a lot). My brother used to go on holiday with his wife and her parents - my brother and her dad got on like a house on fire.

Boredlass · 18/02/2025 14:49

You do realise that some people actually like their in-laws. It’s only on Mumsnet that they are all narcissists

Thirteenblackcat · 18/02/2025 14:49

Your title is misleading. So they don’t have any children is that correct? I read it as they had gone on holiday with in laws and left their children behind

YABU, not because I am dying g to get away with my in laws but because why not?

Rictasmorticia · 18/02/2025 14:52

I have been on holiday with my daughter and my sons with their partners on several occasions My children all work shifts so it is only big birthdays that we can include everyone. We are lucky that we get on really well and enjoy each other company.