to ban in laws on Christmas Day?

[Amethyst86]

No me slaving over a big Christmas Lunch for 15.

No drunken family rows.

No overcrowding as we all sit rammed together on the three seater.

No constant hot drink patrol because inlaws think it is ok to put hot drinks on the floor as "only the feet will get burned if the coffee goes over".

No having to answer the buzzer and open two doors to let in the smokers who "nip down for a fag" every ten seconds.

I hate that sweaty, cabin fever, over full feeling that you get at round 4.00 pm on Christmas Day when the house is full of people eating and drinking too much. Doesn't seem to happen when it is just us and dc.

Would like Boxing Day to be the family day and we'll go there .

Or am I just being a miserable old so and so who shouldn't be allowed to get away with it because everyone else has to do it?

sounds good
the hot drink thing is annoying - if it's your house insist they put it somewhere more sensible or don't allow hot drinks

Don't do it if you don't want to do it. First rule of Christmas imo

It sounds like you don't really have enough room to entertain 15. Could you go out for lunch? Or suggest that someone else with a bit more room can do it and you'll help?

Good luck. I hate the idea that Christmas might be miserable for anyone.

I take it this is just the ILs? Your own family are perfect?
Anyway, your house, your call. Especially if you're going to cop for doing all the catering whilst thay all (and your DH, I presume) sit on their backsides all day?
If so, YANBU.

The hot drink thing drives me nuts. You would think that DS having pulled a cup of hot coffee that MIL had thoughtfully placed on the edge of the table when he was 22 months would have solved the hot drink location dilemma (thankfully it had been made about 10 minute before but still reddened the skin). Oh sorry yes it was solved by putting it on the floor so only feet get burned .

We get on ok really. I just like the actual Christmas Day to be us and the kids.

For the first time in 7 years I am not having the mil for Christmas (usually stays for 7 - 10 days.

There will be dh, me and dd for xmas lunch (we are going to a restaurant for xmas dinner).

Boxing day, we are going to my sisters. First time I have ever gone to my family over xmas.

YANBU.

My own family are too far away and to be honest I wouldn't want them there either - what a miserable t*at I am .

DH, me and the DCs only spend Xmas day together. It is bliss. Start as you mean to go on.

YANBU. Sounds great and prefectly reasonably.

My mum and dad are going on a cruise this year, MIL & FIL do their own thing, sisters doing their own thing so it's just me, DH and DSs and my brother (unless he gets a better offer ). I am soooooo looking forward to it .

YANBU. Christmas is for children. It doesn't sound like you are able to enjoy the day with your children.
I was so fed up with my IL leaving hot drinks lying around when they visted , that I put my DD in the playpen when we handed out the tea. The complained that one of them could hold her so I told them it isn't safe to have a toddler around when there are hot drinks lying around. They still did it so we stopped offering tea when they visited

YANBU. Christmas day is just for our family. We see MIL on Christmas eve and my parents on the 27th for a big family Christmas with the extended family.

Me too, for the first time in ten years we are having xmas jsutus, woohoo.

Completely sympathise Amethyst. It looks like we are going to be saddled with doing Christmas for 14 this year - including 3 oldies who are forever putting drinks on the floor - I find wine glasses the most worrying as we have hard floors and a dog !

I long to break the so called 'tradition' of having to have entire family (whether my family or ILs)which started before we all had kids and is now, frankly, unmanageable. However, I am the only one amongst the various siblings who has voiced this and the others all prefer to play the martyr.