Tempting Christmas offer... should I accept?

[sansouci]

We're going to be 6 adults & 2 dcs for Xmas. My MIL & PIL are in their 80s but sharp as tacks while my 2 step-daughters are in their mid-20s. As my Xmas present this year, they have offered to prepare, cook and serve the entire Xmas lunch! Being something of a control freak , I hesitate to accept & even wonder if I would be capable of not interfering. Should I accept or is this a question not even worth asking?

How sweet of them! Accept graciously but say that if they need any help they only need to ask. Then stay out of the way - maybe invite a couple of friends or neighbours round in the morning for drinks & nibbles. That way you'll be ditracted so you'll be less likely to interfere. Lucky you!

what charming PIL they sound! Accept but only so long as you feel you really can stay out of the way; as forty says, make a plan so that you can't interfere......maybe go out for a walk in the am with the DCs so that your PIL have the place to themselves for a while.

How lovely, a wintery walk while christmas lunch is prepared for you! Can I come?

But of course, sunny! I've been thinking about this kind offer of my dh's girls all day & realise that a great worry has been magically whisked away. But I will have to come up with a cunning plan to stay well away from the kitchen. What will the PILs think, I wonder? Our DIL is a lazy cow? (except they wouldn't put it quite that way!)

sansouci. you lucky thing! but if you dont want them to do the cooking, they are very welcome over at mine!!

Is there anything i should insist on supervising or should I wash my hands of the whole thing?

Sansouci - sounds great to me but the only thing I would suggest is that it might be worth checking with yourself whether there is anything that you think needs to be done. ie what Christmas dinner is to you. Does it matter if the stuffing isn't in the turkey? Whether there are certain veg that have to be there etc. If so, it's only fair to tell your stepdaughters. If having the dinner a certain way is important to you and they don't do it like that, you might feel upset afterwards?
I don't think you should worry about what your PIL think - you can always keep repeating what a lovely present it is from DH children!

Ha! Some present. Found out this a.m that step-daughters will not arrive til late on Dec 23. They obviously haven't a clue. Looks like it will be up to me after all.

Message withdrawn

Sounds a great idea. Presumably they wouldn't have offered if they hadn't thought it through? And if it doesn't go to plan so what, the meal is only a small part of Christmas.