oh no...I think I won't cope and dp will hide upstairs in our bedroom for christmas

[zippitippitoes]

...ds wants his girlfriend to stay for two weeks..she never speaks to me and just sloths, dd1 wants her bf who at least will be working most of the time to stay every night while she is home from uni and dd2 wants to come on Christmas day for lunch with her partner and ds and her sister in law..this makes 9 grown ups and toddler

dp will hate it and I will be stressed to bits

help

oh! Poor you! I've just heard my nephew is bringing his gf on Christmas Day and I've never even met her!! And I think eldest DDs bf will be around here a bit...
DH loves it but only pours drinks anyway... I'm the headless chicken!

of course they all consider themselves to be children for the purposes of being provided with dinner etc and neither dp nor I will be drinking to make it all slip past either

thank god none of my kids are old enough for gf/bf's yet. i dont envy you. i am cooking for myself, my kids their dad and my bro and sis this year

Say no or they might be coming to you for a fortnight at Christmas every year for the next twenty years.

How about a rule like you only have overnight guest for 3 nights on the trot ?

Its Christmas for you too

best way for me is to have a few drinks then the annoyance levels recede somewhat!

ds is only 18 as is his girlfriend, he wants her to stay her parents live in Hong kong...he has only just started at uni so he has to be here really

ditto dd1

dd2 partner has been deserted by his parents years ago (they went into care)as was his sister so I am in loco parentis

and the residents will be up and in and out all night and in bed all day

and thewre is no room..ds only has a little bedroom

Surely it will be a fab Christmas for him if he spends a few days with his girlfriend at your house then goes to HK with her ? Maybe coming back with her for New Year

He has already been to Hong kong twice this year (his dad lives there)so he won't be going at Christmas

Zippi,you will go mad if they all stay.
Put yer foot down.
My parents would haVE DONE WITH US!

I know she says feebly doormat fashion

and dp works nights too

they are 18, 18, 21, 21, 22, 2,23 and 25

it sounds lovely

How about the deal is...THEY do the cooking (at least some of the time)
maybe you do Christmas lunch
then you do NO washing up, NO tea or dinner, and you get breakfast in bed at least every other day?

Don't do owt.
If the house isn't big enough (and frankly not many homes could accommodate that many) then just say no.

if you cant say no make sure that they all do their share of the work or it wont be christmas for you just a hard slog!!

Let them know you will expect them to cook a meals for everyone and do clearing up etc, they are adults its not fair to expect you to do all the work. You could draw up a roster

alternatively go and hide in the bedroom with your dp and a large bottle of wine