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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

My FIL is coming to stay for 2 weeks at Christmas

64 replies

Asiama · 11/10/2021 20:39

And I am soooooooo happy about it that I am bursting with excitement and want to share the news with everyone!

I have fantastic in-laws and love my FIL loads (my wonderful MIL is no longer with us). This is the first Christmas we will be spending together as he lives in another country and normally spends it with his elderly mother.

I don't have a relationship with my parents, had rubbish Christmases with them as a child / teenager and wasn't allowed to visit for Christmas after I had moved out (and they wouldn't visit us either) so this feels like such a big thing to me!

Also, if anyone has any tips on how I can make it a lovely Christmas for him then please tell me!! I'm sure he will be missing his mother and I want him to have a nice time.

Oh and we have often had him over for 2 weeks and we cry when he leaves because we just love having him here, so I'm not worried about the length of his visit.

GrinGrinGrin

OP posts:
Brollywasntneededafterall · 11/10/2021 20:41

Do him a stocking!! B&M have some lovely initial ones in for £4..

UnfinishedBunting · 11/10/2021 20:42

OK, this was unexpected 😄.

Hope you all have a great time.

PotteringAlong · 11/10/2021 20:44

Oh exciting!

Stocking is a definite. Are there any traditions that he would do in his home country you can accommodate? Favourite food?

How about a trip in those 2 weeks? Panto? Trip out? Somewhere festive!

TheCaddieisaBaddie · 11/10/2021 20:44

Tickets for the panto!

Row1n · 11/10/2021 20:47

Oh how lovely!!

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 11/10/2021 20:48

This is lovely. Plan lots of nice little treats for all of you. It's so wonderful to have in-laws that you adore.

purplecorkheart · 11/10/2021 20:53

Get him to muck in with the fun jobs and feel included rather than a guest that must be waited on. My grandmother used to hate being felt like a guest and loved when she was part of the kitchen team who may have hid the crunchies potatos, etc along with the kitchen processo.

Craftycorvid · 11/10/2021 20:54

How nice to have a positive in-laws story!

Twinstudy · 11/10/2021 20:56

I love this :) definitely get him involved as well as spoiling him rotten! Any traditions/foods from his home country that you can recreate? I hope you all have a fab time

CrazyBaubles · 11/10/2021 20:56

What a lovely thread - I was fully expecting a post complaining about him / the length of his stay.

While you want to plan things for him while he's here, please make sure you have some quiet nights in included so you can spend some quality time together.

GemmaRuby · 11/10/2021 20:56

I was not expecting that from the title!
I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time.
We always do a family Xmas eve walk round the neighbourhood in the evening to look at everyone’s lights.

HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 11/10/2021 20:58

Aww this is lovely. 😊😊

Yes definitely make him a Christmas stocking! Of course then you and DH will have to have one each too (if you don’t already do them now’s a great time to start)! 🎄🎄

itsgettingwierd · 11/10/2021 20:59

Love this!

Agree about a stocking. B and M indeed have lots of lovely Christmas things in currently.

Get him involved in meal planning. Make sure you have lots of lovely meals where you can chat and chill afterwards over coffee.

Get lots of his fave films in (either dvd or stream)

Find lots of walks with nice pubs to stop for a drink.

If he's coming from somewhere warm will he want a heated throw or something?

You could even go all silly and get the matching family PJs from places like B and M Grin

Original poster
Asiama · 12/10/2021 07:51

Yes I did think a positive in-law post might throw some people off! Grin

He definitely slots in into our home life, he just gets stuck in with household chores, does the washing up etc. He helps us so much and then complains that he isn't doing enough and asks what more he could do to help. He's such a darling!

Stockings is a great idea! Does BM sell them in their home stores? That's the nearest one we have and it's a 40 min drive away 😣 and I'll need to google for ideas on what to put in it! He loves fruit pastilles and Nestle Whip which he doesn't get at home, so that's a good start I suppose!

One of his favourite parts of his Christmas meal at home is red cabbage so I will cook that. I hadn't thought of that so thank you!

He's coming from a cold country so will be fine here Smilea walk on Christmas Eve is an excellent idea as our street always looks festive. He loves classical music, maybe I can find a classical Christmas concert.

He doesn't own a Christmas jumper but I know he would love one! He thought ours were hilarious when he saw a picture a few years ago 😂 he had never heard of them before. I will see if I can get one for him!

Thank you for the ideas! Oh the excitement is just too much!!! When I told him I had booked his flights for him he said he was jumping up and down for joy. Imagine a man in his 70s doing that Grin

OP posts:
Hathertonhariden · 12/10/2021 07:54

Picture of his mum in his room.

TrickyD · 12/10/2021 07:57

A delightful thread. FIL sounds lovely, but so do you! Flowers

Squirrelblanket · 12/10/2021 08:01

Would he appreciate you going all out and having Christmas bedding in his room?

My mum always comes for Christmas and she has slippers and a dressing gown in her room so she doesn't need to pack those. Last year I also got her Christmas PJs which she loved.

Squirrelblanket · 12/10/2021 08:03

I also made sure we had plenty of her favourite TV programmes ready to go. And a few games that were easy to play with three people after dinner.

Bounce55 · 12/10/2021 08:05

Oh this is adorable!!
Thankyou for posting, it made me smile after a particularly crappy day yesterday
❤

NapoleonOzmolysis · 12/10/2021 08:08

Can you have some nice slippers waiting for him on the mat when he gets in?

Latenightreader · 12/10/2021 08:12

This is lovely! It reminds me of the advert a few years ago for a ?Polish? company where a man buys teach yourself English cds and it finishes with him coming to see his English speaking granddaughter at Christmas.

We love to see Christmas displays in garden centres - the lights are usually amazing and you could choose a new ornament for your tree together!

Hathertonhariden · 12/10/2021 08:14

If he's used to a quiet Xmas, do you have space for a comfy chair in his room plus a radio and some books so that he has his own space if it gets a bit overwhelming? My mum used to appreciate being able to slip up to her room and put the radio on if she was missing my dad and just needed some time on her own. She didn't want to spoil the mood for everyone else if she had a bit of a wobble and so could have a bit of time to herself and then rejoin the festivities.

MakingTheBestOfIt · 12/10/2021 08:38

Oooo how lovely! Can you share which country he lives in/grew up in? Some MNers might be able to suggest a few touches from his childhood that you could include.

Noshowlomo · 12/10/2021 08:43

I love this, it made me feel warm inside! :) xx

Latenightreader · 12/10/2021 08:48

Have a look to see if any local churches are doing a carols by candlelight service. Even if church isn't usually your thing they are really lovely and get me in the happy, peaceful, Christmassy mood.