I will be spending Christmas running around like a headless chicken and eating sandwiches on the side of the road. Great.

[WillyWonkster]

I’m dreading Christmas. My DH and I have 3 sets of ‘households’ to visit and so are having to carefully time our day.
All 3 sets of people are being bloody difficult, they have their own plans (which overlap) and they aren’t budging. 2 of them are renowned for being 2-3 hours late to things too, so I just know if we do come up with a plan it will be left in tatters. And I’ll then be called ‘uptight’.

When we suggest they move things forward or back 30 mins to give us more time to dash across the county we’re met with pursed lips and accusations that we ‘don’t care enough’ and ‘we’re being selfish’. Not going isn’t an option, the fall out would be huge.

Currently we won’t make it in time for Christmas lunch ‘at 3pm prompt’ at household 2 but will they move lunch half an hour, hell will they. So they are happy for us to leave household 1, grab a sandwich from a petrol station and sit in a forecourt for an hour or so before turning up ‘at a reasonable time’ to household 2 (I.e after they’ve eaten Christmas dinner). I should add we can’t have Christmas dinner at household 1 because we’re not bloody invited! They are literally kicking us out!
Just fuck off all of you!!!!!!!!!!
Rant over, needed to get that off my chest.

Your own choice.

@WillyWonkster

I just said that to DH, we’re doing a lateral flow test on Christmas Eve and I’m praying it’s positive!

Lemon juice. 😉send them the proof and kick back.

@WillyWonkster

We have put our foot down and told them all what we are going to be doing and our timings. If they leave us on the doorstep/kick off because we’re leaving before they want us to then fuck em.

That is not putting your foot down.

It’s Xmas day. You are expected to vist three different households, you and your family doing all the travelling?
Erm no... just no...
Aren’t we supposed to limit contacts at the moment anyway? Three different houses is quite a lot.
Presumably they are family and friends? Do they really expect you to run around on Xmas day?
Stay home and have an open invite for them to see you instead. See how they like that.
To be honest I can’t believe you and your DH are even contemplating this madness.

Don't be a pushover. Say no and deal with the fall out.

Option 1: tell them to off
Option 2: use covid as an excuse

Why do people unnecessarily stress themselves out over Xmas! It's 1 day! Go visit 1 and 3 another day. Arrive to dinner at house 2 for when you are invited! It really doesn't need to be that stressful!!

err you are grown ups, why are you letting other people tell you what to do?
Stop being martyrs

Surely the one good thing about this pandemic is that it is a great way of getting out of things you don't want to do? Say you are waiting for a PCR result, nothing anyone can say, job done

Another Christmas martyr!

You're choosing to go along with this.

I do think some people enjoy being the martyr especially having heard the phrase "halo-polished" on another thread. FFS.

You are being absolutely ridiculous. Surely your families cannot genuinely expect you to do that.

Cough, cough ,sniff ,sniff. Is that you Op.Oh dear you don't sound very well. What a shame you can't go ......but best to be safe.

I would be finding out what would be convenient for the family who has someone terminally ill and fitting in with them. Why should anyone elses plans make your Christmas day impossible for you. Discreetly find out whether it would suit the family with a member who is terminally ill if you came another day ovr the Christmas period. Christmas day can be very stressful and they might even be glad if you arranged another day. If they really want to see if you on Christmas day and see you are fond of that person definitely fit in there then go home and have your own lovely day
Sadly op, sometimes the more we try to please everybody the more we are taken for granted 💐

Fuck that for a game. I'd be going to none and to hell with the fallout. Have a nice day at home.

Life is too short for this drama.
Maybe your car could develop a fault in the next day or so and can't be fixed before Christmas...

To hell with that!

Fuck that.
Eat at home, enjoy Christmas.
Visit when it's convenient for you and when it makes your day better, not worse. Any day, not just Christmas.

Lost count of the number of “f*cks” on this thread….how festive. 😕

3 visits in one day is ridiculous, I'm sorry but if you agree to a roadside sandwich then it's your own fault. I would literally never say yes to this under any circumstances. Its passivity gone mad.

Christmas lasts for 12 days - it not just 1 day.
Don’t do this. It sounds awful.
Be polite but firm. They will live. Don’t be guilted. You should have a day too.

You said 1 is your family who are reasonable, yet they haven't invited you to stay for lunch? Could you ask if you could stay, otherwise you won't get any lunch?

Otherwise, I just wouldn't be bothering with it all. Why do they all have to be seen on Christmas Day itself? Visit on Boxing Day whe they might all be a bit more flexible and have a leisurely Christmas Day at home?

My DH and then kids used to do all this visiting but have Christmas dinner at home. The final stop was the in laws where we'd stay the night but oh the moans from them about how late we were, how they'd been waiting all day for us. Ffs we did 3 visits in one day. Soon stopped it though, just can't please some people.

@Lotusmonster

Lost count of the number of “f*cks” on this thread….how festive. 😕

You count fucks? What, fuck words rather than actual fucks?

Here's another for you - fuck that!

Count real fucks. One point for fucking your husband, two for fucking someone else's, ten for fucking a fabulous musician.

Do that until you're well and truly fucked. Have a good Christmas.

Why do you care about the fallout with people who don't seem to give a shit about you and your feelings? I mean it. They don't care about how miserable your day will be, as long as they get a piece of you