Need to rant? Come on over.

[DontlikeChristmas]

I’ll start. We’ve just opened presents. I couldn’t give a fig about presents for myself, but I think if you’re going to spend money on a gift for someone you’d may as well make sure it’s something they will like/use. DH has panic bought me a horrible tie dye jumper two sizes too big. I’ve never worn tie dye in my life. My mother has inexplicably bought me a truly awful outfit clearly meant for a teenager (I’m 50) in a colour I never wear, also in the wrong size. DH has also managed to buy DC a load of stuff they already have because he couldn’t be bothered to check. I feel so deflated by this & think it’s all such a massive waste of money (we probably could have gone out for dinner with the cost of the presents no one is going to wear/use, or made a charity donation).

We now have DHs family coming for dinner, who are lovely people but seem to have ever changing dietary requirements (none of which are due to diagnosed conditions) that it’s impossible to keep up with, so I’ve got to make about 15 different gluten-free/oil free/non-acidic/anti-inflammatory and whatever else dishes (DH ‘doesn’t do cooking’).

I’m over Christmas & it’s not even 8.30. Anyone else?

I would have rather 3 candles. My sons dad gave me a chocolate willy mold that clearly had been from a skip. I even said to my family that i wish he hadn't bothered. It went straight in the bin. Its absolute rubbish and although i did laugh, i would rather him provide for his child.

I think I've mainly got the ranting out of my system, as DH, DS, DD and I all had a good old rant when we got home from my DM's about complete lack of food hygiene, very blunt/ offensive criticism of anyone female whether in the room and to their face/ on TV/ random neighbours, pathological lying, faux helplessness, strident orders delivered in the manner of the world being about to end, and overreaction to non-events - blood curdling scream when a sausage was dropped - all to a backdrop of a completely untrained dog running amok. My blood pressure has been through the roof at the reawakened memories of my childhood.

But praise of praise, teenage DS said "I think you and dad will be good old people."

FIL and his wife have spent £100 on the real grandkids (my step dc) and have given token gifts for my dc. That’s fine, but then on every Christmas card and gift label, DD’s perfectly normal, top 100 name has been spelt with an additional letter on the end. It’s not a variant spelling that exists. Think ‘Lauraa’ or ‘Claraa’ or ‘Emmaa.’ I’ve been married to DH for 7 years and dd was 10 when they met her. I tried to send a thank you text saying ‘Laura and John love their gifts’ only to get the reply ‘So pleased Lauraa liked her gift.’ 😡

Oh go away.

If there’s one thing I’m sick of on MN it’s people who pounce on anyone complaining about their DH and BLAME THEM.

If a man fails to step up domestically, or as a father, or if he just generally is a bit of a dick, how the fuck is it somehow STILL the woman’s fault?

Omg the overreaction at non events is so accurate. My mum will regularly scream “OH MY GOD” and yelp and I’ll run in the kitchen and it’ll be a tea towel has fallen into the sink

Scarves.

Every year, for 28 years I get between 4 and five scarves. Not fancy, or stylish scarves, just plain navy, black or grey.

Sorry l had to laugh at the thought of a tie dyed jumper. Which decade is your DH living in? Tell him to take it back immediately and get you something you really want

Ungrateful one here.. I spend hours choosing gifts for my loved ones, surprises for the kids and DH that they don’t know about, DH however spent Xmas morning looking puzzled when the dc opened their presents because he hadn’t got involved, also literally bought what I’d sent him links to! I should be grateful he bought me what I want, but surely he could put some thought to a surprise?

Excellent - Mumsnet unwanted gift exchange - brilliant idea

That's awful! I hope you got rid of them and I hope you made your feelings very clear to your husband.

Haha this!

My family member loves being the centre of attention. She sat at the table choking and spluttering pointing at her back getting someone to thump her back harder and harder. Only for when it was over and she recovered to say she just swallowed her water the wrong way 🤦‍♀️I was honestly so done by this point!

That is actually very unpleasant and horrible for your lungs when it happens, but thumping someone's back does bugger all!

This isn’t a rant really but our lovely doggy died suddenly on Christmas Day and was so so ill on Christmas Eve. We didn’t end up eating dinner until 6pm, everyone was crying and all of Boxing Day has been awkward and miserable because we’re all scared to speak because we feel guilty feeling any joy so there’s that. Also, we travelled to all be together, we’ve all spent thousands and spent the whole time miserable so…yeah, not the best Christmas. Add a few heated discussions and borderline family arguments because everyone is feeling sensitive. Wow, overwhelmed isn’t the word.

Every year I say that I’m not doing Christmas, next year I really mean it!

More minor than a lot of responses but it did put a dampener on the day.. Me and my OH decided that rather than spend a fortune and get annoyed when things we buy go in the sale etc we would just do the “£20 challenge” this year which is categories like “ fave food” “fave drink” etc. I started getting his stuff in August, put a lot of thought in and wrapped/labelled each item by category
It wasn’t meant to be that “deep” but he didn’t start buying til 2 weeks ago- just wrapped them and couldn’t remember which was for which category, got my favourite colour wrong and then missed off 2 of the categories despite asking me to remind him of them as apparently he couldn't find anything…
The reason that’s upset me is because one of them was “something to do together” and he could think of a single thing? I had gotten him some scratch off date night cards and a little murder mystery card game to play together as I am getting bored tbh of just watching TV every night (and him falling asleep at 9pm)
He commented how I had done better than him but in a quite negative way like thought I was lying that I had stuck to the budget- I did! I was just more organised and put more effort in
He is taking me for a meal apparently to make up for it- I am a massive foodie tbh but that means we do that a lot and I just wanted something different 😏

😤 can you send him home?

@SoUncertain please tell me you replied!

😂

I can’t wait to go home tomorrow, I’m done with self centred, self important relative.

Best not to let the husband's go shopping - I just do it all myself!

could you offer to do it but charge him x amount ?

Sorry, replied to wrong post

I know it's not nice when it does happen, thumping the back doesn't do anything but adding to the drama of it all! She was asking to be thumped harder haha

My son has not stopped talking since school broke up last week. Actually since birth.

Everything he wants to talk about is like a slow death; today he described every player on his football team and their strengths and weaknesses.

He doesn’t go back to school till 5th January 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I’ll see your scarves and I’ll raise you calendars. DM buys us 4 wall calendars a year. It used to be 5-6 calendars so at least we’ve slightly moved in the right direction.
She also gave my MiL and BiL calendars and DSis and her DH.