Have you ever refused visitors ?

[Mosman]

DH's bloody mother again !
Was meant to stay 20 weeks to help us settle in and help keep our child care costs down whilst we bought furniture shipped stuff across etc. After 10 weeks she'd had enough of the heat, arguing with the children and with a weeks notice to find alternative childcare buggered off home.
So now her rose tinted spec's are on and she wants to come back over for four weeks in the winter to avoid the heat but seems to have forgotten that we still don't live in a 5 bedroomed detached with a separate granny suite for her. Her pension still won't buy her very much food and there isn't a marks and spencers.
I'm not putting this in AIBU becauise I appreciate her only son is living on the other side of the world but I will dread this for months in the lead up and I don't want her here unless she books into some sort of hotel.
Has anybody said no and did it end badly ?

Short answer. No.
I know it's double what some people spend, we have double the number of kids most people have this is not a surprise to us, children are not cheap. I am also a rubbish cook and on my knees most nights when I arrive home and am faced with four plus DH smiling faces asking what's for dinner so we throw another shrimp(steak or chicken breast) on the barbie and I throw together an expensive ready made salad that the buggers don't eat and then they all eat the fruit that was meant to last a week. DH gets told to rack off.

You sound really pissed off with everything and everyone. Does dh pull his weight?

You're probably right. Does he, depends what you mean by pull his weight. He has a job now so that's a step forward at least. He says I worry too much, am uptight etc etc but he is just far too chilled about things, if left to him literally nothing would get done.

I have said "no" twice--once to my parents visiting us in USA and once to DH parents visiting us here in UK (from USA). Both times I had good reason. I am a grown up and I don't HAVE to do what my PIL or even my own parents want me to do. I hope I never land myself on my DC if they choose to live abroad without being specifically invited. Probably will though....

Perhaps instead of feeding your children ridiculously expensive steak and salad, get the nanny, who is presumably paid to look after all of them, to cook their meals?

Spag bol etc is far more to children's tastes and a hell of a lot cheaper. Not hard to make, either. Ffs, what's wrong with egg and chips now and again?

This will also take some of the pressure off you and you might relax a bit. You sound stressed.

It's a bit hot for spag bol, but you're not wrong, the new incoming nanny (last one fired for hitting the kids) will be cooking and cleaning.

Forgot about the heat - I have family over there, and even they are melting at the moment. They were born in Oz!

But, seriously - the kids might prefer baked spuds or even sandwiches when it's hot. Side benefit - this leaves the steak and salad for you and Dh!

Factual?

It's impossible to determine what the true story is Mosman as the "facts" as you see them change depending on what it is that you want MNers to agree with.

It always baffles me that you don't name change as each version of the "facts" are there for everyone to read.

No, never. I always feel grateful for visitors, although I do have input into length of and dates of stay. All my visitors ask when would be convenient for us before booking; isn't that what all people normally do?

Ps your posts make me and !

FFS We live in the middle east and all the families I know here eat things like spag bol, pasta with sauce, sausages. Yes we have barbies and salads but really OP get a grip. Never mind the MIL do you think you are the only person who works full time with 4 kids? Get more organised at at the weekend. Batch cooking for chilli bol etc, make meatballs, curry. Please tell me that GBP300 a week is really the top end of your spending and not every week. And if they dont like preprepared salad dont buy. Just get more fruit.
There are loads of lovely munsnetters who can help with menu planning, loads of lovely munsnetters who live in perth and could advise on best places to shop.
Finally dont have MIL if you dont want. Lifes too short but remember DH does have a say in this as well. But promise if she doesnt come you will get your act togther and I have no doubt it will leave you a lot less stressed.

Apologies I didnt mean to sound harsh but it does seem like you are making excuses because youve got yourself all in a bit of a tizz.

But it really is never too hot for a cheap n cheerful veggie stir fry or curry
And tuna or egg salad is always inexpensive
You confuse me Mosman

I am not looking for anyone to agree with me, if they do they do if they don't I can live with it. All people back home want to hear is how marvelous it is here so I use you lot for a good moan .
Sorry.
I am simply amazed anyone would eat spag bol in 40 degree's in fact I think you'd have to be a bit mental and we feed the kids the good stuff no matter what, they come first.
We are disorganized right i have a wok and a saucepan, i'm sure it'll get better, bloody better.

'the good stuff' doesn't have to be steak though OP! Feed them the stuff they enjoy eating.

Things like curry, pasta etc were invented in hot countries.

Wrt MIL, compromise - it's not really that far from New Zealand to Oz - suggest she comes for a shorter period or that she stays with you for a shorter time and maybe travels on to Sydney or wherever for the rest of her stay.

And organise! It can be hard if you feel like you are in the middle of a whirlwind, you need to stop and centre yourself.

The new nanny will take some pressure off but you need to take stock and get some systems in place.

I am a sahm mam with two kids, but a friend of mine who is a single mother with four kids once told me that the only way she manages is to be totally organised.

Of course organisation is the key, not the easiest thing to manage when half your stuff is in transit, the other half you don't know whether it's worth unpacking as you'll be moving again in 7 months, you can't afford to replace all the stuff you had to leave behind because whilst it was too old and wasn't worth packing you do need it really.
I'm not thick just finding it all a bit hard and don't need the added pressure of the miserable old goat's impending visit hanging over me like a cloud of doom.
Anyway thank you for the wise words, it's not happen have told DH if he wants guests he can show them where the local hotel is. I shall be unavailable.

Mosman, for what it's worth I found it all too hard when we first relocated - too hot to cook, no idea where to buy things at a reasonable price so ended up buying prepared things or things I knew from home but at grossly inflated prices, none of the useful kitchen items or enough freezer space in the serviced apartment for batch cooking. It does get easier, though. Good luck.

Thank you.

Does nobody else find it strange no contact no updates, news, no phone calls, letters, cards nothing but by the way I'm coming over for a month. I find it odd. I do.

I don't understand all the history with the MIL, but could MNers in the food and drink section help you out with some ways of cutting those food bills?

I can see that 6 steaks plus ready made salad is expensive and would quickly rack up bills.

I have a theory about the 'no contact' then a visit. It's as though when you move/leave, it becomes your job to keep up the contact. You're the ones who left/abandoned them, so it is your duty to drive the communication and keep the relationship going. . It happened with my family and inlaws when I first went abroad 12 years ago and has stayed pretty much the same... It was the same with some friends, too. Not all, but there were definitely some who felt I'd abandoned or rejected them/my home/their life choices by daring to move away. Not sure if that helps but it's my theory!

You can limit her stay for any time of year by saying that you have guests for a certain period. Have a definite return date for your mother in law and again you can say that visitors are arriving then.

Talk in advance with your partner and decide what jobs you would like her to help with and what things you would prefer her to leave alone when she comes.

When with you, if she makes comments, try to smile without commenting. If you have to comment, say your friend/relative does the same thing and you prefer it that way.

Sorry, lots of cross posts.

Thank you for the kind words. I know I need to get organised and cut that food bill and it will be a priority as soon as various other things fall into place.
We are trying to get permanent residency and then I can stay home and chill, I will have to budget, the kids will have to behave and eat what they are given and we'll all live happily ever after.

That's an interesting theory and yes would make sense, the thing is what MIL forgets is that her son is bloody hopeless, she wouldn't have got a Birthday card if it wasn't for me so phoning and getting on his case about visiting will do her no good at all.

I just feel by the time the kids are juggled, work is taken there piece of me there's nothing left for the old windbag, if she was a pleasure I might be able to muster something up up but no. If I sadi DH's dad was coming the week after I wanted her to leave, she'd move the dates to give herself a clear 4 weeks, it's all or nothing with her so I shall have to be straight and say no but DH will pop down and see you or if you've got the money to go around NZ for a month then you can set some aside for a hotel.

Surely your nanny is cooking the children their evening meal if they are that young? And then essentially you get home and put them to bed? It's what we've always done with three kids (enormous apologies for not having four, btw, I hadn't realized an extra child made that much difference - it doesn't seem to when ours have a friend over) if we were working full time.

Find a nanny that makes your life easier - not sure what yours is doing if she doesn't manage to feed the kids for you?

I get that you are busy. Sure. It is busy with two of you working ft, and loads of kids, and at least one dog. But that's life. And having emigrated, well, having visitors is life too. You just have to suck it up and work out how to fit it in.

Your sudden dislike for your mil since she refused to move out there with you is colouring your view. If this was a dear friend or your own mother wanting to come and stay for a month, would you be more accommodating? None of us can choose our relatives.

But, whatever, I assumed you already had PR given your feelings about your mil's decision not to move, tbh. Hope it works out how you want. The first year is always interesting - we paid our mortgage late three times. We're just about organized, though. Still in a 2 bed condo with 5 of us (and the visitors ) but unless we win lotto 649 we can't afford to move.

Just tell dh you are cutting off all ties with mil because she won't do exactly as you want. Job done.

It all sounds a little peculiar. We're in the midst of organising our big move and I will be looking forward to any family visits. Sounds like you have really negative feelings toward the woman, lots of negative vibes coming from your posts full stop. Cut your cloth a little and maybe then you can afford to host her. What's ten days in the bigger scheme of things after all.

I would t describe it as a sudden dislike more of a having her thrust upon me due to suddenly having to think what are we doing with MIL normally we'd not see her from one Christmas to the next so I could dislike her without it impacting on anyone. You're right though she does either need to tow the line or do one it's no skin off my nose if she doesn't want to accommodate is it, I'm not the one with no family.