quick rant about families

[alexsmum]

Made a 100 mile round trip to deliver presents to my family last night.My brother and his wife said that they hadn't wrapped our presents and would bring them with them on boxing day. Bit annoyed as feel small children are best having gifts on christmas day , and feel like they could have made the effort to get them wrapped-i stayed up till 2am wrapping theirs.but i was ok with this.
Part of the plan for today was that my sister would call by with her presents for my kids. Had a phone call from my brother this morning saying ' would i be offended if he brought my sisters presents with them on boxing day'to save her the trip.
Just feel incredibly undervalued and like my time is worth much less than everyone elses. I have made sure that all my nephews and nieces have a present from us to unwrap on christmas morning but they don't feel my children are worth the same courtesy.
Its not just this, this is just the straw that broke the camels back. If ever the families get together we are always the ones that have to travel. My sons first christmas we were planning on driving to my sisters on boxing day to see everyone and we got a phone call on christmas day saying don't come, because the dogs aren't good around babies.
I really feel like I could just disappear and nobody would notice.
feeling very weepy, sorry to rant.

They are being very selfish and ill-mannered. Sounds like they take you completely forgranted. I'd avoid them for a while, to be honest. Poor you, you don't deserve to be treated like this.

To put a different slant on it, just think how excited your children will be to discover they have yet more presents to open on Boxing Day. My children have so much to unwrap on Christmas Day that it all becomes somewhat overwhelming and they don't really appreciate each gift.

We always go to my mum's on Boxing Day and my sisters will be there. It's generally accepted that their gifts to my children and my gifts to theirs will be exchanged on Boxing Day.

Re the dogs, that was out of order. They should shut them away rather than miss out on enjoying your company.

i agree with pantomine, really selfish behaviour and not thinking of your kids at all. after all xmas is for the kids. ive had a similar incident with my ex-mil, she said she didnt have time to see son before xmas as she had family visiting!so her grandson isnt family then!she said she'd visit after xmas. i emailed her and let her know that she'd arranged to come today and should stick to it.shes coming at 2.30, hopefully not for too long as shes so busy!id let your family know in no uncertain terms that youre not happy.dont let them ruin your special day. hope you enjoy it and dont spend too long mulling over their attitudes.xx

Sorry you feel like this am.
A lot of people are disorganised,but this can usually be excused if there is love and caring.
(My sisters haven't got it together to get my kids' presents here in time,but I don't mind-they are great girls and I love them dearly.)

The dog thing is ridiculous-they should have been shut away.
If I were you,I would be mentally planning Christmas next year to be exactly how you want it to be.

XX

sister just been over with my mum and dad and a bag of presents.
got my period so everything seems worse.
have cheered up a bit now. it's just my and dh and our boys now, and we will have a fab time.
do feel taken for granted though.

aah families.........hmmm...gotta love 'em! we all have the ones who's thoughts are only of themselves.......
your just loving, generous and kind
they probably dont mean this intentionally, but if they have no children (other than their dogs)they have NO IDEA!!!(but i re-read and it says your neices and nephews - so unsure now)maybe they have NO IDEA anyway!! about their dogs would sh* me. thats really unfair - they could lock the dogs up. i would much rather see neices and nephews!!
any way keep you chin up chick! get plenty of chocolate into you to get rid of those period emotions! and smile honey its christmas time and your obviously a great mum who will enjoy chrissie with her children anyway
merry christmas!!
xx

my sisters kids are 20 and 17 but my brother has littlies of 8 and 3. but their lives are much more difficult than mine and it's so much difficult to look after their kids than it is for me to look after mine, don't you know?

aah! yes..... of course! my god! i swear at least one in every family!!! it must be a mix up of genes somewhere along the track or the "walked before they crawled" syndrome that creates this one in every family!

by the way - that is so horrible if they have children they should be 100000 times more understanding, so just thoughtless!!! bugger them - you make your day lovely anyway!!

anyway you feeling better love?

i'm feeling loads better thanks. have been to christingle service, have cracked the mulled wine open, am sitting with carols from kings on while my dh and my my ds1 play games and ds2 is asleep.
christmas has arrived i think.
i've been feeling very pressured and i think it all came to a head this morning.
how are you feeling anyway? christmassy?