Vent about the Holidays! Anyone else?

LolaX2 · November 2014

Ugh we go through this every year and especially since we now have kids it is worse! Both DH and I's parents are divorced and remarried/significant other and they all live close by. So while it is great to have family nearby, it is also a pain and stresses us out as none of them get along! We have 2 huge drama queens one from each side of the family that cause most of the trouble. It is so hard dealing with all of them to make sure every one gets their special time with the kids. I always end up stressed and I also feel bad as one set usually get he raw end of the deal because they are most understanding an know how stressed we get so they try to just plan a different day or nothing at all

We finally put our foot down about Christmas and told everyone that we will be staying home and they can come visit us if they would like, but that they must act civil and we don't want to hear their griping about one another if someone they don't like is visiting at the same time. Ugh I feel like I am trying to manage a bunch of kids sometimes! Is it too much to ask to just have nice family time and enjoy the holidays?!

I'm sure others have their share of family issues around the holidays. Feel free to vent here!

kseccomb17 · November 2014

Money around holidays stresses me the ef out.

Talltrees82 · November 2014

Going to the malls when it's super busy and people are being annoying/rude. I worked in retail when I was younger and it's amazing how crazy people get!

ETA- the year I did all of my shopping at Walmart at 7am was glorious!

Missed the point about venting about family...

misskristina21 · November 2014

Yeah, we made a lot of people mad saying we were hosting Thanksgiving, and if there was any drama, the drama llamas would be asked to leave. Our families don't get along very well.

Twirple · November 2014

We have 3 sets of Grandparents that want to spend time with the kids on Christmas. We'll have Christmas Eve dinner with one, Christmas morning with the second and Christmas night with the third.

We also alternate where we spend Thanksgiving.

Ksample89 · November 2014

As hard as it is having SO's family as practicing Jehovah Witnesses it sure makes holidays so much easier because we don't have to split the time. My mom lives in Louisiana now so my dad is the only family local. Both my brothers are in other states. So we just have small get togethers at my house and anyone who is in town comes.

Dixon813 · November 2014

Aughhh. There's always a fight with my BIL and his wife around the holidays because they say we always put my family first. Not to mention that we only have my stepson half the time, so we're limited on the time we do have.

Jessimax · November 2014

We have family battles to. My father is very difficult. He insists that everyone sleep at his house Christmas eve. DH has conceded to spending the night there every second year. This year is not his year. And he refuses to stay here. With the new baby, I anticipate a fight.

chichi589 · November 2014

We have 3 sets of grandparents on our side. Plus DSD goes with her mom half the day. I refuse to make her go to a lot of dinners so I made it a tradition that we eat breakfast and watch the parade together in the morning. Then she goes with her mom & doesn't have to feel split in half. So we will have 2 dinners on Thursday and one on Friday with my dad. It's always an arguement for who gets the earlier dinner and who gets the later dinner my dad is good usually and always plans it for another day not the holidays.
I don't even like turkey.

nicole mackenzie · November 2014

Ugh. Last Christmas we hosted and my sisters dog tried to eat my cat, and doesn't get along with my dog.

I mentioned not having pets and my sister said she probably wouldn't come if that was the case...

So I don't know what we will do.

Part of me wants a Christmas just the three of us, and the other part wants to see everyone and for everyone to see LO on her first Christmas.

Technically we do Christmas or thanksgiving with either in laws or my family. You get us for one or the other.

Perfect in theory except every year we have an early/late celebration with the other family so we still end up doing just as much traveling.

At least it's not all on the same day

avidkeo · November 2014

nicole mackenzie said:

Ugh. Last Christmas we hosted and my sisters dog tried to eat my cat, and doesn't get along with my dog. I mentioned not having pets and my sister said she probably wouldn't come if that was the case... So I don't know what we will do. Part of me wants a Christmas just the three of us, and the other part wants to see everyone and for everyone to see LO on her first Christmas. Technically we do Christmas or thanksgiving with either in laws or my family. You get us for one or the other. Perfect in theory except every year we have an early/late celebration with the other family so we still end up doing just as much traveling. At least it's not all on the same day

Nicole, I remember you talking about this last year (OMG that was a year ago?!?)

Hugs what ever you do! and look after your cat. Your sister sounds nuts.

Abcollins57 · November 2014

We have done the same thing. We spend Thanksgiving with my husband's family, Christmas Eve with mine, and stay home Christmas Day. If anyone wants to see us otherwise, they are always welcome in my home. I feel like this will probably be one of our last christmas's traveling at all. I want to be home with my children and start our own traditions.

UnofficiallyLO · November 2014

The ILs are local (and reasonable) and my Mom and her husband are making a rare Christmas visit this year so it works out that I will be hosting everyone for LOs first Christmas. I am hoping to make it a tradition so that we don't get pulled in different directions in the future, can go to ILs on Christmas Eve and the day of always be able to say, "you know where to find us".

*sparky* · November 2014

I feel your pain. We have our share of family issues too. My family is local and DH's is out of town. Since my stepmom just died I want to be here for the holidays this year for my dad, plus I really don't feel like taking a 7-month-old and 9-year-old on an 8-hour drive for Christmas. We did not see IL's at all last year for Thanksgiving or Christmas because my OB had me on travel restriction and they were "too busy" to come here. Now DH does not want to discuss this year's holidays with them because he thinks they will be all butthurt we are not going there. Did I mention they could not be bothered to come to my stepmother's funeral? So yeah, not really feeling like going out of my way for them right now.

strawberrytree · November 2014

Good for you...Christmas is about the kids so the only people I go out of my way to accommodate are the kids.

I am sick and tired of buying gifts for DH's relatives when a) they don't bother thanking us and b) they never get anything for our kids. We only buy for the other kids in the family because it's not their fault their parents are assholes. Every year I say that's it, I'm not getting anything next year if they can't even be bothered to let us know the gift arrived and whether or not the kids enjoyed it. Then every year I feel bad because they are just little kids and it is really the jerk parents annoying me.

LolaX2 · November 2014

It seems as though the Holidays bring out the crazy in people! Not that I'm glad that anyone else has issue to deal with it's nice to hear other vent about their frustrations and know that I'm not the only one pulling their hair out lol!

Family is really important to me and even if there are some members that I don't particularly care to spend much time with they do all love us/our kids and want to see the kids. I also want our kids to really know and get to enjoy all of their grandparents growing up but man sometimes they make it so hard! Our 2 biggest troublemakers are also alcoholics that both have huge hearts and are great people when sober but add a little alcohol and it goes downhill very fast.

DH was joking last night after his mom called and hung up on him "Well I guess its time to put up the Christmas tree because mom's in the holiday spirit!" funny but also not so funny...

Mustardseed2007 · November 2014

The idea of not going anywhere for Christmas sounds so very relaxing...but we never do it. Maybe we'll do it this year.

I'm hosting Tgiving, which is good b/c it means everyone is either coming to our house or not coming to our house and it's not our fault if we don't see them.

Unfortunately there has been some drama with my sister lately as she very dramatically split with her husband, moved in with my parents, my parents then kicked her out, she then got back with her husband and is now not speaking to my parents.... so we'll see how that's going in a couple weeks.

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