Aaaaggghhh the in laws are home!!

[Mrs H]

After a lovely peaceful week the in laws arrived home from holiday yesterday. The first thing I thought when I woke this morning is, I bet they will visit today!!! I can't be dealing at all!!!
I know I sound harsh but they disagree with everything we do, the fact we live in the country, keeping chickens, ferrets. They openly show there disgust at our dogs living outside and believe we r cruel, our dogs live in a huge hay filled kennel with free access all day to the paddock along with 3 walks a day, they seem pretty happy to me
!!
They also tell us we r bad parents and disagree with the way we bring our kids up, we try not to feed them very many sweets and junk, we only let them drink water not juice etc and we encourage them to be as hands on with the animals as possible. Finley got his own ferret last week because he proved he could look after our other ferret. I feel like I'm teaching them responsibility and healthy living but apparently I'm wrong.
Aaaaaggggghhhhh it drives me nuts!!!! Life was so simple when we lived in kent as they only visited 2 weekends a year!!!
Anyways apologies for my rant but I feel much better for it. Hope u guys all have a great Saturday. Xxx

[Green Aura]

Rant away, Mrs H

In-laws can be difficult, can't they Mine have been fairly hands off but every time my DD spent a day with them she came home ill - I've still not worked out why. The only thing I can think of is that she got toxic overload with all the ready meal/junk they fed here.

Until he moved in with me OH thought Findus crispy pancakes were haute cuisine

[Milims]

Ohh Mrs H - not a good thing to wake up feeling. Smile sweetly, be a polite to them as you would be to a stranger you met in a shop and think of a large gin and tonic when they leave!

[Russian Doll]

lol..you cant be bad parents my eldest just read your post over my shoulder and wants to know when she can move in

[oldjerry]

Tell them where to get off, would you take that crap from strangers? Some people can only feel good about themselves by criticising others.My outlaws can be pretty horrific but when it gets too bad I just chuck their car keys at them!

[ina]

It's good to have a place where you can rant...

This day will pass, too!

[boboff]

You have to beleive that they are really only jealous, as by choosing to live your life differently, this shows up the superficial inadequate life they lead.

Still they won't change, just prepare somethiing "big" to do that you really must finish, mucking out, car polishing, splitting logs, making all the christmas cakes etc etc , what ever it is to keep out the way for 90% of the visit....

[Thurston Garden]

just prepare somethiing "big" to do that you really must finish, mucking out, car polishing, splitting logs, making all the christmas cakes etc etc , what ever it is to keep out the way for 90% of the visit....

I always found that starting to muck out the garage about 10 minutes before mine arrived worked. Quick cup of tea with her and then when my needle started quivering towards the red "well I'll leave you two to catch up - looks like it might rain and I had better finish the garage"

Never has cleaning the garage out been just a pleasure!

[spider8]

I do understand, honestly I do as my in-laws are horrible - why do you think we moved to Orkney! They live on the south coast so we don't see them often but we will be going down there for Christmas.......oh dear Just what I need, a week of being got-at .
You are doing just fine and both children and animals sound like they have a happy loving home, much better off than most so just ignore them - and good luck!

[Alice Abbott]

My in-laws live in Ireland. A strange combination of an Irish artist/musician and an Italian matriarch who loves nothing better than cooking huge meals and laughing a lot. We see them rarely and that probably explains why I enjoy seeing them when we do. They have threatened a trip to see their latest grandchildren and I have no problem with that, although Mamma will probably be taking over my rather scanty kitchen. I have a pasta maker now (€2 from a vide grenier), bottle after bottle of tomatoes and bags of pasta flour so she'll enjoy herself. And she makes wonderful bread too! We have no accommodation for them but I suppose they could have our bedroom and we can make do for a few nights...

Now my own mother, I have to admit, is the MIL from hell! The only way to survive her is to have the Atlantic and the majority of the USA between where she lives and where we live! She is well-intentioned BUT....

On the other hand, I have to agree that it's strange that people generally feel obliged to put up with no end of c*#p from in-laws - more than they would stand from anyone else. I like the garage solution. It would probably work even better if you asked them to lend a hand too!

[fifi folle]

Totally understand! We're beginning to regret moving from a flat to a house with a spare bedroom. Last week we had surprise overnight stay from MIL and her partner and gran, then his Sister, BIL and nieces at the weekend, I am still recovering. OH asked them all for Xmas, fully expecting them to say no and they actually said yes, argh!!!!
You're bad parents for NOT feeding your kids junk?!?! For teaching them responsibility?!? You have to wonder how your OH turned out so well, I certainly do!

[crowsashes]

i agree with the spare room! ilove only having enough rooms for just us ( although a spare room converted to a darkroomwould be very handy )

i had my gran stay for a week once and she moaned i didnt put the heating on first thing for the lo ( it was july) that i shoved him in the back garden as soon as he was dressed and fed ... he didnt complain. that our 'entertainment' consisted of books and board games ( tv broke best thing EVER!)

my aunt stayed another time and left early because she couldnt watch big brother (she brought her tv only to realise i didnt have a licence and i refused to let her plug it in)

oh then there was the time i had lo granparents visit and the moaned at my 'no shoes indoors' policy and ciggies in the garden only!

[fifi folle]

Ah yes, we got that complaint yesterday on the phone! Not sure if it was actually SIL who had been moaning to MIL but apparently our house is cold!?! No, we just don't heat our house to 25 degrees C 24/7. Pah! If you're cold put a jumper on!!!

[Big Al]

Don't worry Mrs H.... all will come to those who wait !

I refer of course to the legendary troubles with my inlaws but as we toasted the father in law on Thursday I feel that it is now so 1 down 1 to go as they say.... or rather I say.

I asked the funeral director if we got a discount if we went back within 30 days, you know like buy 1 get one half price but she thought I was being wicked... with a bit of a grin.

[homegrown]

I sympathise Mrs H, only it's my mother who plagues my wife, but try a leaf out of my friends book, he told his interfaring laws that if they didn't pull their heads in hee'd revoke grandparent visits and since then they have been rather charming. personally I think you are teaching your children very well and and remember good parehnts trup bad grandparents anyday.

ps you could always feed them to the ferrets