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AIBU

Hostessing on Christmas Day

(105 Posts)
Carenza123 Sun 20-Dec-20 19:55:36

AIBU when I say I am not looking forward to Christmas Day? We are staying in our home rather than going to our daughter and son-in-laws for Christmas Day because of covid. Our daughter is preparing dinner for three of us and she is delivering three Christmas dinners to us at our house about 10 minutes from her home. My husband 74 and I, 72, are having his sister (80) at ours. Thing is, husband and sister walk with a stick and I know I will be up and down most of the day, as the hostess, waiting on my husband and sister as basically I am the fittest.

G1asgowgal Tue 22-Dec-20 12:42:49

Goodness don’t feel like that. They are probably so used to you doing things for them they’ve got out of the habit of doing it for themselves. If I have my mother and father in law for a visit and offer tea he asks my mother in law what he takes in his tea !!! Because he doesn’t know he never makes it for himself !!! Gasp!

earnshaw Tue 22-Dec-20 13:14:26

not quite sure what your problem is, are you not happy looking after your husband and sister, believe me there are so many so much worse off, sounds like you wont even need to do much cooking

Nannan2 Tue 22-Dec-20 13:42:50

Lucca-???

Nannan2 Tue 22-Dec-20 13:52:22

I too will be doing lions share of stuff in our house for xmas day& boxing day, as my sons 17& 22 both have a disability, but there are some things i suppose they can do if i ask, but i find You HAVE to ask- it doesn't occur to them otherwise, so maybe you could try ask Carenza123? But i know they can manage some stuff as i was very very ill last xmas so they rang their siblings and managed to knock up the xmas dinner by themselves(after a fashion) with much advice- so this year ill ask for their help if i need it! And I dont even have anyone to make me the dinners and just deliver them! So your day should be a piece of (xmas) cake Carenza123!!??

polnan Tue 22-Dec-20 13:53:07

I can`t see that Carenza has responded to any of these,, perhaps some of us have misunderstood her problem(s) and sound a bit harsh?

Nannan2 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:00:47

I also should say that i too have medical issues/disability ive got osteo arthritis in both knees & other joints as well, but im still not resenting xmas! If i need help, i will ask them &see how we get on.Anythings got to be better than how bad it was last year- i was at hosp urgent care xmas early hours then back by ambulance again early boxing day was in bed all week and then as i was getting up& more normal both sons got ill, one more badly as hes got respiratory problem also.so my turn to look after them even more than usual.(now g.p nurse suspects was probably covid before it was a known thing here.) We'd been to italy end of october.

Nannan2 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:04:52

Yes Polnan, but tbf to us all, shes got it made as far as i can see, someone to make/deliver lunch, only probably drinks to make,? Or maybe serve a pud? As you say, maybe shes other problems, but so have many of us got our own health/moblity issues & still soldier on.im just glad im here this xmas!

Cabbie21 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:07:52

My son-in-law offered to cook and plate up a Christmas meal for us( tomorrow actually) and my response was How lovely!
I do have to drive for ten minutes to fetch it and I will have to reheat it. Am I complaining? No way! I think it is a very kind and thoughtful offer.
OP I hope you are grateful to your daughter and enjoy your meal.

Paperbackwriter Tue 22-Dec-20 14:18:50

Crikey - you don't even have to cook! What's the problem?

petra Tue 22-Dec-20 14:25:47

polnan
What was there to misunderstand? It was a clear as day.

MamaCaz Tue 22-Dec-20 14:52:37

I think I'm alone here, because I can understsand why the OP is miffed, knowing that of the three people in her home, she will be the one doing almost everything that does have to be done, however little that is, thanks to her DD.

In reality, I doubt of has much to do with it being Christmas - probably just a build-up of underlying resentment towards two people who would seem to take her for granted. She may be the 'fittest', but that shouldn't mean that they take the p* and spend the day sitting on their @***s!

It might seem very minor in the scheme of things, but even small things can slowly eat away at you.

Blimey, there are loads of threads where people moan like mad about the most trivial of things. Cut her some slack!

Nanny27 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:13:10

What about packing up the dirty plates after your meal and delivering them back to your daughter. I'm sure she'd be glad to wash up and it would save you from doing it.

Greciangirl Tue 22-Dec-20 15:32:59

I would love someone to cook and deliver my Xmas dinner.
My Dd won’t be doing that for me, even though she lives a short ride away.

Consider yourself lucky.

Granless Tue 22-Dec-20 16:04:37

Hmmm ... now let me think ... are you being unreasonable? Yes. Happy Christmas ?

Gingerbit Tue 22-Dec-20 16:10:01

You have got to get organised first wether it is two or more people if you are then you will enjoy the day

25Avalon Tue 22-Dec-20 16:29:34

Carenzal23 stop stressing and chill out. The dinner is ready cooked by your extremely lovely and kind dd. You sound like a worrier and rushing around after your dh and sister will only make you a martyr. STOP! Keep it simple. Don’t do a cooked breakfast - cereal or toast - if they don’t like it they can get their own or go without. If you are having wine get the bottle out and ask dh to open it. Put the glasses out and lay up the table the night before. Put a tin of mince pies out ready for dessert.
Don’t forget to ask for help. They may think you like doing it all. Let them help even if it takes them twice as long as it
would you. All 3 of you need to appreciate how fortunate you are to be together this Christmas and if anything is missing at least it isn’t one of you. Happy Christmas!

LuckyFour Tue 22-Dec-20 16:44:07

It sounds to me as though you have it easy, it's your daughter who is doing all he hard work, making the meal and delivering it. All you have to do is serve it. You should be thankful that you're fit enough to do it. Stop grumbling, get on with it and enjoy!!!!

Tanjamaltija Tue 22-Dec-20 18:01:30

To borrow a question... why is this day different from other days? Answer: because dinner has been cooked by someone else, and this makes up for having two persons, rather than one, using a cane. A person who is opening a can of ravioli, and downing it with a mug of tea, for Christmas... would say you are being unreasonable... and so would most of us here.

Tanjamaltija Tue 22-Dec-20 18:02:01

To borrow a question... why is this day different from other days? Answer: because dinner has been cooked by someone else, and this makes up for having two persons, rather than one, using a cane. A person who is opening a can of ravioli, and downing it with a mug of tea, for Christmas... would say you are being unreasonable... and so would most of us here.

kwest Tue 22-Dec-20 18:10:03

It sounds as if some people are being a bit snippy and unkind here.
A good rule before responding might be
1) Is it kind?
2) Is it necessary?

Jaye53 Tue 22-Dec-20 18:21:26

Get one of those hostess trolley thingies good lucksmile

KathrynP Tue 22-Dec-20 22:11:30

Kwest .... we’ll said. It certainly makes me think I would not post as OP on here. The OP in this post is perhaps suffering anxiety and stress looking after her husband. There may be other factors that she has not wished to post and having read the replies to her post I doubt she’ll ever post again. Where did #BeKind go to.

Doodledog Tue 22-Dec-20 22:26:50

Oh come on. When people ask if they are being unreasonable, it has at least crossed their mind that they are.

I still don't know what 'hostessing' is involved in having your own husband and another family member in the house if someone else is doing the cooking. As has been said, it is a case of serving drinks and maybe clearing up, although depending on the layout of the house, even that might be able to be left until the next day.

If there are other factors in play, the OP could have said, but all people have had to go on is what was in the post. Nobody has said anything unkind - maybe a few have been slightly sarcastic, and one or two have done the 'Top Trumps' thing of pointing out how their situation is worse, but otherwise, people have just answered the question asked.

Lucca Tue 22-Dec-20 22:56:53

OP asked if she was being unreasonable and got a fairly unanimous set of replies none of which was unkind unless you are spectacularly sensitive, in which case why post ?
Getting mildly fed up with the oh don’t say anything remotely negative sermons.

Lucca Tue 22-Dec-20 22:58:24

Sorry I may have pretty much repeated what you said Doodledog.