s/o kitchen is closed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

Me too, my in laws are very cheap and love to get other people to pay for their meals, groceries, tickets, hotels, etc.
FIL doesn’t tip either - in the rare occasion my husband asks him to split a bill- and waitstaff is always following us out to ask what the matter was and how they can fix it! Such a schmuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

So what do you do when you visit and want to eat? Get a take out or go somewhere to eat out?
Honestly you all must be saints, I would not stay silent on the disparity between how they eat when they visit and how you're restricted when you visit - I would say something or stop the visits.

NP here. I don’t think my MIL thinks we are fat, but they are shop every day people and they only buy exactly what they need for the day (so no delicious fruit bowl for when we arrive outside an appointed meal time having traveled across the country and perhaps our 4 year just can’t wait until dinner at that point). We now bring snacks for the kids so they aren’t hangry. Then the next thing we do is take a family trip to the grocery store because we now know, after many years of this, that dinner will be one chicken drumstick and 1/6 of a can of green beans per person. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall, he would faint on the diet they try to feed him when we visit. He claims they never used to be this odd about food, and I admit it has gotten worse, but I noticed strange habits around food from the first time I visited nearly 20 years ago now. They also do what PP said and gorge themselves at our house. If it’s not nailed down it’s eaten and it seems like a challenge to them. If we’ve just gone to the Costco and therefore have a 3 pack of bacon in the fridge, they’ll see it and say “oh, lots of bacon needs to get eaten, we’ll help you take care of that.” And they will. 3 packs of bacon gone almost instantly and then they grumble wondering why there isn’t more bacon. My FIL is notorious for eating dinner ingredients. I’ve taken to putting the dinner for the night into stapled shut brown bags and writing “dinner ingredients 7/8/19” on them so that I don’t come home from work only to find the ground beef is all gone and I’ve got to run to the store or order take out to now cover dinner.

They sound stingy, not wanting to spend their own money on food? Or traumatized by depression-era parents? Do they thrift and coupon a lot?

No, in fact they are quite wealthy. They think nothing of going out and buying two BMWs in one fell swoop, but then have very strange spending rules around piddly little things.

Omg. This is my in laws too- $$ millions in the bank, rental properties galore, 20 years of stock options- and they feed their guests hardly anything unless it’s a party. And they come here and eat everything and cook everything while we’re at work. They say things like, well I looked around at all your food and we had better eat everything before it goes bad. They also hide from the bill if we ever do go out to dinner. My husband is too embarrassed to take them out because they complain about the food, ask for shitloads of condiments that make no sense, and stiff the bill and don’t top.

We now think it their “game” to eat an equivalent or more of the cost of their plane tickets to visit. On us of course.

The other kicker is cooking and making lunchboxes etc the next few weeks after they’ve left and constantly finding depleted cartons or food everywhere. Such a waste of time. We wish they’d refill or replace what they annihilate on the sly. Or at least right it down so we’re not blindsided at the last minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

So what do you do when you visit and want to eat? Get a take out or go somewhere to eat out?
Honestly you all must be saints, I would not stay silent on the disparity between how they eat when they visit and how you're restricted when you visit - I would say something or stop the visits.

NP here. I don’t think my MIL thinks we are fat, but they are shop every day people and they only buy exactly what they need for the day (so no delicious fruit bowl for when we arrive outside an appointed meal time having traveled across the country and perhaps our 4 year just can’t wait until dinner at that point). We now bring snacks for the kids so they aren’t hangry. Then the next thing we do is take a family trip to the grocery store because we now know, after many years of this, that dinner will be one chicken drumstick and 1/6 of a can of green beans per person. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall, he would faint on the diet they try to feed him when we visit. He claims they never used to be this odd about food, and I admit it has gotten worse, but I noticed strange habits around food from the first time I visited nearly 20 years ago now. They also do what PP said and gorge themselves at our house. If it’s not nailed down it’s eaten and it seems like a challenge to them. If we’ve just gone to the Costco and therefore have a 3 pack of bacon in the fridge, they’ll see it and say “oh, lots of bacon needs to get eaten, we’ll help you take care of that.” And they will. 3 packs of bacon gone almost instantly and then they grumble wondering why there isn’t more bacon. My FIL is notorious for eating dinner ingredients. I’ve taken to putting the dinner for the night into stapled shut brown bags and writing “dinner ingredients 7/8/19” on them so that I don’t come home from work only to find the ground beef is all gone and I’ve got to run to the store or order take out to now cover dinner.

They sound stingy, not wanting to spend their own money on food? Or traumatized by depression-era parents? Do they thrift and coupon a lot?

No, in fact they are quite wealthy. They think nothing of going out and buying two BMWs in one fell swoop, but then have very strange spending rules around piddly little things.

Omg. This is my in laws too- $$ millions in the bank, rental properties galore, 20 years of stock options- and they feed their guests hardly anything unless it’s a party. And they come here and eat everything and cook everything while we’re at work. They say things like, well I looked around at all your food and we had better eat everything before it goes bad. They also hide from the bill if we ever do go out to dinner. My husband is too embarrassed to take them out because they complain about the food, ask for shitloads of condiments that make no sense, and stiff the bill and don’t top.

We now think it their “game” to eat an equivalent or more of the cost of their plane tickets to visit. On us of course.

The other kicker is cooking and making lunchboxes etc the next few weeks after they’ve left and constantly finding depleted cartons or food everywhere. Such a waste of time. We wish they’d refill or replace what they annihilate on the sly. Or at least right it down so we’re not blindsided at the last minute.

It sound like you are just preoccupied with food and eating. Are you and your family healthy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

So what do you do when you visit and want to eat? Get a take out or go somewhere to eat out?
Honestly you all must be saints, I would not stay silent on the disparity between how they eat when they visit and how you're restricted when you visit - I would say something or stop the visits.

NP here. I don’t think my MIL thinks we are fat, but they are shop every day people and they only buy exactly what they need for the day (so no delicious fruit bowl for when we arrive outside an appointed meal time having traveled across the country and perhaps our 4 year just can’t wait until dinner at that point). We now bring snacks for the kids so they aren’t hangry. Then the next thing we do is take a family trip to the grocery store because we now know, after many years of this, that dinner will be one chicken drumstick and 1/6 of a can of green beans per person. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall, he would faint on the diet they try to feed him when we visit. He claims they never used to be this odd about food, and I admit it has gotten worse, but I noticed strange habits around food from the first time I visited nearly 20 years ago now. They also do what PP said and gorge themselves at our house. If it’s not nailed down it’s eaten and it seems like a challenge to them. If we’ve just gone to the Costco and therefore have a 3 pack of bacon in the fridge, they’ll see it and say “oh, lots of bacon needs to get eaten, we’ll help you take care of that.” And they will. 3 packs of bacon gone almost instantly and then they grumble wondering why there isn’t more bacon. My FIL is notorious for eating dinner ingredients. I’ve taken to putting the dinner for the night into stapled shut brown bags and writing “dinner ingredients 7/8/19” on them so that I don’t come home from work only to find the ground beef is all gone and I’ve got to run to the store or order take out to now cover dinner.

They sound stingy, not wanting to spend their own money on food? Or traumatized by depression-era parents? Do they thrift and coupon a lot?

No, in fact they are quite wealthy. They think nothing of going out and buying two BMWs in one fell swoop, but then have very strange spending rules around piddly little things.

Omg. This is my in laws too- $$ millions in the bank, rental properties galore, 20 years of stock options- and they feed their guests hardly anything unless it’s a party. And they come here and eat everything and cook everything while we’re at work. They say things like, well I looked around at all your food and we had better eat everything before it goes bad. They also hide from the bill if we ever do go out to dinner. My husband is too embarrassed to take them out because they complain about the food, ask for shitloads of condiments that make no sense, and stiff the bill and don’t top.

We now think it their “game” to eat an equivalent or more of the cost of their plane tickets to visit. On us of course.

The other kicker is cooking and making lunchboxes etc the next few weeks after they’ve left and constantly finding depleted cartons or food everywhere. Such a waste of time. We wish they’d refill or replace what they annihilate on the sly. Or at least right it down so we’re not blindsided at the last minute.

It sound like you are just preoccupied with food and eating. Are you and your family healthy?

Sounds like pig houseguests, regardless of who they’re related to. Who eats down a whole pantry while the hosts are at work and doesn’t replace it?

[Anonymous]

Have any of you with the stingy "kitchen is closed" relatives,
who act like pigs when they come visit you, thought to do the same thing to them when they come to your house?

Say "the kitchen is closed" after breakfast and hide your food in your bedroom so they get to experience not eating anything from breakfast to dinner unless they also go out and buy food? Did it work to break them of the rude habit?

My MIL would tell us we couldn't eat food we brought with us, to their house!! Instead they would tell us that "we have to save it for (another guest.) We continued to bring food but when MIL asked when we were serving it, I told her she would have to wait til the special guest showed up. She never did that again!

So have any of you decided to treat them like they treat you? I know.its petty and rude, but do you think it would do any good?

[Anonymous]

Some very weird people in the world.

I keep a fully stocked kitchen, including favorite snacks and drinks when family comes.

My kitchen is never closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some very weird people in the world.

I keep a fully stocked kitchen, including favorite snacks and drinks when family comes.

My kitchen is never closed.

+1
Food is a source of comfort and love (and a gathering place/conversation starter). Why would you arbitrarily shut that down? No need to have a smorgasbord every 2 hrs, but no need to deprive people either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People with rules like this are obviously poor (bad) hosts no matter what they say. Inviting someone to stay at your home and then strictly controlling what they eat especially if you have small kids is a message: don’t visit again. The worst are older people who keep an immaculate kitchen because they just want to drink drink drink. Your kids don’t need to be around people like that for an extended period anyway.

For your information, I am not particularly "old" nor am I a lush. Maintaining a clean and orderly home is simply a top priority for me. I learned a long time ago that by having some clear and consistent rules in place, my home stays neat. My guests know exactly where they can go to snack between meals. And I am able to relax and prepare lovely meals for them at the established (planned!) times.

So far, I have not had to install a pig trough outside as some of you might tempt me to do.

You either have major food issues or major OCD / control issues

Why do you keep describing your home & everything you do as "lovely"?

Do you think grown adults think it's "lovely" to be treated as if the Gestapo is constantly watching & judging them?

Make no bones about it, you're a judgmental shrew & you seem like you're greatly lacking in self awareness.

Lovely.... lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

So what do you do when you visit and want to eat? Get a take out or go somewhere to eat out?
Honestly you all must be saints, I would not stay silent on the disparity between how they eat when they visit and how you're restricted when you visit - I would say something or stop the visits.

NP here. I don’t think my MIL thinks we are fat, but they are shop every day people and they only buy exactly what they need for the day (so no delicious fruit bowl for when we arrive outside an appointed meal time having traveled across the country and perhaps our 4 year just can’t wait until dinner at that point). We now bring snacks for the kids so they aren’t hangry. Then the next thing we do is take a family trip to the grocery store because we now know, after many years of this, that dinner will be one chicken drumstick and 1/6 of a can of green beans per person. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall, he would faint on the diet they try to feed him when we visit. He claims they never used to be this odd about food, and I admit it has gotten worse, but I noticed strange habits around food from the first time I visited nearly 20 years ago now. They also do what PP said and gorge themselves at our house. If it’s not nailed down it’s eaten and it seems like a challenge to them. If we’ve just gone to the Costco and therefore have a 3 pack of bacon in the fridge, they’ll see it and say “oh, lots of bacon needs to get eaten, we’ll help you take care of that.” And they will. 3 packs of bacon gone almost instantly and then they grumble wondering why there isn’t more bacon. My FIL is notorious for eating dinner ingredients. I’ve taken to putting the dinner for the night into stapled shut brown bags and writing “dinner ingredients 7/8/19” on them so that I don’t come home from work only to find the ground beef is all gone and I’ve got to run to the store or order take out to now cover dinner.

They sound stingy, not wanting to spend their own money on food? Or traumatized by depression-era parents? Do they thrift and coupon a lot?

No, in fact they are quite wealthy. They think nothing of going out and buying two BMWs in one fell swoop, but then have very strange spending rules around piddly little things.

Omg. This is my in laws too- $$ millions in the bank, rental properties galore, 20 years of stock options- and they feed their guests hardly anything unless it’s a party. And they come here and eat everything and cook everything while we’re at work. They say things like, well I looked around at all your food and we had better eat everything before it goes bad. They also hide from the bill if we ever do go out to dinner. My husband is too embarrassed to take them out because they complain about the food, ask for shitloads of condiments that make no sense, and stiff the bill and don’t top.

We now think it their “game” to eat an equivalent or more of the cost of their plane tickets to visit. On us of course.

The other kicker is cooking and making lunchboxes etc the next few weeks after they’ve left and constantly finding depleted cartons or food everywhere. Such a waste of time. We wish they’d refill or replace what they annihilate on the sly. Or at least right it down so we’re not blindsided at the last minute.

Oh, I recognize you! You’re the one who was upset about ILs eating expensive organic fruit, but kept buying it.

We kept telling you to only buy apples, oranges and grapes for them, and hide or eat down your expensive stuff before they visit. But you kept buying more organic raspberries. So there you go.

Ask for advice and don’t take it. SMH. If you had eaten down your best and restocked with modest stuff for them...I mean, they can’t eat what’s not there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

So what do you do when you visit and want to eat? Get a take out or go somewhere to eat out?
Honestly you all must be saints, I would not stay silent on the disparity between how they eat when they visit and how you're restricted when you visit - I would say something or stop the visits.

NP here. I don’t think my MIL thinks we are fat, but they are shop every day people and they only buy exactly what they need for the day (so no delicious fruit bowl for when we arrive outside an appointed meal time having traveled across the country and perhaps our 4 year just can’t wait until dinner at that point). We now bring snacks for the kids so they aren’t hangry. Then the next thing we do is take a family trip to the grocery store because we now know, after many years of this, that dinner will be one chicken drumstick and 1/6 of a can of green beans per person. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall, he would faint on the diet they try to feed him when we visit. He claims they never used to be this odd about food, and I admit it has gotten worse, but I noticed strange habits around food from the first time I visited nearly 20 years ago now. They also do what PP said and gorge themselves at our house. If it’s not nailed down it’s eaten and it seems like a challenge to them. If we’ve just gone to the Costco and therefore have a 3 pack of bacon in the fridge, they’ll see it and say “oh, lots of bacon needs to get eaten, we’ll help you take care of that.” And they will. 3 packs of bacon gone almost instantly and then they grumble wondering why there isn’t more bacon. My FIL is notorious for eating dinner ingredients. I’ve taken to putting the dinner for the night into stapled shut brown bags and writing “dinner ingredients 7/8/19” on them so that I don’t come home from work only to find the ground beef is all gone and I’ve got to run to the store or order take out to now cover dinner.

They sound stingy, not wanting to spend their own money on food? Or traumatized by depression-era parents? Do they thrift and coupon a lot?

No, in fact they are quite wealthy. They think nothing of going out and buying two BMWs in one fell swoop, but then have very strange spending rules around piddly little things.

Omg. This is my in laws too- $$ millions in the bank, rental properties galore, 20 years of stock options- and they feed their guests hardly anything unless it’s a party. And they come here and eat everything and cook everything while we’re at work. They say things like, well I looked around at all your food and we had better eat everything before it goes bad. They also hide from the bill if we ever do go out to dinner. My husband is too embarrassed to take them out because they complain about the food, ask for shitloads of condiments that make no sense, and stiff the bill and don’t top.

We now think it their “game” to eat an equivalent or more of the cost of their plane tickets to visit. On us of course.

The other kicker is cooking and making lunchboxes etc the next few weeks after they’ve left and constantly finding depleted cartons or food everywhere. Such a waste of time. We wish they’d refill or replace what they annihilate on the sly. Or at least right it down so we’re not blindsided at the last minute.

Oh, I recognize you! You’re the one who was upset about ILs eating expensive organic fruit, but kept buying it.

We kept telling you to only buy apples, oranges and grapes for them, and hide or eat down your expensive stuff before they visit. But you kept buying more organic raspberries. So there you go.

Ask for advice and don’t take it. SMH. If you had eaten down your best and restocked with modest stuff for them...I mean, they can’t eat what’s not there.

YES, I remember this thread, too: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/570546.page

Like, yes, we told you to stop buying expensive things and just go to Costco and get bulk cheap stuff! But no!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some very weird people in the world.

I keep a fully stocked kitchen, including favorite snacks and drinks when family comes.

My kitchen is never closed.

Do you have family houseguest for 2-4 weeks a pop while you work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have any of you with the stingy "kitchen is closed" relatives,
who act like pigs when they come visit you, thought to do the same thing to them when they come to your house?

Say "the kitchen is closed" after breakfast and hide your food in your bedroom so they get to experience not eating anything from breakfast to dinner unless they also go out and buy food? Did it work to break them of the rude habit?

My MIL would tell us we couldn't eat food we brought with us, to their house!! Instead they would tell us that "we have to save it for (another guest.) We continued to bring food but when MIL asked when we were serving it, I told her she would have to wait til the special guest showed up. She never did that again!

So have any of you decided to treat them like they treat you? I know.its petty and rude, but do you think it would do any good?

Haha. Will try it next trip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some very weird people in the world.

I keep a fully stocked kitchen, including favorite snacks and drinks when family comes.

My kitchen is never closed.

Do you have family houseguest for 2-4 weeks a pop while you work?

NP. No, and I would never do that. You, yes YOU, are in charge of who gets to stay in your home, and for how long. If 2-4 weeks while you work doesn't work for you, DON'T DO IT.

My husband and I sat down and came up with our general rule: Non-parent houseguests for 3 nights max. Parent (my set and his set) for four nights max, unless there is a holiday involved that falls on a weird day. Six nights is our absolute limit. Beyond that, we will offer to pay for a hotel for up to two additional nights.

[Anonymous]

What do you all do about kitchen is closed relatives when you're staying there? We can't bring food because their fridge is too full. We had battles over milk that my 1 and 3 year old drink (they didn't have room for a gallon), so we bought the shelf stable milk and made the kids drink it warm. Lunch is our struggle. They don't want us to leave and so DH gives in and we don't leave. But the kids are hungry. We eat in our room sometimes. I just feel like a hungry prisoner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We aren’t fat at all but we are not thin enough for MIL. I think she is trying to get us to lose a few pounds while we visit them, as well as demonstrate her own bizarre “discipline”. She does not serve lunch and has wine for dinner mostly.

better than our situation. We go visit for a week and all they eat or serve is breakfast and an small early dinner. They come stay with us and eat 3-4 meals a day, snack constantly, and want dessert immediately after each dinner. Sweet tooth.

Haha! I relate to this too!

So what do you do when you visit and want to eat? Get a take out or go somewhere to eat out?
Honestly you all must be saints, I would not stay silent on the disparity between how they eat when they visit and how you're restricted when you visit - I would say something or stop the visits.

NP here. I don’t think my MIL thinks we are fat, but they are shop every day people and they only buy exactly what they need for the day (so no delicious fruit bowl for when we arrive outside an appointed meal time having traveled across the country and perhaps our 4 year just can’t wait until dinner at that point). We now bring snacks for the kids so they aren’t hangry. Then the next thing we do is take a family trip to the grocery store because we now know, after many years of this, that dinner will be one chicken drumstick and 1/6 of a can of green beans per person. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall, he would faint on the diet they try to feed him when we visit. He claims they never used to be this odd about food, and I admit it has gotten worse, but I noticed strange habits around food from the first time I visited nearly 20 years ago now. They also do what PP said and gorge themselves at our house. If it’s not nailed down it’s eaten and it seems like a challenge to them. If we’ve just gone to the Costco and therefore have a 3 pack of bacon in the fridge, they’ll see it and say “oh, lots of bacon needs to get eaten, we’ll help you take care of that.” And they will. 3 packs of bacon gone almost instantly and then they grumble wondering why there isn’t more bacon. My FIL is notorious for eating dinner ingredients. I’ve taken to putting the dinner for the night into stapled shut brown bags and writing “dinner ingredients 7/8/19” on them so that I don’t come home from work only to find the ground beef is all gone and I’ve got to run to the store or order take out to now cover dinner.

They sound stingy, not wanting to spend their own money on food? Or traumatized by depression-era parents? Do they thrift and coupon a lot?

No, in fact they are quite wealthy. They think nothing of going out and buying two BMWs in one fell swoop, but then have very strange spending rules around piddly little things.

Omg. This is my in laws too- $$ millions in the bank, rental properties galore, 20 years of stock options- and they feed their guests hardly anything unless it’s a party. And they come here and eat everything and cook everything while we’re at work. They say things like, well I looked around at all your food and we had better eat everything before it goes bad. They also hide from the bill if we ever do go out to dinner. My husband is too embarrassed to take them out because they complain about the food, ask for shitloads of condiments that make no sense, and stiff the bill and don’t top.

We now think it their “game” to eat an equivalent or more of the cost of their plane tickets to visit. On us of course.

The other kicker is cooking and making lunchboxes etc the next few weeks after they’ve left and constantly finding depleted cartons or food everywhere. Such a waste of time. We wish they’d refill or replace what they annihilate on the sly. Or at least right it down so we’re not blindsided at the last minute.

I would love it if either of the PPs would "close" their kitchen on the next in-law visit and report back. Do it!