Are we ready for the Thanksgiving Vent thread?

[Anonymous]

My MIL is what I call a pouncer. She hides in random seats downstairs and as soon as your foot hits the bottom step she scares the shit out of you with a “HELLO”. Then you get sucked into an hour long conversation about her long lost cousin before you can have a cup of coffee.

In addition, she doesn’t understand gender roles in 2025. “I need your help planning this trip”, “can you order me x”, “don’t worry about getting me anything for Xmas”…. I have repeatedly told her that her son can help her.

[Anonymous]

This is an amazing description from the steak tip PP:

Does anyone else just have alarmingly stupid ILs? Like so dumb that sometimes when they talk I worry that there is some kind of genetic issue and my kids will inherit it? Because I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have anything yet because my SIL is not here yet but I'll be back!!

lol!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m with my mom, who doesn’t drive anymore and has replaced it with her hobby of tracking the nationality of her Uber drivers and then ranking nationalities in conversation but doing so with zero context:

“People from Ghana are so kind and generous! And responsible drivers!”

Also people from Venezuela are very fashionable, just fyi.

Love this one. At least she is positive about these interactions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an amazing description from the steak tip PP:

Does anyone else just have alarmingly stupid ILs? Like so dumb that sometimes when they talk I worry that there is some kind of genetic issue and my kids will inherit it? Because I do.

My kids have inherited ADHD and autism from both sides of the family, so I can't really blame anyone. There are different flavors. My son clearly takes after my side of the family. My daughter takes after my husband's side. Thankfully we're all *relatively* functional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My MIL is what I call a pouncer. She hides in random seats downstairs and as soon as your foot hits the bottom step she scares the shit out of you with a “HELLO”. Then you get sucked into an hour long conversation about her long lost cousin before you can have a cup of coffee.

In addition, she doesn’t understand gender roles in 2025. “I need your help planning this trip”, “can you order me x”, “don’t worry about getting me anything for Xmas”…. I have repeatedly told her that her son can help her.

I thought the 2025 version of gender roles is that everyone can do everything except give birth. What gender are you that you can't help elderly people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL is what I call a pouncer. She hides in random seats downstairs and as soon as your foot hits the bottom step she scares the shit out of you with a “HELLO”. Then you get sucked into an hour long conversation about her long lost cousin before you can have a cup of coffee.

In addition, she doesn’t understand gender roles in 2025. “I need your help planning this trip”, “can you order me x”, “don’t worry about getting me anything for Xmas”…. I have repeatedly told her that her son can help her.

I thought the 2025 version of gender roles is that everyone can do everything except give birth. What gender are you that you can't help elderly people?

It's unfair when it's the women who are constantly tasked with the chores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL is what I call a pouncer. She hides in random seats downstairs and as soon as your foot hits the bottom step she scares the shit out of you with a “HELLO”. Then you get sucked into an hour long conversation about her long lost cousin before you can have a cup of coffee.

In addition, she doesn’t understand gender roles in 2025. “I need your help planning this trip”, “can you order me x”, “don’t worry about getting me anything for Xmas”…. I have repeatedly told her that her son can help her.

I thought the 2025 version of gender roles is that everyone can do everything except give birth. What gender are you that you can't help elderly people?

It's unfair when it's the women who are constantly tasked with the chores.

Talking to someone about a trip, and not buying them Christmas gifts are hardly chores, but then sitting in a chair and waiting to greet someone till they've come downstairs is hardly "pouncing".

[Anonymous]

Got here just before 10 am. Its now 11:57 am and my parents have already had two screaming matches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got here just before 10 am. Its now 11:57 am and my parents have already had two screaming matches.

Tell us more. What are they arguing about?

[Anonymous]

This thread is giving me life! Pouncing MIL, idiotic spoiled-beef BIL, Little Shop of Horrors centerpiece—keep it coming!!

To Sheetpan Sexy Mom, I hope your day turns out wonderful. Next time you can plan ahead and if you’re still with BF, you can get him heavily involved. You can also get your kids to help.

I’m thankful for this website!

[Anonymous]

We have one family member who is always late. I understand the drive can be long and don't demand anyone show up on Tuesday by a certain time, but I would appreciate a heads-up when they start the 4 hour drive so I know when to be home and how to time dinner. This person can't even be bothered to send a text when they leave. Every year this happens.

Anyway, after showing up late and chaotic and demanding something with protein, it always turns out that they also haven't packed enough for a 3 day visit so I end up doing a load of their laundry in the middle of all my hosting duties bc they don't know how to use my washing machine. And they always ask to borrow a million things that they forget (everything from tweezers to a winter coat this year). I know it's petty but since we don't ask this person to contribute to anything during the visit, it irks me that they can't even handle their personal items or even let me know when they are on the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year I have my kids for thanksgiving. I’m not a holiday person, and overall hate cooking and cleaning, so usually for holidays we’ll just go out or get a pizza.

My new BF (who doesn’t have kids) grew up in a very broken family and later on foster care, so my holiday plan troubled him greatly. He likes the idea of the wholesome family during the holidays. So he said I can’t do pizza, don’t worry, he’ll handle thanksgiving dinner.

Then every night this week has talked about how stressed he is trying to plan dinner and asking me a million questions. Should we do ham or turkey? Should we cook or get it catered? Who should we buy it from? What do we do if it isn’t shipped in time?

Finally I was like omg, shut up, I’ll just handle it. So now here I am making a damn thanksgiving dinner I didn’t want to make so my BF can try to heal his childhood trauma.

And yes, I know I did this to myself.

At least on the plus side, I found a recipe for a one sheet pan thanksgiving dinner. So just a matter of sticking things on the pan over 3 hours. Hoping it’s not too difficult.

And thus you perpetuated the Hapless Man Agenda.

Instead of taking the time to talk through and teach and coach, and help him understand the process of thinking through and making decisions and making a time table, and shopping for ingredients and pre-prep, making ahead, etc., you just “handled it.” Instead of passing on wisdom and planning and thought processes, you just did it yourself. And now you’re resentful.

I know. I KNOW. I just did NOT want to feel like mommy teaching her baby boy how to shop and cook. I got a BF because I feel like mommy most of the time and wanted to feel like a sexy, desirable woman some of the time.

I’m also PMSing and overall just mad at the world.

Lesson learned. From now on, I’m just sticking to whatever my original plan is.

You are sexy without the man-boy. You can't fix him. Break up after the holidays, at the latest.

She is definitely not sexy. How hard is it to order a Thanksgiving meal? Geez. Do it for your BF and kids. I can't believe kids have to be subjected to pizza for every holiday.

If it's so easy, why can't the BF do it since he volunteered to take charge?

I am the queen of prepared foods. You can go to TJ, Balducci’s, or WF and get the job done with minimal pain.

[Anonymous]

12:03 again.

Here’s a sheetpan idea NOT to try:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17fdQbzhpX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else just have alarmingly stupid ILs? Like so dumb that sometimes when they talk I worry that there is some kind of genetic issue and my kids will inherit it? Because I do.

My BIL just announced that he brought steak tips (...why??) but that he packed them in his luggage for some reason (he also brought a cooler, he drove, but he put the steak tips in with his clothes for some reason). He left them there for almost two days and now he's asking me what he should do with them. I'm like "throw them away?" But he wants to salvage them. We are making a typical Thanksgiving dinner. We had asked him if he wanted to make anything or if he had any requests for dinner and he said no, whatever we made was good. But now he's pestering me about these freaking steak tips while my DH and I are both in the midst of making like 6 different items. I am currently in the bathroom texting with my DH, who is in the kitchen, and we are trying to figure out how to deal with this. BIL is very sensitive and prone to blowing up if he feels slighted. Sigh.

I don't normally drink but will be pouring my first glass of wine at 1pm today.

My ILs aren't the brightest, but OMG, my SIL's second husband is similar to your BIL. Just so so so amazingly stupid. He makes my ILs look like Mensa members. DH keeps muttering "When is [sister] finally going to divorce him?"