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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm hoping some of you with British relatives can help me out here. I've got a very British brother-in-law married to my sister-in-law, a native Texan. BIL has lived in TX for over two decades, yet has not pursued US citizenship and only visits the UK once annually. My SIL is a nice, smart woman but completely mind-screwed by his insistence of (what he perceives as) very British manners, customs, foods.

That's all fine and well, but my problem is they have a very active, energetic, sweet 3-year old son who they are forcing this on, as well. He is not allowed to watch or even talk about things American. They watch BBC and Formula 1, cricket, and cycling with a strange fanaticism. Despite living in semi-rural Texas, lil' dude even speaks with a British accent like the old man.

I'm no right-winger by any stretch, but it definitely feels anti-American and condescending/rude to my and my wife's family and culture. They visited us in DC this weekend and the poor kid was all over the tee ball/bat.

TLDR: My BIL is a strange Brit who is brainwashing my nephew. What would you do?

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I agree with the pp that it’ll resolve itself by school. The fantastic I am in any direction is weird. But maybe the dad is trying to build some common interests between him and his son. He could of course go the other way and be interested in what his kid likes and not force things on him. I do think hat we can all benefit from better manners and table manners and polite customs. It’s the condescension that the problem. Does the bil have any American friends? [/quote]

I think you touched on a major problem that my wife and I were discussing last night: it seems like they are absolutely forcing their interests, customs, [b]faux culture[/b] on the kid. I'm sure there is a certain amount of self-correction that will happen here, especially living in east Texas.

BIL doesn't have any American friends that I know of, but then again, I don't know if he has any friends at all, honestly. He is almost anti-social and it seems like he'd rather be in the garage playing with his three (3!) new motorcycles than engaged with his wife and kid. During the holidays he will purposefully show up late and leave early from my Inlaws house, just because that's how he rolls, apparently.

I absolutely agree with you on the better manners and polite customs, but its not like my wife or her people are rubes.

[/quote]
What is "faux culture"?  My DH is a Brit. We live in the 'burbs, and DC went to daycare, but DC still said some words with a British accent or the British way.  It self corrected as DC got older.  DH insists on British table manners, which IMO is a bit too much, but I let it go.

BTW, too bad your BIL lives in Texas. My DH is a huuuge F1 fan and also loves motorcycles, too.  DH is pretty social, so he does have American friends, but many of his friends are also expats.  It could be your DH is just not a social person, and since he probably can't find people to connect with in rural TX, he doesn't have any friends.

I understand you probably feel sorry for the child, but we all instill our own values on our kids.  Some American parents never let their kids watch tv or eat any junk food.  [/quote]

WTF are "British table manners"?!

British person[/quote]

I think it's the holding the knife and fork thing (I also make my kids do this - I don't like the American way)
-another British person[/quote]

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