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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My parents have been in the same house for 40+ years in my cookie-cutter hometown. We're visiting for Christmas and DH and I have agreed this is not how we want to spend future holidays when we have time off. The kids are older and get antsy after two days. The only thing of interest to do is drive or take the metro into the big nearby city, but even that has gotten old. For those who are also obliged to spend their time off more or less sitting in their parents living room eating coffee cake being asked questions about people you haven't seen in decades, how do you cope?

This isn't even a walkable place with a pretty downtown with Christmas lights and coffee shops and bookstores. Walking around there isn't even safe. It's a sprawling suburb off a busy road that no one in their right mind would want to walk. No paved walkway for pedestrians. You're literally tiptoeing on a narrow dirt path through weeds to get to a Starbucks a mile away. My parents, of course, think it's a wonderful place and don't understand why we are bored or ask about meeting elsewhere for the holidays. I've suggested cruises, meeting up in a pretty tourist destination, anything. But they refuse. [/quote]

You’ve described my visits home!  However I think you sound selfish.  You need to do the obligatory trips because they are your family.  I’m sure they just loved all the train rides at the mall, sesame street live, and kids theater they did go you - geez they’re old, you can sacrifice a bit.

That said I don’t do Christmas at home because of all the stress around the holiday.  I go at other times during the year to fill this obligation.  When my mom showed extremely unequal treatment amongst the grandkids I said I’d never do Christmas with everyone again - and I haven’t. My nuclear family goes on a trip every year and I send them a Christmas basket and call.  I do go back for Easter, summer. And maybe one other long weekend. I try to avoid situations where my mom can show favoritism (she’ll never stop - she did that to her own children).[/quote]

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