Do you expect a lot of family drama at your Christmas gatherings?

No. I’m very fortunate that my brothers and I are the most laid back people you’d ever want to meet. That’s not to mean that at times we don’t get on each other nerves, because we do, but none of us create or participate in drama.

My family Christmas consists of just my immediate family so no. My kids are too young for drama.

Everyone makes nice in my family. It’s all the stuff that is never discussed that seems to sink in and cause issues years later.

Nope. Christmas is pretty much the only time of year when everybody at least pretends to be drama free.

@Blondesjon I wish that were the case with us. Everyone else is so polite and bouncy and care-free that my brother apparently feels obligated to shake things up by calling my kids names and encouraging his kids to show off all day… we’re cutting our time there short this year so we don’t have to put up with it as long. =0)

No, my family actually gets along, and they always have from what I’ve seen. Seriously, what is up with the family drama?

@WillWorkForChocolate Life is too short to have to have holiday’s ruined by assholes who insult children. I wouldn’t even spend one second of my time with him. Your kids shouldn’t have to have those kinds of memories of Christmas.

@chyna I would skip it altogether, but it’s tradition to spend lunch with my mother, and it would really hurt her to not see my kiddos on Christmas. She knows my brother’s a jerk, but her relationship with him is tenuous at best, and we all have to walk on eggshells around him for the sake of my mother. He will blame anything on her, and I do mean anything, and when he gets pissed off, he won’t let her see his children and it breaks her heart. It’s an awful situation.

@Blackberry Some family members get off on causing problems at holiday get togethers. My brother is one of those schmucks. =0)

Not drama, but I expect my SIL to do something that will get to me. We don’t see them every Christmas though. Actually, right now she is being nice, I expect it to continue for a while.

Normally, there is no drama at all—just happy to be together. But now my daughter is with a nightmare of a man and no one wants him around. So my daughter opts to stay away because he’s not invited. It’s very sad and upsetting.

Not really. Depends what you consider to be drama. We like to have loud, heated debates.. but it is more fun than drama.

Once again.. The reason I volunteer on Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. Family can’t complain If I am gone feeding the needy.

I did score an awesome volunteering gig this Christmas. Meals on Wheels. That is hard to get here.

Nah

Thankfully, no. Christmas holidays for me is moderate and without much fuss. Christmas should be a happy occasion. To escape family drama, you can follow the lead of johnpowell, which is not easy to do especially if your family expects you to be around in Christmas gathering.

Let me rate it accordingly…with 3 being the least intense.

3. Christmas
2. Family
1. Drama

My family gatherings only consist of my immediate family. So there is never any drama and everyone just has a peaceful time together. I hope your brother behaves.

I am concerned. This is the first christmas without my father and mom is sinking deeper into dementia. My wife is going to Alabama with me but will spend much of the time in the cabin instead of with the family. My brother and his clan and sister and hers will also be present so we could have some fireworks.

Not reallly, but I feel uncomfortable around parts of my family.

No.

Only if I manage to drink enough alcohol. No. Not this year. It’s going to be very quiet this year with all that’s been going on, and our guests will leave early because they will have to take a bus home. Sometimes, you can cut the air with a knife. You see, my husband married me, but carries on his ‘family’ tradition from before I arrived on the scene. We have Christmas with his ex-girlfriend, (who is the mother of his first son), her oldest son from a different father (who is 27, unemployed, no prospects and living at home still) and the two boys (my step son and my little man). Has all the makings of a very bad drama situation, but somehow, every year, it’s ok. (and yes, we all exchange gifts.)

I have minimal contact with my family (except, of course KatawaGrey) at the holidays so I don’t have to deal with that. It was really hard breaking away, and only happened after my Dad passed, but it makes the season much more pleasant. I get that the situation requires you to do the eggshell dance, it’s a bear. I know that you have to do at least a bit of Christmas day dealing with that, for your Mom’s sake, can you cut it short then spend time the day after with her without your brother? I know you’re not asking for advice, here, I’m just in maternal hyperdrive these days, trying to fix stuff…

No drama from my family, but my husbands family will be full of it. Two sister-in-laws that don’t get along. One of them is psychotic, the other is juts a selfish bitch. I can deal with both of them, but put them in a room together and you never know what is going to happen.

Oh yes. As in the past, family from all over converge on my wife’s parents house where we’ll be bottled up, pressure-cooker style, for several days. I expect the usual dynamics to play out: my brother-in-law, the management consultant, will try to orchestrate a picture-perfect Christmas in which food and ritual unfold in an orderly atmosphere of bonhomie.

That would work out fine if everybody else would just fall in line and go with the program, but that never happens. The Master Plan is foiled at every turn by the forces of chaos that seem particularly concentrated on that particular house. Certain members will not acquiesce to the BIL’s de facto leadership and will offer competing visions. My old father-in-law’s ability to conceal his cantankerousness will eventually give out and spoil the bonhomie. The BIL will get extremely frustrated and hole up in his room and sulk for a full day.

Happens every time.

@JilltheTooth Thanks, sweetie. I’m always willing to listen to your advice. =0) I wish we could spend time with her the day after, but we’re usually sleeping and “recovering” that day. Our holidays are so hectic, with going between my biological father’s family gathering, my mother’s, my step-father’s, my mother-in-law’s fam, and my father-in-law’s fam… Crazy, huh? It’s incredibly tiring, but a joy to see everyone at the same time. Christmas lasts for a whole week here, LOL. I’ll be explaining to my mother that we will likely not be at her home for our usual 3 or 4 hours this year. She’ll understand, since she knows my brother has been getting ruder and ruder lately; she’ll just be happy to see my kids that day.

Christmas at your house sounds so peaceful… maybe we should just ditch everyone and fly up to your place!! :D

Absolutely you should! All are welcome at my holiday table and for my holiday celebrations. Once again, this year we’ll be having a traditional fancy Mac and Cheese dinner a tradition I started last year and lots of lounging around in sweats and PJs, followed by an evening of watching new DVDs and overeating treats that will ultimately make us feel a bit sick. Oh, I do love the holidays!!! ;-D

LOL!! Yeah, we all get “traditioned out” during Thanksgiving, so we have different foods for Christmas. My mom usually cooks a fabulous Mexican meal and my in-law’s usually do prime ribs and baked potatoes.

I saw a relevant article in the news yesterday. A guy was duck hunting, his gun was laying on the boat, and his dog stepped on his shotgun and shot the guy in the ass. Do you have a gun and a dog?

LMAO! Well…...

I don’t think any charges were pressed. Just a thought.

Aaaaaaaand my brother “unfriended” me on facebook!! Is it wrong that I’m laughing instead of being upset? Yet his wife is still my “friend”. Hmmm….... think she’s spying to see if I say something about him? Because that’s just the kind of people they are! Bwuahahaha!

:-| Does this mean less angst at Christmas? Jim is singing in my head again… “people are strange…”

I doubt it. He’ll likely still show up and cause trouble as usual.

You’re brother unfriended you on FB? What is he, 13?

LMFAO, he’s 38 going on 8.

I’d be really cute and my boobs would be so perky if I could drop 30 years like that!

No kidding, right? I just need to go back to 20, before I got pregnant!

Oi vey, you know, my mom knows my brother is a jerk, but I keep trying to explain how far his douchebaggery actually goes. I wonder if she’ll ever acknowledge it or if she’ll keep ignoring it since she wants to see his children… Ahhhhh, gotta love family drama.

After all is said and done, remember that he is her child. How awful for her to have to face what a jerk he is. Give your mom a kiss for me when you see her. And kick your dickwad brother in the nuts, while you’re at it. Partly cuz he’s a jerk, partly cuz he distresses your poor mom.

LOL! I think his wife sold his nuts on eBay, but I’ll try. And I can definitely kiss my mom for ya. That’s the easy part!

I don’t expect a lot of family drama for Christmas this year. In fact, I’m excited for Christmas and I am looking forward to it because I have recently heard news that my oldest sister and her husband are coming to visit with their children. Their family is a delight to be around and they help create a more positive atmosphere than was already present wherever they go. :)