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My in-laws live about two hours away, so if we visit, we usually go for the weekend. We might watch a movie/tv at some point since everybody needs a little down time before bed or whatever, but they usually invite his sister and her in-laws, or aunts/uncles, over as well, and we'll BBQ, or sit around the table and BS, or play games, or go out walking or various city events, or to the driving range kind of thing.
We eat, and then we will play some sort of a game and/or tell stories. As for me personally, I am pretty quiet. I never know what to say to them, and since they control my life (husband's boss, own our house, our car, etc) I'm still a little scared of them. :)
I would go nuts if we just watched TV. Seriously? I can do that at home!
This seems strange to me.. you don't ever go over for dinner? Dinner is ideal because there's always conversation at the table. Maybe TV afterwards... but no social interaction would be weird for me too. Maybe invite them over for dinner, or a bbq outside where there is no TV, they might realize they like it.
Sleep on an uncomfortable mattress and lament the lack of neighbors? Haha! My FIL's live accross the country in rural Maine. So it's seldom we see them, but we plan outings to antique shops and play board games. Good old fashioned fun!
My FMIL (my FFIL is deceased) owns an amazing lake house in NH. Visiting her is anything but dull! She, however, does not usually participate in our water/snow activities but we all spend a lot of time in the kitchen but cooking and eating.
@Aure: Where in Maine?
WE live across country so we are there for days, but we talk, cook, shop, some TV with a few people (but MIL and I usually dont and hang out in the kitchen to talk), read sometimes, holiday stuff.
Different families have different family dynamics. So, evidently it is normal for them. I read your post and thought you were talking about my DHs family! lol! They just sit around and watch t.v. as well. Little/no interaction with one another. DH and I have come to the conclusion our families are very, very different. When he is around my family he does what we do. When I am around his family, I do what they do... as boring as it is. I suggest you do the same and be thankful you don't visit too often. Maybe when you go from now on you can go prepared. Take your laptop, a book to read, maybe a portable hobby you have.
@farmgirl2106 - I feel like I can TV at home too!
@europomme - My mother-in-law will cook big dinners but we'll take our food, sit on the couch and watch TV!
@2ndtime - Well she used to live only 15 minutes away and we went VERY often. She has now moved in with her new boyfriend and they moved farther away so that is a good thing. I do bring my laptop or a book but then I look like I'm disinterested and being rude.
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that finds this strange lol. Thanks ladies!
Watch TV and Eat. Occasionally play Scrabble.
We try not to visit too often- it's a 3-4 hour drive, and we don't agree with their politics and some of their theology (and FH always seems to get in an argument with FMIL).
(With my family we pack tons of activities in because we're all ADD and cannot sit still really)
@Knubbsy-Wubbsy I can't sit still either. My husband says I don't know how to relax which is probably true. I don't really even sit around my own house and watch TV so it's really hard to do at someone else's house.
Yep, all I even did when visiting was sit at the dining table reading the newspaper or watch TV with them... sooo boring. FH and his dad escape to the shed and do fun boy things and I get stuck with the FMIL and FSIL :(
Mine lives about an hour away, we usually go for lunch or dinner, and then we sit around chatting for hours. If we are there for something special like a birthday or mothers day or something we will stay the night and after chatting we hang out and read or sometimes we watch a movie or tv, or play Wii. Mostly we just hang out, eat, and talk.
That's pretty much how my in-laws are. My family does more structured things, but I like most of the shows they watch and they have two dogs that I adore, so I play with them the whole time.
Depends. Some weekends we've spent an entire Saturday sitting around the table, some of us chatting, some of us reading the paper or working on a crossword, sometimes both. A leisurely breakfast eventually turns into a light lunch, and later into dinner. Most nights we play Scrabble, or chat around the fireplace. Every now and then we watch TV (unless there's a Yankees game on, then all the guys are downstairs in the man-cave). My ILs also like to take after dinner walks, or late morning runs (FIL and DH, anyway). It's always very relaxed.
If DH's brothers and their wives and kids are there, the adults tag-team making sure the kids (4 very rambunctious little boys) don't fall into the fish pond (and still it ends up happening at least once...over Easter my oldest nephew "accidentally fell in" twice in like an hour). My SsIL are first cousins, and they like to spend a lot of time drinking wine in the kitchen.
ETA: They currently live 5 hours away. We're moving this month, and will only be half an hour away. I'm looking forward to seeing them more. They're awesome.
haha, all FI's parents do is watch TV. sometimes we can pry them away to eat, but i definitely sit there and read people mags pretty much the entire time. i guess we talk a little but his dad is definitely glued to the TV.
they live about 30-45 mins away from us.
i totally feel for you and agree!
My FI's parents don't have cable just basic tv. My FMIL walks everyday so when I go to see them that is something we always do together. Its really a good to for us to bond and get to know each. Other than that, they usually have some type of work to do in the day and we go out at night. We see them at least once a month but usually its twice because he now lives 5 hours away. My FI loves them so much and I can see why. They are good people and full of personality.
My sister's in-laws are just like that. None of them ever leave their house and they are always watching tv. There is some conversation but she can't see how a person can just sit there all day long. Oh, and they live next door to them.
My FIL's only live about 15 minutes away so we see them often. Normally some kind of meal is involved but other than that we pretty much just chat or watch Nascar (I hate Nascar, lol).
Lol I don't understand how people just want to sit around and watch TV 24/7
You're not strange at all. Same exact scenario for me. When they first met me, it was dinners around the table sharing stories. That died quickly and now it's the Dog Whisperer marathons with dinners on our laps. I hate it. As you said, if I wanted to watch tv, I would stay home.
In the summer months, the men usually watch baseball while the women lie out and read. In the winter, it's football and reading indoors.
We eat and talk. Sometimes the men go watch sports in the other room.
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I want to know what you Bees usually do while visiting your in-laws. My mother-in-law lives about 30 minutes away and so we don't visit too often but when we do we always sit around and watch TV or a movie. There's no social interaction, no games, no stories. Just sitting around, eating and watching TV. No one else sees a problem with this but I find it extremely boring. I don't see the point in visiting someone if we all act we're not.
Is sitting around watching TV normal? When we visit my family, we socialize around the kitchen table or take walks outside or cook together, play with my daughter or whatever. I'm just curious as to what some of you do when you visit your in-laws.