Dealing with an In-law Visit

Do you have in-laws that only come to visit once in a blue moon? Or perhaps you are newly married and still don't know them well? Do your in-laws call a day ahead and say they will be spending the weekend?

Many of us might straight out panic. The thoughts that run through your head are decisively quick, horror stricken and self serving. And much of it has very little to do with the in-laws themselves but everything to do with you. You may feel very loving towards them but OH MY GOD they are staying at YOUR house. What will they think?

You have abstract yet very real thoughts regarding the state of affairs at your house. The laundry room that is overflowing with stuff you meant to put away two months ago will now have to get done in record time. The room they will sleep in has become a storeroom for everything from toys to furniture, anything you gave cursorily attention to and figured you would take care of later.

Ok, so your house currently looks like it had the flu with bouts of active nausea. You want the in-laws to have a good opinion and you feel like you will be judged on your housekeeping skills.

Now is time to mentally relax and get a grip. So your house doesn't look like it came from the pages of House Beautiful and no, Martha Stewart won't be dropping by to arrange pine cones "just so" for a centerpiece (that you would probably just have to move anyway).

If you have the time, look at the situation as a good opportunity to do the spring cleaning you never got around to. If you don't, just make sure the toilets are clean. Seriously, as long as you are not living in utter filth the chances that they will care are pretty low. Most in-laws, regardless of prior general public negativity, are just regular people. They care much more about seeing their son or daughter, grandchildren, and yes, even you, than the condition of your home.

Ok, now that you have a handle on the housekeeping, what about meals?

Breakfast, lunch and snacks are cake to prepare compared to DINNER. Dinner may drive you into mental stress overload number two. What if you are the type that thinks dinner is showcasing your talents in a neat little package?

And what if, the tiny little voice whispers in your ear (the one you have been ignoring for years) says, "You are a terrible cook and you know it?"

There is a simple solution if are not Food Channel worthy. You won't suspect you are the butt of an in-law private conversation. Chances are that the worst conversations only exist in your imagination anyway.

Go out to dinner. If that is not possible, get foods that are already cooked and place them in your own dishes. Simply throw out the packaging and no one will be wiser. Remember, God invented microwave ovens for a reason.

So now that all the junk is stuffed into the closets and toilets are clean, kick back and relax.
Enjoy the in-laws and cherish the time spent with them.