Redditor Asks How To Decline Mother-In-Law’s Offer For Vacation Because She Cannot Spend A Week With Her

Navigating family vacations can be a delicate endeavour, especially when relationships within the family are strained. The prospect of spending extended periods together in a confined setting can amplify underlying tensions and create additional stress. Strained relationships, particularly between in-laws, can complicate vacation plans, making balancing familial obligations and personal boundaries challenging. This dynamic often raises questions about how to decline or manage vacation invitations without causing further discord or hurt feelings.

Well, that’s the question that bothers the Reddit u/Ok-Bed-9072. OP is facing a strained relationship with her mother-in-law, whom she finds overbearing, intrusive, and generally difficult to deal with. So she has intentionally reduced her interactions with her mother-in-law to alleviate the strain. However, the situation escalated when the mother-in-law and father-in-law returned from a delightful vacation and proposed a joint family vacation for the next year. Caught off guard, the OP and her partner responded ambiguously. Despite this, the mother-in-law persisted by sending vacation destination photos, suggesting they could all be there together the following year. So now OP is contemplating how to refuse her in such a way that their relationship doesn’t strain further.

Continue scrolling down to delve into the full story.

Source: Reddit

1. OP’s mother-in-law is pushing for a joint vacation next year with them and she’s determined to make it happen.

2. OP needs advice! Her mother-in-law is difficult to be around so she has purposely reduced her interaction with her. OP is happier without her.

3. This year, OP’s in-laws went on a vacation that they enjoyed. Thus they suggested resisting that place with OP and her husband next year. Caught off guard by the request, OP and her husband just awkwardly laughed, unsure how to decline their request.

4. OP’s mother-in-law even sent her pictures of her vacation spot telling her that they would also be able to enjoy the spot next year with them. OP is unsure how to decline and discuss this with her husband.

5. OP thanked the Reddit community for giving her strength and courage to stand up to her mother-in-law and decline their vacation request.

Now that you have read the story, it’s time for you to see what Redditors had to say about this. Read till the end to see what are other people’s opinions on this. 

6. You have time off for you….not for them!

7. Being an adult, OP’s husband can decline his parents’ offer without repercussions.

8. This year won’t work for us; perhaps another time.

9. Why do OP feel unable to say no? She is an adult after all.

10. “Honestly I wouldn’t even text back.”

11. A Redditor advised OP to don’t allow family influence to make her compromise her mental health.

12. We have limited vacation time each year, and that trip doesn’t interest us!!

13. NO is a complete sentence….there is no need for further explanations.

14. OP should simply refuse their offer and should not budge on her answer.

15. ‘Sorry, I’ve already made plans for my week’s vacation.’ No further details are needed.

16. OP should stop being afraid of becoming the bad guy and should just refuse them if her husband cannot.

17. A Redditor shared how her mother-in-law had a similar behaviour of planning a vacation with them without asking for their consent before doing it.

18. Another Redditor urged OP to just say no. As it’s not worth the mental stress leading up to and during the trip.

19. Hope OP’s husband would not confined to their request without consulting it with OP.

20. OP don’t need persuasion or direction on her vacation plans. Hope she explains this to her husband.

Given their strained relationship, vacationing with the mother-in-law could deprive the OP of her essential relaxation time. Instead of rejuvenating during her week off, she might feel even more drained and frustrated. Redditors suggested the OP simply decline her mother-in-law’s offer, stating they already have other plans without elaborating. Additionally, she should communicate her feelings about his mother to her husband, enabling him to decline the vacation offer since it’s his mother. Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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