I'm not eating Christmas dinner because......

Ya and if you invite them to your house...they might bring a few roaches with them. Would it be possible that you go half(for example) on an exterminator? Who can you call? Some kind of health agency? I feel since these people are your in-laws, it should be you husband talking to them about the infestation of roaches. Since it is past Christmas, I hope everything worked out fine for you all. Happy New Year.

Terrible to think when you let critters get into a close family bonding especially with the children or the elderly. Since it has been going on for a long time, you should have confided to the persons involved directly that they have a pest problem. If I were you and had extra money to spare, maybe I would give or loan them if it's just a pest problem that's spoiling things for family members who love each other. Hygiene is also very important, maybe you can give them a can of bug spray or a pack of roach poison after you have talked decretly about the problem anyway hope you get over this one

There's no way except honesty or deception. You'll just have to get sick! A few days before Christmas, develop a cough and sniffles, you can fake that. If your husband feels the same way, he can cooperate. The only other way you can do it is take some foggers over to their house a few days beforehand and set them off while you all go for a drive. I don't know any other way except to just come out and tell them. Roaches carry all sorts of diseases and I can understand why you don't want to go there! I don't truly hate or fear anything on this earth except roaches!

Just tell them straight out, but do it kindly...

Hi. 3SnuggleBunnies. I know how you really do feel. I used to live with my in-laws and they had roaches really bad. It was so bad until it was hard for me to live and to eat at their house. They enjoyed feeding my kids. But I did not enjoy them eating because the roaches was so bad at their house. I was so glad when we finally moved out of here, and into our new apartment. We did not have any roaches in our new place at all. I think that you should talk to your in-laws and let them know that you don't feel comfortable eating at their house being that there are too many roaches. I mean they can't get offended because they are aware of their roach problem. Is it possible if they can eat Christmas Dinner at your home? Would this be too much of an hassle? I know that you will have to decide upon whom will be doing what and whatever. I don't like talking about my in-laws like this but it was the truth. I was so disgusted at the many roaches that were crawling inside and on the outside of the microwave oven. It was just terrible. I hope that they can get rid of the roaches, especially before the Christmas dinner. My in-laws got roaches because of my sister-in-law, she brought some from the place that she used to live at and also from a motel that she has worked at too.

No I don't blame you in the least! We used to have roaches when I was a kid.. I guess I got used to them. I never saw one in my food, but I would open the medicine cabinet and see one. I'm amazed we ever got rid of them because I know it's easy to bring them along when you move. I guess we just didn't have them that bad. Would it be possible to bring them over to your house instead? I know traditionally it's supposed to be the parents that do the holidays.. I remember dealing with this my first Christmas with hubby (we had just moved in together that year). It was also his sister's first Christmas as a married woman. We had Thanksgiving at his parents.. but for Christmas his sister wanted everyone to go to her house where she was having her in laws come over as well. His parents were upset because they wanted everyone to go to their house. I was upset because my oldest was 4 at the time, and a bit hyper, and he would be the only child there, and I didn't know sil's in laws or how they'd react to a small, hyper child. The last thing I wanted was to feel unwelcome or to make anyone else feel uncomfortable.. I mean you know how some older people can be about other people's hyper kids... So there was a bit of a family fued. SIL attacked hubby claiming HE was the one ruining everyone's Christmas.. while it was actually her who just had to have things her way (mostly to show off). Then she told hubby that since she was married and we weren't, her in laws were officially his family and I wasn't. In the end his parents came to our house Christmas Eve then went to her house for Christmas dinner.. or maybe the other way around but that's basically how it worked that year. His parents haven't had a Christmas dinner at their house since. Eventually we did start going to SIL's (her MIL was actually wonderful with my children, would sit and read to them and told them to call her Aunt Ruth... her FIL was a jerk but stayed quiet.. but then SIL was divorced like 5 years later now re-married and we have not been invited to her house). Christmas dinner has been at our house now for like the past 4 years or so.. ever since the Christmas SIL decided to do lunch meat sandwiches instead of an actual meal, mainly cause none of her in laws were there that year.

How about the obvious? Have Christmas at your house. Offer to drive them and give them a bed for the night if they will be too tired to go home the same night. Short of rats or a pest that could seriously harm your children with one visit, you shouldn't let it get in the way of your family celebrations. And if that means sucking it up for one night to spend it with your in-laws, then do it. Just keep a vigilant eye on the kids' food and scrub them when you get home.

Cats do not kill roaches. They are quite hard to kill in fact and you need chemicals. If there is a big infestation then you would need the house fumigated. It is expensive and poisonous to roaches and people. We live in the country and they get in the house sometimes. I spray them with flyspray which seems to work. My dog also kills beetles. She plays with them a bit like a cat does with a mouse. Someone once said that if there was a nuclear war the only life left would be the roaches. They are hard to kill. I have never had the sort of problem that you are talking about though. Roaches hide in dark places, I have never seen one crawling on a plate of food on the table. I fact the ones I have seen tend to only come out late at night. I see them because I am last to bed. I have not seen one in daytime at all.

In the first place you can try to be honest with your inlaws and [ as they are older people] offer to have a pest control to come and fumigate their place! I know it's not healthy to have roaches around, but because they are older they may not realize the risk not just for themselves but for others as well!at the end of the day if you are so concerned Help them...no one is stopping you!

Oh gosh! I wouldn't want to be in your shoes! I think if I ever had roaches, I would have to borrow the money to get rid of them! I can't stand roaches, I don't like to talk about them, see them, or anything like that...yuck! I would say something. I hate to hurt someone's feelings, but I certainly wouldn't want them crawling around my kids food! Has your husband said anything to his parents? Make him be the bad guy!!

It is probably a little bit late to do it this year, but in the future, a good idea might be that you invite them to come to your house for the holidays. We are lucky in that no one in our family has roaches in their houses, but I know that it is something that did happen at my grandmother's house in the time after she passed away until the time that we sold the house. We were lucky that they were only in one place and since no one lived there the only place that we ever found them was where we kept dog food for when we were up there, but it was something that grossed me out none the less.

I dont blame you for not wanting to eat there. Maybe you could just go visit and not eat, tell them you have other plans or something. I am assuming your husband feels the same way. I know roaches can be hard to get rid of, but 10 years is a long time to have roaches from the sister-in-law. I have never heard of cats getting rid of roaches.

I can understand why you would not want to eat there. Perhaps the local authority might be able to help? Otherwise, I think that you will just have to be honest, unpalatable as that may be: but more palatable than eating there!

your going to have to tell them. Its not just discusting it unhygenic and dangerous for your kids to be there. I dont understand how they havnt done somehting about it yet. Id freak if i had roaches, id probably move lol. Why dont you invite them to yours for a change and when they are there tell them why your not going to be visiting over the hollidays any more unless they get rid of the cockroaches. sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. :D

Oh gross. I don't even know what to say. I guess they couldn't come over to your house for the dinner? I don't blame you for being hesitant. It's not a matter of being polite, it's a matter of health. That is tricky situation for sure.

Tough call, I would try to help them out with preparing the meal so you know what is going to be in it. I think roaches are nasty too and some people try to mask it and call them "bugs", they are not bugs, they are roaches. Maybe you could help them get their house sprayed. Also, if its just for Christmas then let the kids go over there, if you are clean then the roaches won't have any reason to stay at your house.

I'm sick of Christmas already. Everyone is having parties this year and wanting to meet. I have like a million family members so I have already had 4 christmas dinners. Luckily other people are paying for the meals. I have mostly been getting drunk though. Family dinners drive you to drink!

We have the lone roach or two every once in a while, but never crawling in the food! Did you know that roaches only survive by because of an unhygienic environment (or so I've heard)? If the infestation is that bad the house must be dirty, otherwise no roach would live there.

When I read this I was ready to get sick! They have roaches and they don't seem to nbe bothered by them? Something is realy wrong there! I think you should tell them the truth. After you do you tell your inlaws you will help them out if they reaize how bad the problem is! Maybe they got to the point they care anymore! No one should have put up wtih with things like that! Gross! Roaches are disgusting and don't belong in someone's home!

It is a very hard thing to tell them. Obviously they want to see you all, especially there grandchildren, it looks as though they are really set in their ways and they are use to the roaches being there. I could not live like this at all. The health of your family must come first and your partner must see that also. Yes they are your partners parents but you have your own kids and they take priority over everyone. Why can't they come to you for christmas, even if it means you picking them up? That way it would solve a lot of problems, all you need to do is inspect them when they come, well you won't want roaches as presents from them will you? lol.