Do we have to socialize with relatives?

I know how you feel. I guess for me it's like why bother getting together with family if you're going to be ugly about it? I'd much rather pick up the phone and call, write, or visit sometimes, but to have to deal with it daily? I know some people don't agree with me, but in my opinion they either live far away from family or get along with their family great. Me? I have family, but my true family to me are my friends. My real family are just those I love and tolerate most of the time. Though I do love them very much, "family" to me is those I can trust and tell everything too. My real family I can't do that with.

That is so true with many relatives. You live a quiet life away from them and you hardly even think about them with all the other struggles in life that you have and there comes a few who talks bad about you and you never even know how they have made up of those stories. Relatives are important too because they are part of the family. But if that happens to me, I would rather chose to get rid of them.

Not by way of socializing, but I do like to keep in touch with my family members as often as I can. I have been living far away from them for many years with my job taking me away. I miss them so much, and like to hear their voice often. So, I talk to them on the phone atleast two or three times a week.

i'm not close with my relatives, both maternal and paternal side. they're okay but we just dont match when it comes to havin fun. i guess maybe because we grew up apart from each other and we only gather during reunions or big occasions. never had a fight with a relative though i know there were times that they talked bad about me or my family.

Hi katie: Oh that's terrible. I won't say that I have a perfect relationship with all the members from my family but at least I try to be nice. I think you just need to be educated and socialize with the ones from your family that are really your friends. Sometimes, some of our family members are not as warm as we would love they will. In my case I love my family but I just care formy closest family members, that's my mom, dad, brother and sister. For the rest of my family members, I am nice with them but I just socialize with the ones that are really my friends. ALVARO

It is nice to be connected once in a while to our relatives. We may need them in a way or another or it is just so nice to be connected. But I agre that it is a way to wash dirty linens. Some relatives don't give attention to you when you met under different time. I mean, some are just for show off. Some come to gossip

iknw where you coming from that is why i stay away from that to becouse if they see me here they come telling me they beef now i stay away and i dnt say nothing let them fight it out becouse they going to need some and it will be that person that they was fighting with iknw it happen in everone family but just dnt feed the monkeys they will be fine

Yes i think as a part of responsibility of our it is necessary to socialize with our family, To me family is everything that i have, though we may have the best of friends in the world but we cannot trust them, human mind are very crazy and can change in any phase of time, at times we feel very sad feelings of our family we get some rejections and we tend to hate the things of family but we should able to tolerate the things because in each and every minute of our life they have supported us, and this thing i cannot forget, To me my family is life, and according to me it is necessary to be open around our family to deal with problems after all our family needs support of eachohter.

I think we shouldn’t more socialize with our relatives because if you are more socializing with your relatives then they never give you values. Yes because I have experience of this. Yes you can socialize with any other person except your relatives. Because other person know the values of you.

I was famous for organising reunions in the good old days but with the second generation ruling the roost what with their desire to only meet at reunions and have nothing to do rest of the year - no emails, no phone calls, no visits, no interaction whatsoever I have stopped this practice.

I think we should at least get acquainted to them and give them a chance to be close to us since they are still your family, but when things gets complicated like when the cause of your irritation is your relatives itself then why would you give time to those persons who are not even worthy minding for? Sometimes family relatives are the causes of family misunderstandings so just try to avoid those kind of people.

we mostly get along at family reunions. i guess I am one of the lucky ones that actually enjoys both my side of the family and my husbands side too. If it is people you do not get along with, avoid them. get together with just the cousins if you get along with them.

Hmmmm.. Personally, it's really not my attitude to mingle with any of my relatives. I think, most of them doesn't know me at all because I seldom attend reunions and go to birthday parties. :) Hehehehe.. My mother says that it's important that you get to have a bonding with your relatives especially my cousins. I might not know that my boyfriend is my cousin. Hahahaha.. That makes me laugh, really. Relatives can also help too, that's according to my mother. But I don't really believe that any of them will actually offer some help. Hehehehe.. Is it a bad thinking? Hehehehe Anyway, I can get through life by myself without their help. :)

I dont think its needed either, but we cant do anything when parents talk. And sometimes being there is better than not being there. At least you know what happened and you wont let people talk behind you either. I dont like socializing with relatives too and my husband wont like either. We can live alone for ourselves if we want but our parents and my in laws give important to what other people say... we sometimes argue about going to a gathering... we dont want to go, but because parents talk we are going... no choice

to me getting together with family, even extended family is important.

Perhaps it's your job to teach them how to be Adults. Sounds like you are needed more than you realize. Teach them how to be selfless, loving and kind. Point them in the right direction. One day they might Understand. Remember, few things in life really worthwhile come easy. You can do this.

well, you have your reason for it. i am not fond of going to family reunions too. but it's different with me, i haven't heard of any relatives who made up things behind my back or at least no one told me yet. I just don't go for it. hope there will come a time when i'll be able to attend one.