So many Thanksgiving traditions are classics, such as going around the table and sharing what you're thankful for or loading up on way too much stuffing and pumpkin pie. But every family also has some "other" holiday traditions some would rather not repeat each year. You know, like the inevitable family argument that erupts over the dinner table.
Or for one woman on Reddit, being forced to sleep on the floor when you stay at your in-laws.' (Yep.) One year, she finally put her foot down, because she was five months pregnant, and believe it or not, her husband's family was not pleased.
According to the original poster, her husband's family hunkers down on his aunt's living room floor every year.
There are about 15 people who stay over at his aunt's two-bedroom home the night after Thanksgiving, and only elderly relatives get to use the bedrooms.
"Now that I’m pregnant I told my husband I don’t feel comfortable sleeping on the floor or that stuffy basement," she wrote. "I suggested to just spend Thanksgiving just the two of us at home which he agreed."
But when they broke the news to her husband's aunt, she was furious.
"When his aunt heard this she called me right away and telling me how selfish I am and how important family time is," the poster continued. "I explained to her the situation and she still begged me to reconsider." The aunt even pointed out that in the past another cousin who was eight months pregnant at the time showed up and didn't make a fuss at sleeping on the ground.
So in the spirit of compromise, the poster suggested that Thanksgiving be a late lunch at 2 p.m. instead of dinner, which his aunt agreed to. That way, they could make it a day trip instead of being forced to spend the night.
But not everyone in the family was feeling this new agenda.
"The problem is that his family has this exact same Thanksgiving tradition for ever," the woman explained. That means that they are all used to getting to his aunt's house at around 10 or 11 in the morning so they can pitch in with dinner.
"While waiting for stuff to be cooked/baked they play football outside and some play board games inside," she continued. "They always start [eating] dinner at 6 pm."
But making the dinner a lunch kind of threw a wrench into things, because now "people have to come even earlier at around 7 or 8 [in the morning] and some have to come Wednesday night if they live even further," she explained. "So they spend two days sleeping on the floor instead of one."
Oof.
Naturally, some people were kind of ticked by this, and the poster later learned that they were sounding off about it in the family's group chat.
"I’m not part of it but my husband showed me some of it," the poster continued. "One person said something along the line just don’t show up since I’m not technically a blood relative anyway. And I actually responded to her using my husband’s phone saying basically we don’t want to we just feel obligated."
On Reddit, a lot of people agreed with the poster: Her husband's family was being ridiculous.
"You're pregnant and don't want to sleep on the floor?" one commenter asked. "HOW DARE YOU?!"
"Take care of yourself, the tradition wasn't a tradition when it started, maybe this will be the new tradition," the commenter continued. "No reason you should be uncomfortable because 'we've always done it this way' and screw anyone that says otherwise."
"Agreed, this tradition sounds like a nightmare," a second commenter chimed in. "Original Poster, what do they expect you to do after the baby is born? Does the baby go on the floor, too? I think it's time for you and your husband to create your own Thanksgiving tradition."
"You are pregnant, it's ridiculous to expect you to sleep on the ground, or spend money on hotels when you're expecting," another person added. "Not to [expletive] on family traditions, but I think a tradition that forces people to be uncomfortable is ridiculous."
Not everyone backed OP, though. In fact, some weren't buying her pregnancy 'excuse.'
"I’m sorry because I do totally see your side of it, but you shouldn’t ask or expect to move the entire party because you’re uncomfortable — you could have just as easily driven back at 8 pm after dinner," one person wrote.
"Hotels can be arranged," another person pointed out. "Other stuff can be arranged. You're making this whole situation about you, and not others. You seem pretty entitled and I feel for your husband. He will support you, obviously, but he shouldn't have to. But you get your way, which is I'm sure exactly what you wanted all along."
"You realize that there are parts of the world where pregnant women sleep on the floor for all nine months and work in the fields until they deliver, right?" a third person said. "You can suck it up for one night."
In an update to her post, the woman added that she and her husband had looked into a nearby hotel, but at $250 per night, it was just too pricey.
In the end, the couple agreed to just move ahead with attending the lunch, but she admitted that they learned a valuable lesson for next year.
"I feel like at this point (the fact that the time is already changed) if we still don’t show up, it’ll make me a total [expletive]," she wrote. "Next time we’ll just come up with [an] excuse either the day of or before instead of telling her weeks before."
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