ARGUING OVER OUR COVID-HIT PLAN FOR XMAS Coleen says

Dear Coleen

My husband and I and our two kids usually go to my parents’ house for Christmas, and my brother, his wife and two children are often there over the festive season, too.

However, if the rule of six carries on until Christmas, only one of our families will be able to stay with my parents and it’s already causing arguments between us.

My husband’s parents both passed away years ago, so my daughter only has one set of grandparents, whereas my sisterin-law’s parents are still around and I’m sure they’d be happy to have them over Christmas.

When I suggested my brother visit his in-laws this year, he insisted he wanted to be with our parents. It seems very selfish and immature in the circumstances.

What do you think?

Yes, it does sound selfish and I wonder why he’s so insistent when he has another option. I think you’re all jumping the gun a bit, though – we don’t know what the Covid restrictions will be at Christmas and we might not know for some time while they monitor the infection rates.

If it turns out that only one family can stay with your parents to keep to the rule of six, then is there a compromise you could suggest – ie, one family spends Christmas with your parents and the other family is there over the New Year?

I think this pandemic has placed a lot of mental and emotional stress on people, and perhaps your brother has been affected by it. If you can talk and find a way to compromise, I think that would be the way forward.