This is something that has been bothering me for a couple years now. My husband and I (and our two kids) live just a few miles away from my in-laws. His other two brothers live further away, but usually travel home for the holidays. His youngest brother is single, so he stays for a few days, but his other brother is married, and they like to split the holiday between my in-laws and her parents. I understand why she would do that, but I feel like every year we cater to them and whatever they decide they want to do.

Last year, they decided to skip Christmas day and spent the following Saturday with the in-laws. So we postponed exchanging family gifts and eating Christmas dinner until that Saturday, which made Christmas feel very uneventful. My MIL didn't want to cook two big dinners, so we didn't end up doing anything for Christmas.

This year, they have decided they are coming for Christmas Eve, but they are leaving Christmas morning to go to her family. So the in-laws want to do Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, but they also want us all to come there on Christmas morning to exchange family gifts before they leave. I had already envisioned Christmas morning relaxing at home with just my family while my kids open presents, not rushing to get everyone dressed and over to the in-laws.

Am I being too stubborn if I say I don't want to go there Christmas morning, because I would rather spend it at my own house? How does everyone else handle conflicting schedules for Christmas? Do you cater to everyone else's schedule, or do you keep the same traditions every year regardless of who can make it?