I'm curious as to how you handle holidays and other times when your LO is around extended family that they don't see often.

We only saw our niece once a year, if that, so until she was probably 7, she'd be really standoffish until we had been there awhile. I completely understood, having grown up far away from family. It wasn't that she wanted to hurt our feelings, we were truly strangers to her and so she was nervous/shy. Her parents would yell at her and force her to give hugs and stuff, but I always avoided her until she was ready to interact. And she always came around, she was usually attached to my hip by the time we had to go.

Our LO will grow up 14 hours from DH's family and see them once a year, if that. I don't want LO to feel forced to give hugs and stuff, I hated seeing how horrified my niece always was.

How do you handle this? I fully intend to ask them to give him a chance to warm up and also for them to reintroduce themselves. My parents also would tell us who we would be seeing and that they loved us and couldn't wait to hug us, so that we knew to expect that and that they weren't really strangers. My side of the family is 2-3 hours away, and I'll ask them to give LO the same courtesies and patience.

What is your strategy? Have you had to deal with this? Was your family receptive?