Man Says His Family Got Upset After He Refused to Ban Alcohol from His Christmas Party
The man explained in a Reddit post that his brother's new girlfriend does not allow her kids to be "around people who drink"
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A family toasting with glasses of wine (stock image)A man’s family grew divided after his older brother asked him to ban alcohol from his Christmas celebrations to accommodate his new girlfriend.
In a post on Reddit's Am I the A------? forum, the man wrote that he and his wife typically host their families over the Christmas holiday. They have a large, multicultural family and welcome more than 50 people "in and out" of their house on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
"There’s lots of mixing of cultures because who doesn’t want tequila and tamales," he wrote. "I’m often gifted drinks, and my wife likes wine."
This year, however, the holiday plans hit a snag due to his older brother Mike's new relationship. Mike is dating a woman, Jenny, who has three kids whom the OP (original poster) and his wife "only met briefly over the summer." The kids are "not allowed around people who drink."
Because of that, Mike asked his brother to "ban all alcohol at Christmas" from his house.
"My mother backs him up, saying it’s unnecessary to have all those [adults] around children even though I have 2 of my own and my children love the loud, bustling house at Christmas and playing with their cousins," the OP wrote.
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He added that there are no other children on his side of the family and he doesn’t want to change his holiday traditions to accommodate Jenny. He also noted that Jenny’s children believe in Santa Claus and Elf on the Shelf, which are not big traditions in his family, so he doesn’t "know how my children or their cousins would react to all of that if it was brought up."
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A group of people holding drinks (stock image)The man offered a future solution to their problem, suggesting that next year their mother could host Christmas at her home. He also suggested that Mike and Jenny could take on hosting duties "if they are still together." But ultimately, he said, he does not want to ban alcohol from his festivities or make his kids adjust to new customs.
"It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, so I think Jenny and her kids should stay at home," he wrote, before asking fellow Redditors if he's in the wrong in the situation.
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In the comments section, many people agreed that the OP was right to establish his boundaries and not cave to Jenny’s demands.
“Jenny seems high-maintenance and reeking of entitlement,” one person wrote. “Her priority, as a newcomer to this large family, should be to get to know others, insert herself and her children into what seems [like] a wonderfully blended group of adults and children.”
Another commenter added, “It's your house. This woman doesn't get to dictate if you have alcohol or not. If she's got a problem with it then she doesn't have to attend. Tell your brother you are not going to dumb down your Christmas to suit his girlfriend. It was selfish of him to ask.”
A third person echoed the previous two comments and suggested that Jenny and her children should ring in the holiday at their own home.
“It’s your house, your rules. You shouldn’t have to change your life and everyone else for the sake of just one other [person]," they wrote. "If Jenny feels like your home may not be appropriate for her and her children then she should stay where she can control the environment for her family her way."
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