# Christmas, and how to make siblings take greater responsibility. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357 "2010-12-16T14:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357/41 "2010-12-19T19:39:05Z")
> [@nonacetone](#): > > My husband is an OTR truck driver, and he’d really like some downtime, also. He needs to rest. **Cat Whisperer** has made some very good comments, but can I just pick up on this? Is it going to be safe for your husband to drive? Driving is tiring and as you say, he’s hitting the road the very next day. Could not another member of the family pick up (and deliver back) your daughter so she can attend? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357/42 "2010-12-19T20:02:17Z")
You can’t make your siblings take on more responsibility. You can’t make your siblings stand up to their spouses. You can’t change the fact that you’d feel guilty leaving your parents alone on Christmas. Since you’re the only one who thinks it’s a big deal, then you should be prepared to spend Christmas with your parents. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357/43 "2010-12-19T20:15:57Z")
You’ll only be able to release the resentment when you can embrace it as your choice. Blaming your siblings is just silly, and it’s never going to contribute anything positive to the situation. If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. But don’t blame others for not doing what you choose to do. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357/44 "2010-12-20T00:59:12Z")
Plan an overseas holiday for next Christmas, simple and clean. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357/45 "2010-12-20T06:59:14Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > **Cat Whisperer** has made some very good comments, but can I just pick up on this? Is it going to be safe for your husband to drive? Driving is tiring and as you say, he’s hitting the road the very next day. Could not another member of the family pick up (and deliver back) your daughter so she can attend? Our daughter is 23 years old. She can go herself, if she wants. But, the weather is supposed to be bad, so she won’t be going on her own, if it is. Anyway, it’s up-in-the-air right now if they will be attending at all, really. My husband has to get home on Christmas Eve, first. Then, I guess they’ll decide if they’re going, or not. He won’t know if he’ll make it home in time for the shindig, or if he’ll even make it home until Christmas Day. He won’t know anything until Friday, I imagine. **Cat Whisperer** , I’ve got my evening all figured out, so I’ll be fine here at home. I’ve got several books that I haven’t even started reading, yet, and there will be something interesting on tv, I’m sure. Between that, and the 9 cats (This includes our original 4 cats, and a mother cat that we rescued, along with her 4 kittens), 2 dogs, and 2 ratties, I’ll have lots of things to keep me occupied, _not_ lonely, and laughing. Things will work out just fine for me, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-and-how-to-make-siblings-take-greater-responsibility/564357.md?page=2)