Over the Shock and GALing 6

[Thinker]

You are talking about minimizing your *wife's* contact, not yours. I would certainly give her that option, guilt-free, if she can't handle them.

I have given my W this option on a number of occastions: "I am going to visit my parents and taking the kids with me. I'd love it if you would come, but understand if you don't. Why don't you stay and enjoy a relaxing weekend alone"

Each time, she get's angry and ends up going. I finally figured out that even more than not wanting to go, she does not want to be perceived by my family as not wanting to go.

This is why I disagree with you a bit Kettricken. This isn't a mutual friend. This is MY family. She has no reason to have any relationship with them except that she is married to me. If this were a mutual friend, she would just back off from the friendship. She can't do that without pulling away from her kids grandparents.