Holidays come with a built-in promise of family time, unless someone keeps stretching the definition of “family.”

In this story, when one woman noticed her sister-in-law had added two non-family members to every gathering for a year, the awkwardness started outweighing the togetherness.

Read on to see how she handled it.

AITA for getting annoyed that my sister-in-law’s sister and her ex-partner are invited to family events

So, spring last year my sister-in-law’s sister broke up with her girlfriend.

They carried on living together which they deemed as awkward, but they wanted to remain friends and lived together until they found their own places.

So when the holidays came around, there was some confusion around the plans.

Christmas comes and my sister-in-law speaks to my mum and asks if her sister can join us all for Christmas. My mum and dad normally host.

I don’t think anyone should be alone at Christmas, and she doesn’t have other family to spend it with so of course that was all fine.

Then all of a sudden the sister’s ex-partner is coming for Christmas too.

This was starting to make her feel pretty uncomfortable.

I didn’t understand why considering she has family who she was going to spend it with, but for whatever reason she asks my sister-in-law to ask whether she can join us too.

I still don’t know why this happened and the whole affair was bizarre.

Probably an overreaction but it didn’t feel like Christmas, and I didn’t feel comfortable talking to my family properly or relaxing in that environment.

Then there was a bit of a mix-up about the gifts.

I think what rubbed me the wrong way as well was, we all got the two of them presents to open, and they didn’t think to get a little something for my parents.

To me it’s manners to bring the host of any event something to thank them, whether it’s flowers, chocolate or alcohol for example.

Then yet another family celebration goes off the rails.

Anyhow. My brother’s birthday then comes around and the only details I know is that he’s booked a restaurant and wanted myself and my husband to come along with my mum & dad.

We turn up and the sister and ex-partner are there too.

At this point I’m a bit lost in terms of their dynamic, because my SIL has made it clear she doesn’t like the ex-partner.

It was another evening of not catching up properly with my family.

It’s starting to shift the entire family dynamic.

I understand they’re friends but they’re not family and it just makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable, almost like my husband and I are the outsiders.

There’s now the discussion of booking a family holiday for summer next year.

I openly asked them if that meant the sister and ex-partner are invited to too, and implied that I wouldn’t be comfortable with them joining us.

AITA for saying I don’t want them to come?

What an awkward situation.

Let’s see what Reddit had to say?

This commenter wonders if this woman is just being mean-spirited.

This commenter is having a bit of a hard time following the story.

This user advises her to just grin and bear it.

Deciding the guest list is usually reserved for the host.

Not her event, not her guest list.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a bride who was shocked to find her mother’s reception seat taken by a stranger who refused to move.