Entitled sister-in-law throws a temper tantrum ahead of Thanksgiving over who's cooking what, host gets even by taking over the gravy: 'Well, we'll just see, won't we?'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 13, 2025 8:00 AM EST
A woman prepares foot on a cutting board in the kitchen while a man prepares food in the background.

This year for Thanksgiving, let's try not to lose our patience like this sister-in-law did.

Of course, we are empathetic about the fact that organizing a meal for upward of ten adults can be a stress-inducing endeavor for anyone. That being said, in this case, the person who was close to losing their mind was not even the host of the entire event. That would be the author, who was trying to alleviate the pressure and workload that her entitled sister-in-law fully volunteered to take on by suggesting that she contribute more dishes of her own.

Apparently, that gesture was not well-received because the sister-in-law proceeded to completely implode as the weeks approached. This ultimately prompted the host to get even when it came to her niece's gravy, which she left at her place. Keep scrolling below for the full story and check out the reaction from members of the online community, who shared their own Thanksgiving family drama stories.

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  • A display of Thanksgiving food including a cooked turkey and a bowl of brussel sprouts.
    via Unsplash+ (Michael T)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The funny thing about helping family members out on Thanksgiving is that the types of personalities who take on the majority of the work are often not the kind of people who will let others help. When this happens, those folks frankly should lose the right to complain about the amount of cooking and preparation they have on their plate. Nine times out of ten, someone offered to help, and these people have to face the fact that they chose to do it all by themselves. It doesn't have to be that way, but it often is when the holidays come around…

  • "A Thanksgiving Tale"

    In terms of pettiness, welp, this is pretty petty. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda Thanksgiving was held at my house three days ago.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • It was the first year it has been at my house since my MIL moved to a senior living apartment.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • I have two sisters in law. One is good- GSIL and one is a b_ch- BSIL. Well, BSIL actually made all the arrangements about who was to bring what.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • The only thing we had to make is onions in roasted g garlic cream sauce (me) and apple pie (DH).
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • I said I wanted to make a bread stuffing (MIL makes a french- canadian meat stuffing). I also offered to cook one of the turkeys (I make the broth for the stuffing from a turkey neck) Well, BSIL threw a fit about this (all my work for three days!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • I guess I'll just wait to see what Stinkypie wants to make (IN HER OWN HOUSE)blah, blah, blah.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • I told her that there's nothing wrong with two stuffings and I thought to save my niece the trouble of cooking two turkeys.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • She kept yammering, so I told her to stop stirring the turd. Radio silence after that!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • Thanksgiving day, were supposed to eat at two. BSIL and niece arrive at 2:45 with the turkeys, veg, and stock for the gravy.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • MIL has to leave by four, as she doesn't like to drive in the dark. Because of all the d ing around over the making the gravy (I offered to help, BSIL said no one can touch niece's gravy, then they went out to sm a b for 25 minutes.) It is really good gravy-one of the ingredients is riced giblets- gives it a nice, rich flavor.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • We ended up sitting down to eat at 3:30. MIL has to leave at four, and as if it's a signal, BSIL, her bf, niece and her bf MUST LEAVE!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • they dump their plates (my mother's china) into the sink, without scraping or separating our the silver, then they attacked the leftovers and left.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • When the last guests left, I took stock-a ha messy kitchen, no mashed potatoes, no turnips, no stuffing (luckily I had made some stuffing muffins that they didn't see) no white meat or carcass-just four turkey legs, a huge bowl of parsnips and...all of the gravy!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • They were in such a hurry, they neglected to take that good gravy home! Later BSIL asked me if niece had put some aside for her, I replied HAHAHAHA.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • The next day, I got our a big bowl, put some dark meat in it, sprinkled a stuffing muffin on top then poured about two cups of hot gravy on top.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • I had to take a picture of it and share my yummy 'Thanksgiving soup" with the fam.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • TL/DR: SIL plays bach games, earns ab_ch prize
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • A woman holds a tray with a cooked turkey on it and displays it to another person.
    via Unsplash+ (Michael T)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • OP StinkypieTicklebum I didn't fight because I am quite fond of my MIL, and they'd already left by the time I noticed how much they'd taken. My husband didn't see it (hosting but not cooking) as a problem-he thought I'd be relieved not to have to cook anything.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • ChaiHai What I wonder is why you OR your husband didn't fight her on this. IT'S YOUR HOME!!! You deal with the mess, you host, YOU get to cook and stuff the raccoons getting into your trash if that's what pleases you. They should get no say in what YOU cook in YOUR kitchen. Both you and your husband need to present an united front on this.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum Oh, you betcha! BSIL kept muttering to me "next year, when it's at my place...." Well, we'll just see, won't we?
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • abishop711 I think Chai was thinking that some boundaries should have been set by both of you before they even got there. You were the host - BSIL has no place telling who to cook/bring what. No. worries though next year make sure that you have planned the essentials to be ready to go when you want to eat, eat with whoever is there at the time you designated, and if BSIL wants to arrive 45 minutes late and then smoke a bowl, then they can have cold food and eat by themselves.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum That would have left SBIL in my house unsupervised!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • Tag TeamStripper I would have offered to drive MIL's car to take her home and have your husband follow to give you a ride back so dinner wouldn't have been rushed, at least for you, DH, and MIL. Good riddance to the others though.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum Sorry dear-1st para is pre- Thanksgiving, 2nd para is the day of. I hope that helps...
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • Lapurrau Im I too hangover to read this? Bc wtf i seriously did not understand a thing
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum Well, sure, I'd like to have cold- cocked her...not sure that would help. I was a little peeved that she took it on herself to 1. ask DH if we could host rather than ask me and 2. delegate dishes. However, this was a done deal. My husband is on the spectrum and does not get nuance-especially when BSIL is concerned. I chose not to make a big deal about it. When she gave me clapback about what I wanted to make, I shut her right down. I could have made a big fat hairy deal abo
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • Maybe_Not_The_Pope So you hosted Thanksgiving and let someone else delegate the cooking. After that, you went against what was established anyway and did different things. Then you complain when things didnt work out perfectly. You could've grown a spine several times and fixed this, you're the one to blame here.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum That's right- neither BSIL nor nasty niece got any of that good gravy. I then took a picture of my thanksgiving soup (bowl of gravy with some stuffing and dark meat sprinkled on.) Told you it was petty!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • krrm Its so confusing, i dont even understand what the petty part was.. she didnt get gravy??
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum Nah, GSIL, her DH and a few other people were still around. Also, MIL didn't tell us about having to leave at 4 until she got here around 12:30 (when we expected everyone, really)
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • pixelated_fun I think what they are trying to say is MIL could have stayed as long as she/you wanted. When she was ready to go, everyone would have left.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum something to be thankful for!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • iheyjuall 2018 and families are smoking bowls on Thanksgiving like it ain't no thang. I love it!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum Just bake in muffin tins. It's great!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • nacholobster Please tell me more about these stuffing muffins.
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • OP StinkypieTicklebum Can't eat at 2 if the food isn't there yet!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • melancholymonday The only "error" I see is that you waited for them. Dinner is at 2:00? Then dinner is at 2:00. I agree that MIL points are worth a lot tho!
    via StinkypieTicklebum
  • A woman prepares foot on a cutting board in the kitchen while a man prepares food in the background.
    via Unsplash+ (Michael T)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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family drama thanksgiving family feud sister in law entitled people karma mother in law family happy thanksgiving entitled people
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