Would your extended family want to mooch off you?

[patandchickens]

Don't really have much of an extended family My own family, such as it is (my parents are in their mid 80s, and I have a sister) is in the States, which of course complicates the issue. I have various cousins and stuff but could not begin to tell you where they live much less their current surnames and am quite sure they couldn't for me, either. DH has hardly any family at all, immediate nor extended, and what there is would undoubtedly be out there stockpiling generators and cans of salmon on their own, if it came to that.

Pat

 

[Cassandra]

My parents and my sister & brother & I .... I think we'd make a pretty good disaster team. If we had to rough it out in the woods, I wouldn't mind being stranded with them.

My sister's husband, also, I think would be very handy to have around. He's very... ummm... a go-getter, I guess I could say. I believe he could chase down a deer and strangle it to death without batting an eye!

My brother's wife, well I don't know her very well. She seems nice enough and I think she would be happy to pitch in where she was able, but I don't know how helpful she would be.

I don't know about my husband's family (his mom, sister, and sister's husband.) I think they'd be pretty hopeless in a serious situation. But they don't speak to us half the time cause they get their feelings hurt over one thing or another and I just don't have time for the dramatics. I'm not sure if they would call on us or not. If they did, of course they would be welcome.

I have a great giant extended family. Both of my parents had seven siblings. I only have anything to do with my aunt Susan (mom's sister) & her husband. I am very close with them and they are great sportsmen, so I would be glad to have them on my team. The rest of my aunts & uncles & 40 something cousins... I hardly know them.

Cassandra

 

[dacjohns]

I don't think there would be much mooching. We would all share what we have with each other. I think my wife and I would be giving more than we would receive but everyone would pitch in however they could.

They better not complain about home made whole wheat bread though.

 

[unclejoe]

Not here. The closest relatives are about 120 miles north of us.

 

[punkin]

my family is close and the sister in laws are nice people and all the kids are good...aunts and uncles are super nice people.........so for me, no mooching here. All of us are so independent types....so we would all be offering help to each other, and everyone trying to offer each other more than the other....whew....confusing..HA HA

but nah, no mooching here. we all have some skills to bring to the table when needed if it came to that and we are the type that would work as a team to make it thru whatever. I am lucky. Tony's family....same way. Great people (with the exception of his Dads sister-in-law...white trash big time and moochers and wouldn't even think of asking Tony for help...cause they know they wouldn't get it..LOL)

FarmerChick, you mentioned my greatest quandry. We have those in our family who would not bring anything to the table. They have no skills, nor would they ever even make the attempt to help out. Then there are those who would jump in without hesitation and gladly carry their share. My dad is 83 and still a crack shot, preserves food and can garden me to the ground. Others are couch potatoes, want everything done for them and then complain about what you do. (My little 19 chickens would only go so far ) I guess what I'm saying is that it would be easier to do for some than it would be for others.

 

[Farmfresh]

Just another ANT here.

They already mooch. They talk to others, me and amongst themselves about how I like to "play" in my garden and with my animals. They talk about the "fun" I have canning, making soap, and sewing. They gripe when I won't watch TV with them or go running about on a whim.

Yet ... The whole Hee Haw gang eats only the chicken I raise. Won't eat that "corn from the store". Gripe if we run out of black raspberry jam. Bathe exclusively with the soap I make and moisturize with the potions I mix.

So when the SHTFan I suppose I will still be an ANT... No changes expected here.

But maybe ... just maybe ... they will be more willing to help.

 

[FarmerChick]

yea punkin---I think everyone has that "useless" person in their family somewhere down the line...LOL....just the ones that are jealous of others and what they have, are not willing to work for it, take from others and seek help from the church and such cause they think they DESERVE it, and truly believe that.....like they work so hard doing nothing all day, but they feel they are getting the short end of the stick.

What kills me is they truly believe they get shafted...LOL...not willing to earn anything, not willing to work for it, not willing to give back to anyone, always jealous of others...UGH.... Those types just got no place on my food chain..LOL...no chickens for them and I got 400 I could eat..HA HA

Sometimes the cold hard fact is that some point in life, when ya need help and ya crapp*ed on family, how far would I go to help them.....not far. A little food to survive but they ain't getting it all by any means...LOL----so I guess they would feel super shafted in life again...so be it..HA HA

 

[krjwaj]

No, they wouldn't mooch. We all lead different lives and do our own thing. I think my family is still trying to figure out the keeping chickens fo the sake of eggs thing. We are much more frugal than my sisters and parents. So much that I don't even bring certain things up for discussion.
So, if they asked, I would be happy to share but I don't think they would.

 

[pioneergirl]

Farmfresh
Yesterday 9:40 pm Just another ANT here.

They already mooch. They talk to others, me and amongst themselves about how I like to "play" in my garden and with my animals. They talk about the "fun" I have canning, making soap, and sewing. They gripe when I won't watch TV with them or go running about on a whim.

Yet ... The whole Hee Haw gang eats only the chicken I raise. Won't eat that "corn from the store". Gripe if we run out of black raspberry jam. Bathe exclusively with the soap I make and moisturize with the potions I mix.

So when the SHTFan I suppose I will still be an ANT... No changes expected here.

But maybe ... just maybe ... they will be more willing to help

Funny, I've been using that analogy/story around here alot all summer! They laugh at me for storing, and spending the entire day 'doin' stuff...preserving, etc. Thats ok, I'll be the ANT and not think twice! LOL

 

[MorelCabin]

As long as your extended family lives more than 20 miles away, I don't think you'll have to worry about it much. By the time they figure out what is going on they will not have a way to get to your place unless they walk...they will have depleted thier gas tanks long before...
I think if something *big* happens, the government will try to cover it up as long as they can until it is too late to make any kind of move. I would worry more about my neighbors. My mother and father in law are the only ones within 300 miles, and we would definitely try and help them if we can get to them during a crisis and bring them here.