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Anyone have those particular guests who arrive "fashionably late" for a dinner you have slaved over?
Mine was always my mother. There were years when my dinner would be ruined by her lateness. It got to the point we told her dinner was an hour earlier than I planned. That didn't work-she'd still be late. So we upped it to 2 hrs. and she'd just make it.
Also one year for T-giving my sister and family went to Mom's house first and she FED them sandwiches and potato salad as she thought they'd be hungry after their 1 hr trip!!!!!!! Needless to say-they weren't very hungry when they got to our home. rrrrgggghhhh.
I would serve dinner on time, and offer to warm stuff up for them when they arrived...sweet as pie. I bet after a few times of missing the whole dinner they would make more of an effort to get with the program.
This is about control and self importance on their part, and I don't let people control me like that.
Right on the mark-my mother has to be in control! Many times we said we would eat and hand her a bologna sandwich-my poor Father would be so worked up because of her lateness. Me-I am always on time.
I'm always on time and expect others to be that way also.
I hang out with this one group of ladies, (go to lunch, movies, etc.) and there was one woman who turned up late all the time. We had a talk with her and she became offended (God forbid) and doesn't speak to any of us anymore. Her loss.
In the case of your mom being late, if you haven't said anything to her yet, now is the time to say something. If she still chooses not to respect your wishes, eat without her one time and she'll get the hint.
I would serve dinner on time, and offer to warm stuff up for them when they arrived...sweet as pie. I bet after a few times of missing the whole dinner they would make more of an effort to get with the program.
This is about control and self importance on their part, and I don't let people control me like that.
Perfect! Everyone sit down and start eating at the appointed time. When the late guests arrive, let them sit down to a cold meal, or graciously offer to toss a plate of food in the nuker!
Serve dinner on time. Any one who is late will feel embarrassed. That's their problem, not yours!
I had a friend (now dead) who used to show up to everything late. That way, it was all about her. This person was so manipulative. She used people up and then moved on to another. Eventually she pass away in her sleep, alone.
If they can't be bothered to be on time then they don't eat ( unless they have a very good reason like car problems for example of course). Simple. Have the dinner at the time you invited them for and when they turn up show them the kitchen and tell them to make themselves some sandwiches if they feel like it or hand them the pizza take-out menu. Put your feet up and let them make their own dinner. You deserve to be treated with respect.
It's incredibly rude, disrespectful and thoughtless to treat your hosts ( whether family or not) with such contempt. They deserve to be treated like toddlers and taught a lesson.
I loathe people who are tardy and would just refuse to be treated this way. Your mother obviously has some control issues, so it's time to take the reins back and show her who's "boss" in your own home.
My brother & his wife always would arrive 2hrs late for our family dinners when our parents were alive. After this happened only a couple of times we went ahead & started to eat anyway without them.
I believe there were a few times my father fibbed to my brother & told him a dinnertime ahead 2 hrs just so they might make it earlier. I think that method may have worked once or twice. My brother is a terrible procrastinator & I don't think that ever changes.
I think it's fine to wait about 20 minutes. Whenever I invite dinner guests for a specific time, I have appetizers out before that time. If everyone arrives before the 20-minutes-late mark, then we can sit down to dinner. But 20 minutes is the definite deadline. Although I realize your situation is a power issue, in other instances there can always be issues such as traffic, or a late babysitter, so a bit of leeway is good. After the buffer time, I completely agree that you need to have your dinner with or without them.
My brother will be late for Thanksgiving i'm sure of it, hes a late riser and always has been so we will just have his plate out with the settings and whenever he shows is ok.
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Put your feet up and let them make their own dinner. You deserve to be treated with respect. 
Ditto here - don't make your other guests wait.
. I think that method may have worked once or twice. My brother is a terrible procrastinator & I don't think that ever changes.
