Family Matters
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help!!

my inlaws are getting divorced...my MIL wants her and my 15year old bro in law to move in with us until they get a house built. they let us live with them for about a year when we first got together, so the hubs feels obligated...i dont mind i love my MIL,  but still we have only been married 3 1/2 years, weneed space...idk what to do...any ideas???

Re: help!!

  • I just lived with my ILs for two months this year with an infant and a toddler. The best things we did were to have separate bathrooms. Also, we openly discussed how groceries, laundry, and cleaning chores would be handled. We discussed meal planning and who would make what meals (we agreed that breakfasts and lunches were on our own, but that MIL and I would swap nights for dinners). I started the conversations with MIL and FIL. I simply stated that I valued the realtionship and that I wanted to respect their space and time. I wanted to have specifics so we each knew what should and should not happen. With a 15 year old BIL, you may need to set guidelines around his friends visiting or GFs visiting and to also let him know that he isn't welcome to create messes in your home and walk away from them (sorry, many teenage boys are this way).
  • I am against family living with you for many many reasons:

    Not a great idea
    Lots can go wrong
    Your place will not really be your place
    And if something happens (they don't like it there, they don't keep up with paying you room and board, turns out they are slobs/neatniks and it gets on your last nerve, etc) it can cause bad blood between you and the MIL/BIL.

    Let her rent a 2 bedroom apartment until the house is done --- and NO, your husband is NOT "obligated."

    He needs to cut the apron strings and tell his mother "sorry mom, but my wife and I do not think this is a good idea."

    And if she does not like it, well, that's life. Let her be a grown adult and take it on the chin, no hard feelings.

    And if she does have hard feelings to the point where she whines and/or refuses to talk to you and H ever again...that's life, too.

  • If there's any way you can make it work, you should.

    Your MIL helped you when you needed it, and the reason you don't want to reciprocate is you need your space? I'm sure your MIL needed HER space when you lived with her for almost a year, but that didn't stop her from putting her needs aside to help you and your husband.

    I think it's very selfish to refuse to help because 'you've only been married x number of years and you need your space'. That's a BS excuse. You can still make your own time with your husband, and keep your lives as close to normal as possible- unless you walk around the house naked all day, what's the big deal?

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  • imagejez_girl:

    If there's any way you can make it work, you should.

    Your MIL helped you when you needed it, and the reason you don't want to reciprocate is you need your space? I'm sure your MIL needed HER space when you lived with her for almost a year, but that didn't stop her from putting her needs aside to help you and your husband.

    I think it's very selfish to refuse to help because 'you've only been married x number of years and you need your space'. That's a BS excuse. You can still make your own time with your husband, and keep your lives as close to normal as possible- unless you walk around the house naked all day, what's the big deal?

    I agree. She helped you guys out, now it's your turn to help her out. Good luck.
  • imageTarponMonoxide:

    I am against family living with you for many many reasons:

    Not a great idea
    Lots can go wrong
    Your place will not really be your place
    And if something happens (they don't like it there, they don't keep up with paying you room and board, turns out they are slobs/neatniks and it gets on your last nerve, etc) it can cause bad blood between you and the MIL/BIL.

    Let her rent a 2 bedroom apartment until the house is done --- and NO, your husband is NOT "obligated."

    He needs to cut the apron strings and tell his mother "sorry mom, but my wife and I do not think this is a good idea."

    And if she does not like it, well, that's life. Let her be a grown adult and take it on the chin, no hard feelings.

    And if she does have hard feelings to the point where she whines and/or refuses to talk to you and H ever again...that's life, too.

    Honestly, if the OP had not been an "non-grown adult" at one point, I would agree with you. But I find it selfish that THEY were able to get over being a "newly married couple" when THEY needed the monetary assistance, but now that THEY dont need help, its rude.
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  • its not that i dont want to help  i just am afraid the divorce will affect us, my FIL is living across the road from us and this might make it awkward fore everyone
  • imagejez_girl:

    If there's any way you can make it work, you should.

    Your MIL helped you when you needed it, and the reason you don't want to reciprocate is you need your space? I'm sure your MIL needed HER space when you lived with her for almost a year, but that didn't stop her from putting her needs aside to help you and your husband.

    I think it's very selfish to refuse to help because 'you've only been married x number of years and you need your space'. That's a BS excuse. You can still make your own time with your husband, and keep your lives as close to normal as possible- unless you walk around the house naked all day, what's the big deal?

    Basically this.  Your "excuse"of  "we've only been married 3.5 years and need our space" falls REALLY flat.  I'm not sure what "only" 3.5 years really even means. 

     I will say that if you hadn't lived w /her, my answer would probably be different.  But as you needed her help, I actually fully understand why your DH feels obligated.  I probably would feel that way too.

    However, have a talk about expectations, rules, etc.  Have a timeline.  HOw long is this house going to take to be built?  What are their plans if it takes longer/ or something falls through and they don't buy it?

    Talk out all expectations.  Bills, tv time, food, and so forth.

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  • Not to be rude but she probably wanted space when you moved in for a year, now it's your turn to help her out.

     

  • imagevpine:

    Not to be rude but she probably wanted space when you moved in for a year, now it's your turn to help her out.

     

    My thoughts exactly.  I don't get the only 3.5 years.

    You did mean years right? And not months?

  • at what point will you not 'need space' any more? 6 years? 10 years? that's a weak argument. if you dont want them to move it then they dont have to. why dont they just rent an apartment? howlong does it take to build this house? have they signed all of the papers for it? is this what they're really doing or just thinking of?
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  • imageMommyLiberty5013:
    I just lived with my ILs for two months this year with an infant and a toddler. The best things we did were to have separate bathrooms. Also, we openly discussed how groceries, laundry, and cleaning chores would be handled. We discussed meal planning and who would make what meals (we agreed that breakfasts and lunches were on our own, but that MIL and I would swap nights for dinners). I started the conversations with MIL and FIL. I simply stated that I valued the realtionship and that I wanted to respect their space and time. I wanted to have specifics so we each knew what should and should not happen. With a 15 year old BIL, you may need to set guidelines around his friends visiting or GFs visiting and to also let him know that he isn't welcome to create messes in your home and walk away from them (sorry, many teenage boys are this way).

    I agree with this, especially the bolded part. I would definitely help them out but would make sure there was one hell of a plan set in stone before venturing into any of it. Everyone's sanity, as well as the relationships, needs to be protected. 

    I also don't understand what being married for X years has anything to do with it.  

  • It's not crazy to want your own space, but you did live with them for almost a year. I'm sure your MIL is not crazy about having to move in with her grown son and his wife, but it may be her best option right now. 

    I think you should set a time, say after 8months, it seems like this may turn into a much longer solution than you originally thought you should reevaluate it.  

    ~Emily~
  • If you had not lived with her when you needed to, I would not feel the same way. But you did, and I think you should help her out now. 

    Get rules, routines, and expectations laid out to make it easier on all of you.

    Also, she must know that her soon to be exH is living across the road from you. She must really need the help to want to put up with that. I understand why your H feels obligated, given that you stayed with her.

    I would not be happy about it if I were you but I think you should help her. 

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