Ok so here is the background DM has helped out with childcare for the past couple of years, 1 day a week in school time. We've been extremely grateful and throughout this time we've always helped out with her and DFs jobs around the house, shopping, looking after house and dog when away etc etc. It's just been a typical family thing!
Now DM and DF have just got a big extension on their house, it needs floors laying, plastering and decorating throughout, as well as a replacement of the kitchen. DH is very capable of all these things - its what he does as a self employed person. DM and DF are now expecting DH to do all this work without any pay as a payback favour for the childcare. I'm a bit taken back by this as 1) I didn't realise they were counting up the hours for repayment - I've never had an issue with helping them out etc but this is something else? 2) It'll take DH about a month of work, on his own - no help, that means a month of him not earning and we can't really afford that and turning down other jobs from regualr customers, 3) I dislike the expectation and pressure on DH when they didn't ever ask just presumed. When I tried to gently raise it they said we owed them and when DH offered to put in time at weekends if they brought in other people to do big jobs they said we were ungrateful.
DM has always been a bit tricky but I feel like this could lead to a family fallout... I know they've been good to us, and I want to return the favour, but genuinely can't afford it at the moment!
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
AIBU?
How to handle this awkward situation... Mother, DH and house....
64 replies
FantaFoo · 19/09/2016 21:20
OP posts:
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.