Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In-laws "tidying up" - maddening!

103 replies

ChirpyBee · 21/12/2024 20:15

In laws live about 3 hours away, so when they come round they stay over for a few nights. Which is fine, but one very annoying thing they do is to "help" us around the house.

Putting pans from drying rack away in cupboards etc, general tidying of the house. However since they don't live here they obviously don't know where anything goes and just put it anywhere they please!! So for the duration they're here and for days afterwords I can't find anything!! Can't find the pan I'm looking for, DCs toys in all the wrong places and jumbled up, toothbrushes, DC medicines. And the worst part is, I'm supposed to be grateful for the help?!

I tell them not to, surely it's the easiest thing in the world to relax and not do housework? Then apparently I'm being horrible as I don't appreciate it and make them think they're doing it wrong (which they are).

Not the biggest deal in the world and it probably does piss me off irrationally more than it should but am I really being unreasonable?! Nothing will change because honestly no matter what I say they just keep doing it.

OP posts:
DottyDodger · 22/12/2024 00:29

This used to wind me up too. My exmil used to clean EVERYTHING and it drove me mad. My mom comes and refuses to empty the dishwasher because she doesn't know where things (she bloody well does, she just doesnt want to!).

My current in-laws do bugger all. They stay with us for over a week every year and don't lift a finger - I cook/clean/run around for a week while they're on their holidays. This is 100x worse than getting it wrong, trust me.

Pottedpalm · 22/12/2024 00:07

Show them where things go.

Endofyear · 21/12/2024 23:53

YANBU it's annoying. Have you told them that you know they're trying to be helpful but it's not actually helpful to keep putting your things away in the wrong place so you can't find them? I think I'd be tempted to have a few jobs for them to do while they're staying with you so they can feel useful? Help with the ironing/sewing on nametags/buttons/taking up hems or gardening would actually be useful! Or giving the bathroom a good scrub!