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AIBU?

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Would it be unreasonable to tell my housemate I won't help her anymore if she has another child?

117 replies

AmyCakeMaker · 23/03/2025 08:56

I have been friends with Jodie for several years and we have lived together for a while now and 2 years ago, Jo had her daughter (Susie). We get along and don't have any problems.

I have helped Jo with Susie a lot in different ways (distracting, playing, supporting with appointments etc). Susie's dad is not around and Jodie's family only help out occasionally, but because they have their own children, jobs, health etc they are not around as much.

Jo struggles a lot with Susie and can't handle temper tantrums, so I didn't mind helping Jo. However, as time went on, it became more helping out.

I am currently 5 and a half months pregnant and yesterday Jo said to me that she wants another baby and plans on getting pregnant soon (she didn't go into specifics about how she plans on doing it) because Susie should have a sibling. The thing is Susie is a jealous child and already I can see some jealousy problems from when my child is born.

If she did have another child, I won't be helping out because I will be focusing on my own child first and I won't have the time, energy for my child, Susie, Jo and another baby.

Although she hasn't said anything, but I wonder if she's hoping because I will be going on maternity in a few weeks that I will be around more and can support her with Susie and her pregnancy.

Would it be unreasonable to tell her that I won't support her if she has another baby?

Unfortunately, in this area I would struggle to find a suitable house/flat and would not be in a good place financially if I moved out, so that's not an option. I also don't have any close family and other friends don't have the space.

OP posts:
Heronwatcher · 23/03/2025 10:52

If you expect to continue living alongside this person then yes YWBU, especially if it’s her house.

I would try as much as possible to (a) politely distance myself from the friend and susie, maybe if she has to care properly for susie she’ll think twice about having another, and (b) do everything possible to find somewhere else to live before your own baby is born. I can absolutely guarantee that as soon as you have your own baby this whole arrangement is going to fall apart so you need to be prepared (housing lists, savings etc).

Hwi · 23/03/2025 10:46

Leave this commune asap! What is this nonsense, living with a 'friend'? Concentrate on yourself and your child, not the commune!

Silvertulips · 23/03/2025 10:42

Where’s your babies father in alll this? Is he supporting you?

RockyRogue1001 · 23/03/2025 10:42

MinistryofThyme · 23/03/2025 09:25

So in two weeks she’s gone from breaking down and not being able to handle her child’s wild tantrums, to saying she’s going to have another child?

Interesting

varden · 23/03/2025 10:40

You will soon have three kids to look after. Yours, the current child Susie, and the next one that Jodie is planning to have.

Sounds like a great set up. Hmm.

To be blunt, if you can't or won't move out you will have to accept that this is your life going forward. So can you think of anything yourself that will make your life better for you and your baby?

gamerchick · 23/03/2025 10:31

Sorry OP, there are no options than to move out. You can't say you won't help, it'll be a default.

Tell her you won't be helping out anymore. It might put her off. She needs to parent her kid.

Takersgonnatake · 23/03/2025 10:25

I voted you are unreasonable for bringing another apparently fatherless child into this sorry mess, not so much for telling “Jodie” you won’t be available to help out with whatever poor disadvantaged kid she produces. Feckless much?

Sarah2891 · 23/03/2025 10:23

This reply has been deleted

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herbalteabag · 23/03/2025 10:23

I don't really understand why the two of you seem to be having/planning babies with no parental input from either father from the outset.
Anyway, with potentially three children growing up together, trying to bring them up completely separately is unlikely to work.

faerietales · 23/03/2025 10:20

DontEraseMe · 23/03/2025 10:16

I think you’re getting an unnecessarily hard time OP

She really isn't. There are innocent kids being brought into this.

orangewasp · 23/03/2025 10:18

DontEraseMe · 23/03/2025 10:16

I think you’re getting an unnecessarily hard time OP

I don't - neither if you should be having children when you don't have the resources and capacity to support them.

Dita73 · 23/03/2025 10:18

Why the hell are any of you having babies in the first place. The whole situation is completely unstable

DontEraseMe · 23/03/2025 10:16

I think you’re getting an unnecessarily hard time OP

TunipTheVegimal24 · 23/03/2025 10:16

femfemlicious · 23/03/2025 10:13

You should tell her you will no longer be able to help after your baby is born because you will be focused on your new baby. 2 things could happen.

  1. She agrees and accepts that
  2. She may ask you to leave then you can go to the council and be housed while you work on getting on your feet. No more babies in the mean time PLEASE!

Or

  1. She smiles and nods, but then carries on expecting help and trying to manipulate OP into doing childcare.
Bellavida99 · 23/03/2025 10:15

So is this a 5 bedroom house so everyone has a bedroom including the new babies? Do the dads get on all living there too? I thought you’d have wanted a house just for you, your partner and new baby to live in. This seems a strange set up.

femfemlicious · 23/03/2025 10:13

You should tell her you will no longer be able to help after your baby is born because you will be focused on your new baby. 2 things could happen.

  1. She agrees and accepts that
  2. She may ask you to leave then you can go to the council and be housed while you work on getting on your feet. No more babies in the mean time PLEASE!
faerietales · 23/03/2025 10:12

It's not your business whether Jodie (Amber?) has another baby or not. It's her house, not yours.

You shouldn't have got pregnant while living with your friend.

I feel sorry for all the kids involved here.

TunipTheVegimal24 · 23/03/2025 10:10

If you stay living where you are, both you and Jodie are essentially co-parenting two or potentially more children. I think it's going to be pointless saying you'll "be focusing on your own baby" or similar, because you will be living in a house with Susie too, who won't make that distinction.

It could actually be really good I think, if you fully embrace it. You and Jodie will need a frank conversation (whether or not either of you have any more children), and to decide how you are jointly going to parent your children. Your children will feel to each other, to be siblings, as they will be growing up in the same household. If for example Susie isn't allowed sugar, and New Baby is, it really won't work, as the children will see it as unfair, and won't care that "it's because Jodie's mum says different".

So many single mums on here, saying that they struggle. You and Jodie could have all the support of each other, without the constraints of a husband or equivalent.

But living as two "single mums", under one roof, is nonsensical. So you need to make a decision about how you see the next few decades playing out.

Picklepower · 23/03/2025 10:10

Do you live in some sort of commune?.

RedToothBrush · 23/03/2025 10:09

YABU

You can't dictate how many children someone else has.

The living arrangements clearly are no longer working for you. Focus on this and how you resolve this (the answer is you stop living together).

Goldiefrocks · 23/03/2025 10:06

neither of you should be bringing babies into this arrangement.

purpleblue2 · 23/03/2025 10:03

I’d personally say it’s none of your business or issue if she has another child and is personally say you shouldn’t black mail her into it either. Let a grown woman make her own life choices

Motnight · 23/03/2025 10:01

I've read this before.

Cherrysoup · 23/03/2025 10:01

You need to move out or at the very least withdraw from supporting her so much. Why have you posted the same thing twice?

Radish81 · 23/03/2025 10:00

Are you not living with your partner with op?

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