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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WIBU to go nc with toxic DSis?

64 replies

Chichonian · 08/05/2026 11:39

Dsis, DBil and their baby have announced they are coming to our City to visit and need a place to stay. My partner and I have a small 2 bed flat with open living/kitchen area. Currently we use both bedrooms each night as sleeping separately while we manage nights with our baby (who's under one).

To accomodate entitled Dsis, we have already agreed that my partner and baby will go stay with PIL to free up space in the flat. Dsis and DBil have also insisted they need both bedrooms (not sure why, but I guess that's what me and partner do so fair enough..?)

I also have DS (4) staying with me. He is a ginger BSH cat but i truly consider him part of the family. DS likes to move through the flat at night as he has a strong protective instinct, and cries at closed doors. It breaks my heart. Clearly DS needs to be shut away from baby in the crib in bedroom 1, but I see no reason why he shouldn't have free reign into bedroom 2 while I am upstairs on the sofa. He does tend to beg for food after about 5am (foot nibbling etc.) but thats his prerogative and all totally managable.

Toxic Dsis is insisting now that DS be shut out of both bedrooms at night, and I will be left managing heartbroken, screaming baby boy 😪. This feels like the last straw to me, WIBU to cancel the visit and finally go NC?

OP posts:
Stompythedinosaur · 09/05/2026 10:24

I have no idea why you didn't say "we don't have space for you to have two bedrooms - there are only two bedrooms in the flat in total."

I understand you and your do having separate rooms to manage the baby, but you really couldn't have shared a room for a day or two?

I am a very pro-animal person, but I think it's reasonable for a guest to shut a cat out of their room. I love my assorted dogs and cats, but I don't expect others to put up with their nighttime shenanigans.

She's overstepping, but you don't appear to have set down any clear boundaries. Surely there's a middle ground here of having an occasional relationship but they don't come to stay?

PinkyFlamingo · 09/05/2026 10:23

Just saw you let them stay. Mad. All your own fault for not saying no.

PinkyFlamingo · 09/05/2026 10:20

Chichonian · 08/05/2026 11:57

Not to drip feed but worth adding that reason they are coming down is because it is their Niece's christening so important occasion 🙀

So? Why are you letting them dictate to you, do you normally let your sister walk all over you? All you need to say is no you're not staying.

ChaToilLeam · 09/05/2026 10:17

This is a problem of your own making, due to your inability to say "No, we don't have the space". Crazy!

Chichonian · 09/05/2026 10:14

Ok update for those interested.

I raised Aibnb with toxic DSis and was thoroughly slapped down. I ended up folding and on the Sofa. During the night DSiS did the following

  • Came into the kitchen/living room area to do some kind of food prep at 4am (waking me up)
  • Admitted that she had in fact abandoned the second bedroom and gone into same bed as her DH because it's 'more comfy'
  • Gaslit me into saying that I had in fact had a 'good night sleep'.

DS was my rock through it all, he woke me at 3:45am using his strong guarding instincts. He was clearly so upset by his toxic DAunt, but he's such a lil trooper.

Definitely going fully n/c after this. Can't make a scene at christening but am definitely going to be asserting myself more with toxic Dfamily. I had really wanted DS to receive a blessing at christening but had been nervous about family reaction - no more. Will be calling up the church to arrange.

Thanks all for support 😽

OP posts:
ThisTimeWillBeDifferent · 09/05/2026 09:44

You’re agreeing for your infant and partner move out of their home to accommodate your Sister and her family. That’s ridiculous. You don't have the space, it doesn’t work for you, that’s all there is to it.

Think about it. You are sending your under 1 year old baby away from you so that your sister doesn’t have to pay for a hotel. Is there any other circumstance you would choose to spend less time with your baby in order to save someone else a bit of cash?!

They can get a hotel and you need to get the Airbnb account closed or the number changed. Tell her no.

Utopiaqueen · 09/05/2026 09:40

Your sister sounds incredibly entitled but there's also an onus on yourself to stop facilitating this behaviour and stop being a doormat. Going no contact sounds entirely dramatic than just actually telling her to find alternative accommodation.

I also think as well its worth remembering that we model acceptable behaviour to our children. Your daughter is young now but is this really what you want her to be like. Unable to stand up for herself and to just allow people to take advantage of her and walk all over her. Start as you mean to go on and show your child that she has a strong, resilient and a mother than can stand up for herself. Not some absolute doormat who can't say boo to a goose.

Itsseweasy · 09/05/2026 09:28

custardcreamsareelite · 09/05/2026 09:24

She's entitled because you're LETTING her be. How stupid giving her both your bedrooms and chucking your own baby out of their home. Grow some balls and tell her to source and pay for her own accommodation. What a shitty example you're setting for your child.

Absolutely this.
Grow a backbone and stop letting this entitled madam walk all over you.
“No it is not convenient” is a complete sentence.

custardcreamsareelite · 09/05/2026 09:24

She's entitled because you're LETTING her be. How stupid giving her both your bedrooms and chucking your own baby out of their home. Grow some balls and tell her to source and pay for her own accommodation. What a shitty example you're setting for your child.

Movetoacommuneintooting · 09/05/2026 08:57

How did the night go @Chichonian ?

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 08/05/2026 14:12

Is this a jokey post that hasn’t quite landed?

SonyaLoosemore · 08/05/2026 13:53

For goodness sake, you have no room. Why are you even considering putting them up?

Lurker85 · 08/05/2026 13:52

So basically they want your entire apartment for their visit and all household members have to work around them. I can’t believe you have let it get this far and I am even more shocked that it was the cat that was the final straw 😂 I wouldn’t let them stay at all but at this point I would say you get one bedroom and me and the cat get one bedroom. If that’s not good enough, stay elsewhere. She sounds like she’s been a CF her whole life and you’ve become so conditioned by it you let her get away with it.

Bubblebathbefore8 · 08/05/2026 13:50

As they are on the way it’s too late to rescind totally. They get one bedroom, you use the other. DCat roams, except the room that they are in. Your parter and DC can also stay at home.

Next time say NO. Not convenient

OhCobblers · 08/05/2026 12:53

For the love of God please stop being such a wet wipe (you and your partner) and tell them to fuck off and stop allowing such bloody stupid demands of YOUR home. This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read on here!

Turnitoffnonagain · 08/05/2026 12:32

What have I just read?
You are being a total doormat. When they arrive tell them you've changed your mind and direct them to the nearest Premier Inn/small hotel.

sesquipedalian · 08/05/2026 12:31

OP, my DD had her SIL, husband and THREE children who billeted themselves on them - they live in a small 2 bed flat with one bathroom. After their less than successful visit, DD said to her DH that this was not working and next time, SIL and family would have to make alternative arrangements. What is it about entitled family members, that they think they can just land themselves on people and utterly inconvenience and upset them? It’s not as though there aren’t many Airbnbs available. OP, I’d tell your DSis that unfortunately they can’t stay at yours because you don’t have enough space and it would be massively inconvenient.

Movetoacommuneintooting · 08/05/2026 12:28

Well it sounds your DSIS is a bit of a nightmare but how does your partner feel about you prioritising your sister and cat over your partner and actual human baby?

CoffeeBeansGalore · 08/05/2026 12:27

This is mad. You are letting your obnoxious sister dictate that she is visiting & taking over your home. And your dh is moving out to accommodate this.
It doesn't matter it's a christening. This is your home. You should have told her no to begin with.
Say sorry she can't stay, it's just too impractical and that you should have been firmer in saying no before. IF you want to be nice look up a couple of B&Bs/Premier Inns/cheap hotels & send her the links. Air BnB is not the only option.

It will probably end the relationship but she has no respect for you or your home & just uses you to save herself money. If she can't see how selfish she is being then it's no great loss to you if she has a hissy fit & storms out of your life.

Chichonian · 08/05/2026 12:25

To people suggesting Airbnb, this is quite difficult due to another issue where DSis stole my phone number to activate her Airbnb account. This prevents me from logging into/viewing Airbnbs, and means Airbnb generally a sore spot between us. Don't think we can get into it!

OP posts:
middleagedandinarage · 08/05/2026 12:25

Hang on, I need to get this straight, are you referring to your cat as DS?

Chichonian · 08/05/2026 12:22

Movetoacommuneintooting · 08/05/2026 12:19

I had a very similar experience where family offered us a place to stay and told us not to get an Airbnb, even though we said we’d need both bedrooms. They then insisted we needed to room share with their poodle and were being ungrateful for questioning this! At this point it was too late to source alternative accommodation.

Don't think this is comparable? I'm not talking about mon beloved fils!

OP posts:
BlibBlabBlob · 08/05/2026 12:22

Hang on a minute, you're going to send your partner and your actual human baby to stay somewhere else so that you can focus on your cat? And give up both bedrooms to your SIL and BIL? Where will you sleep? How on earth is whether or not the cat can roam indoors at night somehow the biggest problem here?

I am a devoted cat servant myself, and will go to great lengths to ensure their happiness. But this is just bonkers.

Justchillinhere · 08/05/2026 12:21

It doesn't matter what reason they are near you, just tell them an air BnB is better for everyone then that's the procedure they'll follow going forward. This is not being conflict averse, it's being an adult. They can only bully their way in if you let them. Absolutely crazy for you to be allowing it rather than saying NO

Sunisgettinganewhaton · 08/05/2026 12:20

His sorry dsis but your requests don't work for us... Here is a link to Airbnb near us.
You have a dc ffs. Woman up and use your words.