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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask my SIL to not visit after 6:30 pm on a Sunday evening?

159 replies

Goinggreymammy · 07/06/2026 16:45

SIL is about 4 years younger than us, doesn't have a partner or children. Has a very busy job with lots of out of hours calls, emails etc. She has friends and sometimes sees them or goes hiking on weekends. She lives about 15 mins drive away and we rarely see her. My 3 children are her only nieces/nephews. She doesn't allow us to visit her house (yes, literally says no..... once my son, 7, wanted to use the toilet and she was giving my son and DH a lift home she said no, he couldn't go in, just drove them home. )
Anyway she does her weekly shop in a place near us and every month or so will arrive around 7pm to visit. If I ask if she had a busy day.... no, just some WFH, etc. We just aren't enough to visit without adding us onto her shopping. My kids are older now but they have sports fixtures on Sundats so need showers before bed. And I try to have some downtime, watch a family show together etc, then do stories. So I find the random 7pm visits annoying. She just messaged to say she would call later, when I queried time - yes.. Around 7.
She organised a meal out for PIL, BIL, herself and my DH and I a month ago and it was on a Sunday at 5pm. Why can't she call here at 5pm?
YABU. Suck it up.
YANBU say something.

OP posts:
Livingthebestlife · 07/06/2026 17:08

Some people are thoughtless idiots. I get this often too and the annoying thing is even saying it's too late straight out, they just think you're sitting there with nothing to do. I wish people had a bit more cop on and had some consideration for other people's lives.

Fizzybluewater · 07/06/2026 17:04

HedgehogsOnTheWall · 07/06/2026 16:53

Can she not just sit and watch the show with you, chat a bit, maybe read them their stories and then disappear before bedtime?

FGS don't do this, she might find excuses to stay longer still ! Been there had it, guests who can't take / ignore hints until you are practically in your pj's putting the cat and making hot chocolate and still they sit there glued to the seatee.
H needs to open his mouth and speak to her.

PullTheBricksDown · 07/06/2026 17:03

'Sorry, that's too late tonight as we're getting ready for the week. We'll see you soon'

Then, if she still shows up - which is quite likely - you can turn her away at the doorstep because she's been warned.

HedgehogsOnTheWall · 07/06/2026 16:53

Can she not just sit and watch the show with you, chat a bit, maybe read them their stories and then disappear before bedtime?

DeltaVariant · 07/06/2026 16:52

7pm on a Sunday wouldn’t work for us. Peak bath and prep for the week time with the kids.

LakieLady · 07/06/2026 16:52

Just say no, it's too late in the day and you'll be busy sorting the kids ready for school tomorrow.

Sillysausage76 · 07/06/2026 16:51

Have you asked her to come earlier? Or could you invite her to come at a certain time? If not reply and say im sorry were busy

DaisyChain505 · 07/06/2026 16:50

Surely this is your husbands issue to deal with not yours. Tell your husband you don’t want visitors that late and that he needs to talk to her. If he won’t then you just make yourself unavailable whenever she comes. Go off and have a bath, say you’re going out to meet friends.

As for her not wanting people in her house, that could be for a whole host of reasons. She could be a secret hoarder, she could have severe OCD or she could just plain and simple not want kids in her home. Either way it hasn’t really got anything to do with the issue at hand.

KellyJonesLeatherTrousers · 07/06/2026 16:50

Why wouldn’t you (or DH for that matter) just open your mouth and say, 7pm doesn’t work for us!