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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

or am I just being precious?

43 replies

headfairy · 09/12/2010 12:48

FIL has invited us to his house in March, he lives in Italy near the French border, close to ski resorts, all very lovely. However his third bedroom is downstairs in the basement. There are no windows in the room, and it's next door to the garage so it smells permanently of petrol. I really feel uncomfortable putting the dcs in this room (especially as ds is in a phase of getting out of bed at night and wandering around the house and there are two doors and a very steep flight of stairs to get to the main house) and neither do I want to sleep in a room that stinks of a petrol station forecourt.

FIL thinks I'm being really precious saying we can all sleep in one bedroom (dd in a travel cot, ds probably in bed with us as he ends up there most nights anyway). Would you sleep in a room that smelled of petrol? Am I being precious or am I right that it's not a nice place to sleep for a week?

OP posts:

whatdoiknowanyway · 09/12/2010 13:39

a 3 year old and a 15month old
On their own
In a strange house
Two doors and a very steep flight of stairs away from where parents are sleeping...

Any one of those reasons would be enough to justify all sleeping in the same upstairs room, even without considering the lack of windows and the petrol fumes.
YANBU

becaroodolf · 09/12/2010 13:43

I wouldnt either.

YANBU

nickeldonkeyonadustyroad · 09/12/2010 13:52

Vinny - OP wanted to stay in one room - it was FIL that said she was being precious asking to sleep in one room.

monkeyflippers · 09/12/2010 14:04

Just say the kids would be scared with you that far away. That should be enough to shut him up.

No You are not being unreasonable. Petrol fumes!

beautyspot · 09/12/2010 14:07

Why is that being precious?? It sounds like he expects his grandchildren to sleep in a cupboard. I'd all bunk up in the same room, no question.

JeezyPeeps · 09/12/2010 14:20

Sleep all in one room.

I developed asthma after sleeping in a room with diesel fumes (I had an attack that night, had not had asthma or even any sign of asthma before then).

Do not let the kids sleep in that room.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 09/12/2010 14:27

headfairy i think you mis-understood me, i dont think you should sleep downstairs, i think your FIL should take the basement room and you and your children should take the two rooms upstairs that are close together, makes much more sense for your situation and surely the decent thing to do from the hosts POV?

RantyMcRantpants · 09/12/2010 14:36

Would something like THIS fit in your room for DS as well as the travel cot for DD?

VinegarTinselTits · 09/12/2010 16:32

oh i read it wrong and though she was saying fil was saying they can all sleep in one bedroom, the sentence is a bit ambigious

in that case your not being precious, hey ho

lilyliz · 09/12/2010 17:15

even if the basement room was ok I wouyldn't like to be so far away from DCs in a strange house,you stick to your guns.

HalfTermHero · 09/12/2010 17:19

YANBU. Agree that all sleeping in the same room is the way forward.

overmydeadbody · 09/12/2010 17:20

Just have the kids sleep in the same room as you, upstairs.

Problem sorted.

RockinRobinBird · 09/12/2010 17:22

Sleep in one room. Not an issue.

minipie · 09/12/2010 17:24

YANBU. Your suggestion of all sharing one room seems very sensible, especially given they wake in the night.

I'm wondering what the real issue is here though as I can't imagine why your FIL would care where your DCs sleep.

Is he worried they will wake him up? Or is he offended by the suggestion that his third bedroom is horrid?

KTDace · 09/12/2010 17:29

Goodness me I wouldn't even expect my FIL to sleep in a room with no windows and smelt of petrol and I think he is a bit of a twat!

Laquitar · 09/12/2010 17:37

A room with no windows is not a bedroom, its a second garage or a store, or whatever. But not bedroom. For humans. Is this his idea of 'guest room' ? , more like 'dog-room'. Just sleep all upstairs in one room.

YANBU. He is mad.

Original poster

headfairy · 09/12/2010 18:21

thanks for the replies. There's no way FIL would go downstairs, the man redefines selfish someties and he hasn't a clue about children, he abandoned his own when they were young. To be honest I'd be happy not even going but dh would like the children to have a relationship with their grandfather and I can't really say no.

I'm happy to share a room with them, it's just I had a few raised eyebrows when I (very lightheartedly) mentioned that I was happy to do that.

OP posts:

tasmaniandevilchaser · 09/12/2010 18:28

I wouldn't want children to sleep in a room that smelt of car exhaust fumes.

I was speaking to someone who worked in leukemia (?sp) research a while ago and there was a theory that having a garage that had a door into the house was a risk for causing leukemia (because of the fumes getting in) though I would assume this was over long term, not holiday, still I wouldn't want to do it. Much better to all share a room.

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