Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

To put guest on a sofa-bed in living room instead of in guestroom?

23 replies

Emeralli · 26/01/2016 12:34

I have a 5-month velcro baby. I don't have the time or energy to clear all the baby stuff and laundry out of guestroom and make up the bed.

WIBU to put her on sofa-bed in living room (obviously with a pile of clean bedding and pillows etc).

It means she has to go to another floor to access bathroom.

Only staying 1night, short notice visit. Usually she stays in guestroom which is en-suite.

OP posts:

DreamingOfThruxtons · 26/01/2016 12:36

I don't think that would be unreasonable at all, but personally I'd probably offer the option of her helping you to clear the bed in the spare room so she could sleep in there; I dislike having people in my living room, though! (Means I can't use it for several hours, which is an issue with an early waking child!)

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 26/01/2016 12:39

Explain the situation, I'm sure she'll understand

QuietWhenReading · 26/01/2016 12:40

You have a 5 month old baby - I'm fairly impressed that you said yes to a short notice guest in the first place.

Explain why you will be making up the sofa - with a bit of luck she'll offer to sort out the spare room for you.

SevenOfNineTrue · 26/01/2016 12:47

Ask her in advance if she'd help you clear the room. With two of you it would be done in no time.

whois · 26/01/2016 13:54

Give her the option - "I'm super knackered and can't face sorting out the room. Would you rather clear it yourself, or sleep on the sofa bed?"

2rebecca · 26/01/2016 13:57

I'd tell her if she comes she's on the sofabed as the guest bedroom is in use as baby storage room at the moment. It sounds like you should have just said no

Xmasbaby11 · 26/01/2016 13:59

Yanbu. Clean sheets and a sofa bed sounds comfy!

SelfRaisingFlour · 26/01/2016 14:13

How much laundry and baby stuff is there? Either way someone has to make up a bed or a sofa bed. Would it really take that long? I'd give her the choice and ask her to help. I'd personally prefer the guest room with the ensuite to sleeping in the living room.

Alicewasinwonderland · 26/01/2016 14:16

Of course it's completely fine!

You will only lose access to your living room, so it will make your life a bit more difficult, but not for your guest. If it's only 1 night, really no drama

GabiSolis · 26/01/2016 14:33

Okay, I get the situation you're in and I sympathise but I couldn't make a guest sleep on a sofa bed if I had a spare room. Can someone help you clear it if it's a lot of work? If it's a short notice visit and only for one night, I can see why you'd be tempted not to bother.

Other factor to consider is the age/mobility of the guest. Sleeping on a sofa bed can be horribly uncomfortable, even for one night, and travelling floors unnecessarily if you're a frequent visitor to the toilet can be difficult.

On balance I think YABU but I don't think horrifically so.

Original poster

Emeralli · 26/01/2016 14:35

Thanks

Guestroom is full of stuff (not just on bed)... toys, old baby clothes that I keep meaning to archive, new baby clothes, my clothes, heap of coats and scarves, boxes of nappies and wipes, Moses basket, piles of papers, nappy bin that we haven't taken out of box yet, empty boxes etc. Plus a big heap of dirty laundry on floor as basket overflowed

I could lug it all upstairs and dump it in my office overnight but prefer to leave it alone. Baby cries when not in sling so it's a big job.

Yes think I'll pre-warn her. Usually I spent few hours making guestroom lovely before a guest but she only gave 24hrs notice and DH not home until late.

I don't want her to help clear the room, it's embarrassing!

OP posts:

KoalaDownUnder · 26/01/2016 14:59

You are so not being unreasonable, under the circumstances.

If I was your guest, I'd be mortified if I found out you'd gone to the bother of cleaning out the spare room.

Sofa, one night, no biggie.

WhereYouLeftIt · 26/01/2016 15:27

"she only gave 24hrs notice"
In which case she is lucky you are having her at all. That really is pushing it. I'd probably have told her no!

howabout · 26/01/2016 15:39

YANBU about the sofa bed but hopefully you will be able to unvelcro the 5 month old soon?

NameChange1815 · 26/01/2016 15:44

If I were the guest I'd much rather sleep in the guest room with the piles of stuff than in the living room, and if that meant shifting it myself/putting a load of washing on/cuddling the baby while you put a load of washing on then that would be fine. Can she not baby cuddle while you do a laundry blitz?

Original poster

Emeralli · 26/01/2016 15:57

I'd love to un-velcro baby, any tips? He cries unless in sling or being held though will sometimes sit in bouncer/jumperoo for 10mins if I'm nearby.
It's very frustrating!
I'm normally house-proud but can't get much done with baby stuck to me all day.

OP posts:

Katedotness1963 · 26/01/2016 15:57

I'd clear the guest room. Having someone in the living room is a pain in the backside. Having to stay out of it so they can get to sleep/sleep in, then an untidy living room with their stuff/bedding/perhaps furniture needs moving a bit. No thanks!

Krampus · 26/01/2016 16:02

Sofa bed fine for one night with very short notice.

MaryPoppinsPenguins · 26/01/2016 16:07

I'd clear the guest room.

You'll feel better for doing it, it will be nicer for your guest, it will be more convenient for you if you have to get up in the night / baby wakes early and it will be good for your baby to have a bit of time to get used to not being a Velcro baby..

I wouldn't clear it perfectly, I'd just put everything in bags, dump it in your office / wherever and sort it later.

howabout · 26/01/2016 16:11

Should be couple of months tops before he is starting to sit up and play with toys a bit and then you can start playing ball with the socks while sorting laundry. I think the 5-6 month stage is the hardest as they don't sleep so much and can't entertain themselves very well either. There is light at the end of the tunnel soon though.

LalaLyra · 26/01/2016 16:24

A guest giving 24 hours notice is fine on the sofa bed imo.

Obladioblada · 26/01/2016 16:33

With regards to un-velcroing baby, have you tried a cranial osteopath? DS1 wouldn't lie down for more than a few minutes at a time, but just a couple of sessions worked absolute wonders! I was very sceptical as she hardly seemed to touch him at all, just very, very lightly, and the exercises she gave us to do at home seemed strange - touch the tip of his nose ever so lightly, throughout the day, regularly hold him upside down by the ankles (he loved this!) - but the difference was amazing. After just a few sessions we were able to put him in his crib to nap and overnight. He was born by ventouse, and she said that this is very common. Expensive but worth a try?

coconutpie · 26/01/2016 16:34

FFS why should the OP massively inconvenience herself wasting her time clearing the guest room? OP, do not clear the guest room. Your guest can stay on the sofa bed. Presumably you have enough to be doing considering that you have a 5m old and your guest gave you only 24h notice. I wouldn't even have allowed them stay!

Flip