Am I being a terrible snob?

[GirlOnATrainToShite]

SMIL and FIL coming to stay for week soon which is an annual event. They are in all lovely and no trouble apart from the fact they watch every single soap going .

I admit I am not great with guests and I struggle having people in my space for long periods. We are also a large blended family so the house will be full (not relevant).

SMIL is a lovely northern lady who lives in an area where everyone is in and out of each other's houses, everyone knows that each other and it's a small area we live down south in a big area and very much keep to ourselves - we know most of our neighbours and are friendly but that's about it. I hate people turning up "unannounced".

We have no front garden (Victorian semi) just a very narrow path at the front of the house and a low wall dividing it from the pavement.

We do however have a (small) back garden which gets plenty of sun.

SMIL insists on taking a dining room chair and sitting on the front "path" and resting her legs on the wall with the front door wide open saying hello to anyone who walks past.

I know there are bigger things going on right now but AIBU to really hate her doing this as it's seems a bit "common" and prefer her to use the back which is private? I know she's not hurting anyone but I hate having my front door wide open (I will be at work some of the time). I need to chill out don't I?

Omg....what's crawled up LordBeefCurtains' ass! 😂

SMIL insists on taking a dining room chair and sitting on the front "path" and resting her legs on the wall with the front door wide open saying hello to anyone who walks past.

Me and DH do that . We have had some really interesting conversations with people we've said "hello" to as they wander past. You should grab yourself a chair, a naice bottle of wine & 2 glasses and join her.

We have a bench in our front garden and another in our back garden. Very rarely use the front one. But dh and I have sat there a few times. Once a neighbour came up and we had a lovely chat.

TheRealSlimShady1

Even house mice have to enter a house, they don't spontaneously spawn themselves! Here is advice from experts:

"keep doors and windows closed at all times if possible."

"Fit bristle or brush strips to the bottoms of exterior doors"

In London you can see rats scurrying about during the day, so they are not just nocturnal.

It's unusual to have just the one beef curtain, though, isn't it? Maybe this assymetry is what is driving LordBeefCurtain's foul temper?

LBC, hush now. Go wash your children or something. From your description, they sound filthy.

This thread has turned from a silly filler of an idle moment (apart from vision of rodents marching in through open doors) to something quite unpleasant. Another Mumsnet triumph! well done, all of us.

I don't sit out

That sounds awful, OP. She's probably knocked at least five thousand off the value of your house.

Omg....what's crawled up LordBeefCurtains' ass!

RTFT. A mouse.

I haven't got nice furniture out back, it fell apart ☹️

This has got really surreal

I am from the NOrth and my famliy never sat out like that. This assumption that everyone in the North is working class gets very wearing after a time (I went to school with Lady XYZ, we have Alnwick castle up there by the way, we go to opera, pay school fees etc etc)

I feel the OP was being provocative. I can see no other reason for the northern reference, otherwise. Of course, I may be wrong...

Utterly bizarre what some people thinks matters.

I sit in the front because that's where the sun is. However, due to large and sloping front garden, I can't actually see the road. Is that allowed?

When the sun is at the back, in the morning, I'll sit at the back. I used to live in a back to back house, so only had a front garden - was I not allowed to sit out? Many people with mobilty problems may only be able to access the front garden - are they not allowed to sit out?

I've just come back from holiday where there were lots of tiny village houses with no gardens where the occupants sat on a dining chair on the pavement in the evenings. I bet there was nobody there looking down on them and considering them common.

I'm from the south west and people on our street sit outside their front gardens when the sun is there...

My man used to do this. Fond memories

My lovely gran would have been perched on the doorstep ,shelling peas or peeling potatoes and talking to anyone who smiled at her .

I bet she'll make friends with the neighbours- very useful. Be grateful.

Perhaps she will start a trend? Then you will be very popular! 😂😂😂😂😂

YANBU
I would feel the same. Politely say you don't like it And strongly encourage back garden sitting.
But I know I'm a snob lol

Make sure she's put her knickers on!

We live in a new estate I saw neighbours sitting out the front as that had the sun. I thought 'wish it was me sitting relaxing rather than trying to hydrate/suncream a toddler'

You are being uptight. They're family I am sure your side have quirks too. If watching soaps and sitting out being friendly is all you have to complain about you are doing well.

Buy her a sun lounger.
There are some very good offers at B@Q at the moment.
She isn't doing any harm let her get on with it.
Life is too short to worry about petty things.

On the continent people all sit out on the front pavement - it seems bizarre to me when they have table, chairs etc out and are sat eating their dinner but hey ho, up to them

I think this is brilliant! Your SMIL sounds a hoot and TBH shouldn't we all open our doors a bit more to our neighbours and build more integrated communities? Think it's lovely :)

This is really made me laugh - in years ahead this will be our children putting it out there about embarrassing MIL's / SMIL's. Love the image of her cheerily waving at passers by on your dining chair, love her for this actually.....