"D"Sis (NC now) and "spirited" nephew (her words) invited themselves to stay for a week.
The first I knew about it was when I called DH (he should have been back an hour before- there had been an accident five minutes away from his work, before I get flamed for being paranoid- to be told he was on his way to pick DS and DN up! She'd texted him and told him I was ok with it, and that I'd asked her to make the arrangement with DH as I was "busy".
So they arrive. I'm a bit of a pussy at this time- mainly because I've always had a turbulant relarionship with my siblings. DN proceeds to Frankie Doyle the flat within five minutes. Climbing up bookcases, letting the gecko out, tearing up my DD's painting while laughing. All while she just sits there and laughs.
She doesn't lift a finger for three days. In our house, there are no "guests " as such. Everyone pitches in, my cupboards, toiletries, etc, are theirs too iyswim- that kind of house. She knew this, having sneered at a friend a few weeks before when I'd dropped something and my DF just got the hoover out and cleaned it up! We were expected to be up all night with "the baby" (4yo, who still wasn't sleeping through" becauae it was her "down time".
She went to the off licence next door to where we live, for cigarettes. I was distracted, with two 4yo running around, and trying to cook, so didn't notice she hadn't come back fot about 20 mins. It's IMPOSSIBLE to get lost (can draw a diagram if needed😅). I was preparing to go and check on her, when I got a text. "Nipped to see b. Back soon"...at the other end of the city! She'd called a cab and fucked off!!
Tbh, I actually enjoyed that time with my DN. I have a way with "spirited" kids if I'm left to it (I was a little fucker myself all through my child/teen years, so I can sort of relate). Within an hour, both DC were sitting on bean bags, chilling while DH read them a story. A different kid- he even tried to "help me wash up" (this is not me slating her parenting at all...it's relevant!)
EIGHT HOURS LATER she came sauntering through the door, and complained that dinner wasn't ready.
She then stomps into her room (tiny apartment, me and DH in the lounge, both kids in DD's room, her in our room). You can hear everything that goes on in every room.
I could, therefore, hear EVERYTHING she was saying on the phone to her friend (the one she'd spent the day with). Including...
-the fact that I'd been "treating her son like a slave:
-I'd "subdued him" somehow (he was sitting coloring when shw came in)
-I hadn't bothered to do any food, her kid was starving, and my poor, poor DD had to forage for food (I'd sent DD to get two yoghurts from the fridge)
"Radley just lazes around in bed" (I'd been on the "night shift" with her DS the night before, and, yes, I was still in my pjs- I'd curled up in DD's bed for an hour for a nap).
-my DD was going to grow up screwed up because I gave her so much (insert disgusting, racist word beginning with a p) food. My DD (DS now too) has always loved spicy food, and she'd eaten chicken tikka.
I listened to this for ten minutes, then started packing her stuff. When she emerged an hour later, I said that DN was welcome to stay, but she was leaving...now!
The usually-chilled DH refused to drive her back- she had cab money. We knew this, because she had boasted about how much money she was saving by being here!
Cue lots of slagging off on social media, bitching about what a bad parent I was (I was still suffering from PND at the time, so this stung) etc, etc...
Until three weeks later, ehen I got a text. "Me and DN are coming to you for Christmas."
Thank fuck I'd discovered MN by then, and ODFOD was in my vocabulary 😅😅