Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU or is my friend a CF

108 replies

NameChangeToAvoidBeingFound · 24/10/2018 21:23

I live in a house share and my friend has an associate coming to stay at the weekend. Someone she agreed to let stay knowing we don't have a spare room. The associate is to stay in her room, which is all good. She's free to have whoever she wants to stay. However she has decided that she's going to share my bed/room with me this weekend or because she knows I'm thinking of going away at the weekend she wants to use my room and let her guest have hers.

She never asked me any of this but assumed that it would be ok with me and basically came in and TOLD me that she'd either be sleeping with me and sharing my room or she'd be using my room herself while I'm away. If she'd of asked I'd either have considered it or been comfortable telling her no. Because I have ASD, OCD, ODD, PDA and Anxiety, my room is my safe space, my bubble of security where nothing is moved or changed without my say so. It's where I go to escape from the world.

If I invite a guest depending on my relationship with the guest I'd either sleep with them, on the floor in my room, the sofa or the floor in a friends room. And I'd not invite them before checking that my other housemates were ok with that. I would never presume that I could dictate where I was sleeping.

She made brief mention of sleeping on the couch but then said that obviously she's not going to do that because she can share with me, as the couch isn't as comfortable as a bed and it means she'd have to stay up later because she likes to be in bed and asleep by eleven and our housemates/friends obviously don't especially on a weekend and then be up early because of the poor blinds/curtain situation plus housemates that are early risers coming into the lounge. And I can't see why she thought sharing with me would be much better. I have RLS so my legs twitch and jerk all night. I sleep four four/five hours a night max which is why I have the room furthest from everyone else's so I don't disturb anyone when I'm up past four and awake before eight.

I don't want her in my room if I'm here or not and I especially don't want to leave her my room keys while I'm not here. But she is emotionally immature and I can't tell her this without her crying or going into a strop which is going to damage our friendship which in all other respects is great. She is usually a great friend if occasionally thoughtless like this. She's 19 so it's to be expected sometimes I suppose. But because she's not given me a choice I feel backed into a corner and I'm not happy. But I have to live with her at least another year so I need to keep the peace as much as possible.

It's the assuming and telling me what is happening that has annoyed me more than anything especially as I don't see why I should be inconvenienced and stressed because she's decided to invite a guest based on an incorrect assumption that I'd not expect any rational person to have.

OP posts:
BrazzleDazzleDay · 24/10/2018 21:25

She is definitely an entitled CF. Do NOT leave your room keys.

cheesefield · 24/10/2018 21:26

Nooooooo I would hate this. Is it for 2 nights? I can't believe she didn't even ask!

Tell her no!

Maelstrop · 24/10/2018 21:27

I think you need to tell her that you won’t be allowing her to share or use your room in your absence. Why can’t she stay in her own room? Who is her visitor? She has no right to impinge on your privacy. Please tell her so.

AGirlCalledJohnny · 24/10/2018 21:29

Don’t say anything, leave for the weekend and take your keys. Ignore all texts and calls

BringOnTheScience · 24/10/2018 21:31

Remember the MN motto: "No" is a complete sentence.

Candlelights2345 · 24/10/2018 21:32

No it’s completely unacceptable to ask / tell you this. She’s a Massive CF I’m afraid.

SillyMoomin · 24/10/2018 21:32

Echo everyone above. Take your room keys with you, or if not a lockable room, but a padlock / deadbolt for the room before you go

Cheeky mare

lifecouldbeadream · 24/10/2018 21:33

When she brings it up again.... laugh and ‘ OH! You were SERIOUS?!?’

NameChangeToAvoidBeingFound · 24/10/2018 21:35

Yeah Friday night and Saturday night. I love my friend and I'm putting it down to the ignorance of youth but, because I love her I don't want to upset her but I have so much else going on I really CBA with all of this. I'm stressed due to my health issues, coursework, SFE mixups, admin/paperwork, trying to find a job and then there are family issues I'm trying to sort out and it's too much so this ridiculous assumption/request has been the straw that has broken the camels back so to speak. I've not left my room in two days and I'm unlikely to leave it in the next two till I leave inconspicuously but with my keys because I don't want to engage with her.

When I even brought up the possibility of her not being able to access my room she got very upset and rather weepy/anxious about where shes going to sleep because she doesn't want to sleep on the couch. In her words 'It just won't work because the boys like to stay up late and Vee gets up early, plus the couch isn't as comfortable as a bed'. All of that is true she'll have an interrupted sleeping pattern, probably a sore back as well. But that's what happens when you have guests. When you voluntarily host your needs and wants are second to the guests and you can't dictate to an entire house so I get why she'd try dictating to me. (I feel like dictate isn't the right word to use because that seems deliberate and manipulative whereas I think she's sort of doing it unintentionally because she doesn't like or want to upset people. It's genuine thoughtlessness and the ignorance of youth)

OP posts:
cheesefield · 24/10/2018 21:37

Ok, if she's going to be a dick and cause a scene, then I agree with the others to leave with your keys and switch your phone off.

cheesefield · 24/10/2018 21:38

And you are absolutely not in the wrong OP.

Shes being outrageously rude.

MrTrebus · 24/10/2018 21:38

No, lock your room and off you pop. Silly girl to even expect you to say yes to that!

Weezol · 24/10/2018 21:38

CF. I lived in three different house shares and not one of my housemates would have thought this a reasonable request. You don't need to justify or explain your refusal.

Tell her no. The crying/stropping should be ignored. It's an attempt to make you back down and say yes. Emotional blackmail iyswim.

Lock your room, take your keys and have a lovely time.

NameChangeToAvoidBeingFound · 24/10/2018 21:39

Thank goodness I'm not the unreasonable one here. Her guest is an associate visiting her workplace so she can't share with her. She and I have shared a room on various holidays previously but that's different in some way because it's not my private space.

How do I do that, go away at the weekend without leaving my keys and avoid a confrontation when I get back? I don't want to argue or fall out with her over something as stupid as this. I imagine either way she'll be frosty about it for awhile.

OP posts:
Forgotmycoat · 24/10/2018 21:40

Take your keys. Leave her a note saying you're not comfortable with the idea of anyone staying in your room. Or send a text to that effect. That way she will know not to force your room door etc. CFs do this sort of thing ie. Forcing things open.

Op you sound far too nice. Please look up assertiveness tips and learn to say no to people. People respect those who have strong boundaries around them. You can learn to stand up for yourself and say no.

Say "no that doesn't work for me. I'm not comfortable letting anyone stay in my room". And keep repeating like a broken record.

You can do this op!

Iloveacurry · 24/10/2018 21:40

She should of thought about where she was going to sleep before inviting a guest. It’s not your problem. Why can’t she sleep/share the bed/room with her friend?

7yo7yo · 24/10/2018 21:41

Just say no op.
Tell her you have bed bugs or summat.
Sounds like she uses her anxiety and youth to get her own way.

SwearyInn · 24/10/2018 21:44

Fuck that. I have ASD too and totally feel your stress. She can fuck right off.

I won’t even let anyone hotdesk at my desk at work (even though I’m PT). So I can’t imagine stress of someone invading your home space.

Lock her out.

PollyFlinderz · 24/10/2018 21:44

Op, can you let her use your room on the basis that you would sleep on the floor in a friends room if you had a visitor.

alfiesmam · 24/10/2018 21:47

She can sleep on the sofa

Lock your private space that you are paying for and don’t feel guilty

NameChangeToAvoidBeingFound · 24/10/2018 21:48

I'm usually a very assertive person. She kinda falls into the category of the one on the outskirts, often bullied or teased and I've kinda taken her under my wing. Because she's 19 with the emotional maturity of a 14 year old. Which means I've let her get on with this assuming thing in minor matters because typically I don't care. The one thing I have a protective space around is my room and due to my 'special needs' that's not going to change anytime soon. I have the personality and tact of a tank or a bulldozer so I have to be careful around her because she is so sensitive to criticism and I don't want her to go back to being that person she was when we first met.

So it's partly my fault for enabling her out of general apathy and her youthful ignorance and low emotional maturity/awareness.

OP posts:
Gemini69 · 24/10/2018 21:48

just say NO... Flowers

NameChangeToAvoidBeingFound · 24/10/2018 21:50

I would only sleep on a friends floor if I had previously asked and arranged this before allowing a guest to stay and for whatever reason couldn't sleep on the couch. I would never tell anyone that I'm having a guest and I'm going to share your bed or just use your room completely because your not there. It's downright rude.

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 24/10/2018 21:51

You pay for your room. Say no.

JosellaPlayton · 24/10/2018 21:53

An associate visiting her workplace?! WTAF?! Why isn’t this work associate staying in a hotel and expensing it. If she’s enough of a mug to let this person have her room then that’s her idiotic prerogative but don’t let her manipulate you into giving up your room. She can sleep on the couch or better yet she can tell this ‘associate’ no. If you’re friends then I’d encourage her to get some boundaries. But definitely lock up and take your keys. You don’t need to explain why beyond ‘I’m not comfortable with anyone staying in my room’.