6 seats, 7 people. Who gets the floor?

[overagain]

Situation cropped up yesterday: 6 seats, 7 people. The 6 seats are 5 on sofas and 1 arm chair.

The 7 people (family members so know each other well and know each others health issues so no 'hidden' issues) are: an elderly person with mobility difficulties. A middle aged person with mobility problems. A middle aged person who is healthy and well. 3 healthy and well 30 something's and a 7 month pregnant woman with sciatica and PGP.

Who should sit on the floor? And who do you think sat on the floor?

So who was on the floor OP?

Also, don’t go there for family Xmas!

One of the four healthy people.

If it was the pregnant woman, she should have spoken up and asked someone else for a seat.

I agree that finding a stool or chair from elsewhere would have been the best solution. I'm in my 30s and quite often sit on the floor at home, but I'd feel uncomfortable as the lone person doing so and making conversation with a bunch of people sitting on a sofa whom I had to look up at. (If it was just sitting and watching TV, it wouldn't bother me).

BertrandRussell my MIL is lovely! And wasn't there.

If everyone visited together. Surely they could have asked if they felt that the floor was unsuitable? Or do they not like each other very much?

But I am past middle age-by Mumsnet standards I am elderly and I would always choose the floor. I sit on the floor from choice when there are available chairs.

One of. The 30 somethings should be on thr floor. Guessing it was pregnant woman.

OP are you actually going to tell us you've heard the consensus

If they are your family share this with them and tell them if they make you sit on the floor again you won’t come over until after the baby’s born.

www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/patients/patient-information-leaflets/pregnancy/pi-pelvic-girdle-pain-and-pregnancy.pdf

The healthy four should have adopted the ten second rule or taken turns

Sounds like too many people were there. Did they all need to be?

Of of the healthy 30yos should have sat on the floor but presumably it was the pregnant woman. Was she happy with that?

Why is this post so vague? Why not just do an actual AIBU?

The pregnant woman was on the floor (not me). She is on crutches due to the sciatica. I was flabbergasted that no one offered a seat. She was also the one traipsing in and out being asked to make brews.

The host was the elderly person.

We popped in, saw there were visitors and left fairly quickly but not before speaking to the pregnant woman (I had other business to chat to her about) who said that no one had offered her a seat and when she had asked has been told to sit on the floor as "it was good for her back". We offered her a lift home!

I just find it odd that none of the healthy people would offer a seat, or move when it was requested. Glad to see most people here agree!

I would sit on the floor - but I'm from a family of 6 so I spent my childhood sitting on the floor.

Even when I was pregnant I preferred it - but I had no health issues with pregnancy - I just found that I couldn't sit still so being able to get up/down/change position would have been better for me than being squeezed into an uncomfortable seat.

I'm also ancient by mumsnet standards and I'd have taken the floor by choice - I have no need to do so but often sit on the floor at home

You still haven’t told us the crucial info: did anyone actually speak up and say what they wanted?

When I was pg I would have found the floor far better than squeezing into a small squishy sofa sandwiched by two other adults. And even now (middle aged, no specific health issues) I sometimes find the floor a better option unless a sofa is really firm. I also don’t like sitting in any one position for too long so would be getting up and moving about.

It seems a very odd scenario to walk into and make assumptions about

Is this a riddle?

Does the pregnant woman count as 2 persons so nobody sat on the floor.

Of course it should be one of the 30 year olds, but why the passive aggression, if I was in that situation I just speak up. Just as I always remind my teenage DS to stand up if someone needs a seat on public transport (not that I have to, thankfully both he and my DH would always stand up for someone older/pregnant/needing a seat or being totally old fashioned they would always stand up for any female passenger )

X posted there. All sounds very bizarre. I would keep your distance- they sound nuts

I’m baffled at the lack of dining chairs and lack of manners.

Believeitornot it's a sheltered accommodation flat. There's a lounge/ kitchenette, single bedroom and wetroom. No space for a dining table or chair and the occupant couldn't use them even if there was due to mobility issues.

Yes, someone should have offered, but in that scenario, if I were her, I'd simply have said I couldn't sit on the floor and told someone else to move.

I quite like sitting on the floor and would definitely choose it over sitting on a sofa with 2 other adults.

why on earth didn't you say anything to the room? Why on earth did no-one give this woman a seat? If this is your family they sound like twats.

She's going to have to find her voice once she has to speak for her baby as well as herself.

RiverTam I did. I walked in, said hellos and said "Kate, why are you sitting on the floor with your sciatica?" and then Uncle Bob said "it's good for her back". Thankfully Kate and Uncle Bob see little of each other. And I don't really see much of uncle Bob unless necessary, he's a horrible man.