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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what the strangest thing is that you've seen in a family home/life...

888 replies

purpleworms · 03/01/2019 12:06

...that to them was completely normal?

I have just seen someone asked this on an AMA on their Instagram. Their reply was walking around fully naked in front of parents/siblings/any family members.

While this is obviously okay for some, if it happened in a home I was visiting I'd be Shock but that's just because it's not the norm in my family.

I'm racking my brains but I don't think I've ever noticed anything! But people have such different ways/customs within their home lives and routines. We all regard our own as normal without ever really knowing if what's normal to us is strange to others!

OP posts:
LanaLily11 · 03/01/2019 22:01

I visited a house once on a professional visit where the mum had topless pictures of herself framed on the mantelpiece, aswell as ones of her posing sexually on a motorbike blown up and hung on the walls. But the family were middle class, sensible, and no sense of humour. It was very odd.

My MIL also prides herself on her house being ‘absolutley spotless’ where there is all hairs and dust thick on most surfaces, yet you absolutely cannot walk on her rug Incase you ruin her hoover lines. Instead you have to tip toe round the edges

LanaLily11 · 03/01/2019 22:02

I also had a friend who’s mum fed her and her brother £1 pizzas from Iceland each night, and if she had friends to stay you’d have to bring your own dinner... Yet the Siamese cat was fed steaks, whole roast chickens etc. You also had to creep round the bedroom else she would scream up the stairs and no feet on the sofa Incase it ‘got broken’

arranbubonicplague · 03/01/2019 22:06

"Go and run my bath" or "Rinse and stack the dishes for me"

Gah - it will never cease to that grown people are shown thoughtfulness, support, or consideration but it loses its value and is transformed into an item to which they're entitled to the point that they resent when it doesn't happen.

Smeeeeeee · 03/01/2019 22:11

Thank for getting it - that's it totally.

MadisonAvenue · 03/01/2019 22:13

I went to pick up my son from his friend's house one day when they were in junior school. It was a lovely big detached house on a new estate so I was quite keen for a nosey.

The hallway was covered from floor to ceiling with posters and pictures (of all sizes) of Hugh Grant. It was like some freaky Hugh Grant wallpaper.

HaulingFreight · 03/01/2019 22:17

H.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 03/01/2019 22:22

I know someone who collects. My Little Ponies. It's not a friend but a friend of a friend.

It's you, isn't it Rousette?

You can be frank on here . . .

SchadenfreudePersonified · 03/01/2019 22:26

their poop was so huge, they had to cut it with a knife to get it to go down the toilet. Personally, I think they perhaps should have gotten more fiber in their diets.

NO!!!!!

In the name of God - NO! Not more - they need less!

BertieBotts · 03/01/2019 22:42

My in laws I could fill a thread with as well. It's actually mostly quite heartbreaking but I'll leave you with this gem I can't get my head around - they believe that a microwave is a reasonable substitute for a fridge, and that leftover pizza should be stored in the oven. Confused DH still keeps trying to do it, we have been married for five years and I despair at him every single time. Even SIL commented on it!

Roussette · 03/01/2019 22:53

It's you, isn't it Rousette?

Haha, nah! Even my DDs didn't bother with them!

pineapplepenthouse · 03/01/2019 22:58

First time I went to Christmas dinner my in-laws, when DH was my boyfriend, I couldn't believe that they served the turkey cold! Everything else was hot apart from the meat. So you had cold turkey with hot gravy! He didn't realise it was weird and took years of convincing that most people eat turkey hot!

spidersonmyceiling · 03/01/2019 23:11

The inlaws were weird with food. If it was savoury it had to be eaten at a table with a knife and fork, well, this is fine usually but they had great difficulty eating at a buffet or a barbeque, finger food had to be eaten with a knife and fork even a hot dog or burger, sitting at a table, they wouldn't have picnics, or take food out to sit and eat somewhere on a day out, if they couldn't sit in their van to eat it at a table they didn't do it. I remember seeing them cutting a slice of cheese and cutting little bits off it like a steak, no bread or crackers with it, to put cheese on. or salad, just lots of tiny little bites of cheese eaten with a knife and fork. But at about half past midnight they'd bring out cheese and crackers and eat cheese and crackers normally without a table, so they could do it

abacucat · 03/01/2019 23:13

Joma I knew her when I lived in London.

LanaLily11 · 03/01/2019 23:14

@pineapplepenthouse My FIL also serves his meat cold with everything else hot Hmm he fancies himself as a bit of a chef but I find it bizarre

pineapplepenthouse · 03/01/2019 23:16

@LanaLily11 it's weird isn't it?! Luckily I have a good relationship with them so just told them one year I was hearing mine up in the microwave!

Iused2BanOptimist · 03/01/2019 23:33

My parents used to have a couple to stay every year for Cheltenham races. The spare bedroom had two single beds but they always slept in just the one. It fascinated us!

And my sister has never been very interested in the domesticity, they moved into a lovely big house with a huge kitchen. Half the units were empty and the drawer next to the cooker where I looked for some utensils had the dog lead in. The cupboard for her pots and pans was at the far end of the room behind the dog's bed. My mother cried after visiting! Hmm

On holiday in Canada we were walking down a street and saw an "Open House" sign so decided to go in for a nosy. It was very tidy and ordered, the week's menu stuck on the fridge. Someone was obviously a dentist as there was a room dedicated to a collection including an antique Dentist chair and displays of historical implements of torture. Grin

Coralnails · 03/01/2019 23:46

Bertiebotts omg, my ex used to store leftovers in the microwave or the oven, then eat it the next day Envy

His dad would open a can of tuna, use half, then put the other half in a bowl in the breadbin. To use the next day.

BearFoxBear · 03/01/2019 23:47

DH and I went to view a house last year. The bathroom was a windowless square which was wallpapered everywhere - including the ceiling and door - with a cloudy sky pattern. It was really weird, I couldn't find my way out after closing the door behind me!

BertieBotts · 03/01/2019 23:55

Coral Yes! We visited over Christmas, MIL went and got a cake thing, Swiss roll type deal with fresh cream and meringues to defrost. Was quite nice, I had a bit of it, but a week later it was still sitting there on the counter, she'd been saving it for us?? I pointed it out to DH and he reckoned she was eating a slice a day. Confused

why100000 · 03/01/2019 23:59

I remember being very surprised the first time I went over to a friends house and discovered she shared bunk beds with her mum, and her dad slept in the other bedroom.

This was me and ex and in the awful run up to our divorce Sad.

why100000 · 04/01/2019 00:00

That and shouldn’t be there.

anitagreen · 04/01/2019 00:09

@purpleworms she always does it! She FaceTimed me a few weeks ago in the bath we was talking normally then she stood up to have a wash, so I said for goodness sake I'm eating dinner and she said well can't you just not look for a second? STOP PHONING ME NUDE FGS Grin

Schmoobarb · 04/01/2019 00:09

My parents heat up takeaway curry in the oven before they eat it, decanting it all into bowls first. It’s not “fast food” in their house!

My mum puts a flat sheet under a duvet

Schmoobarb · 04/01/2019 00:19

My H told me the first time his parents bought ice cream Mars bars they ate them with frozen pizza

My friend’s mum used to serve frozen pizza with boiled potatoes

I had a childhood friend who used to have tomato ketchup sandwiches in her packed lunch. She wasn’t a particular fan it was just what she got. I also went to her house for tea one time and it was all perfectly fine except with the apple pie for pudding they served it with milk instead of cream, ice cream or custard Hmm

Schmoobarb · 04/01/2019 00:20

My H told me the first time his parents bought ice cream Mars bars they ate them with frozen pizza

They didn’t! They are them with a knife and fork! Gah I must have had frozen pizza on my mind!