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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

FIL moving in

370 replies

Gault500 · 15/02/2019 10:41

MIL has a terminal illness and will be coming to the end of her life in the next 3-4 weeks. DH has just dropped the bombshell that when she dies FIL wants to move in with us. This is a horrible time for them all and I know I should be supportive, but I'm absolutely horrified! We have 2 young kids, DH works abroad 3 weeks in every 4 and I work full time. I am exhausted and the thought of having another person to look after feels completely overwhelming. DH says it won't be like that and I won't have to do anything for him, but realistically he is a very "traditional" man who doesn't know how to cook or clean and as far as I can tell has no inclination to learn (despite his wife being seriously ill she still did everything for him for as long as she could, and now they have a housekeeper who comes in sorts him out). PIL are also notoriously anti-social - I've never known them to go out, have friends, or even contact other family members - so I can't imagine he's after the company! Aside from the extra work, I also can't imagine having him (or indeed any other person!) in my house every single day and having no time alone with the kids or DH. I didn't enjoy flat sharing when I was younger, even with some of my closest friends, as although I am quite sociable I do enjoy coming home and value my privacy. FIL is 68 and in good health so this could be my life for the next 25 years!!! PIL live in another part of the country so I totally expected him to move close to us and would be happy for him to come for dinner 3 or 4 nights a week, I just never in a million years expected him to want to live with us! On the flip side we do have the space for him (although we would no longer have a spare room for friends to stay) so I probably am being unreasonable for putting my own feelings before those of a grieving widower and my DH! Anyone got any lovely stories where living with a relative turned out to be a fabulous, life enhancing experience- I think I might need a dose of positivity!

OP posts:
Longdistance · 17/02/2019 13:57

It’d be a no from me too.

If he needed some meals running up, and him checking on at the house, no problem. As long as dh pulls his weight and fil contributes financially. Fil can pay for a cleaner himself and learn how to use the washing machine.

flumpybear · 17/02/2019 14:19

This would be such a massive mistake just because he won't adapt
He may live to 100, as my grandad has when my grandma died st 63 - he's loved and coped on his own just fine, even loves at
Home still now!

He needs his own space / you don't want to be his slave TIL you're retired and beyond - it's a huge mistake

At best I'd suggest him buying a suitable bungalow in the same town as me/husband and he can come over for meals once or twice a week - otherwise you'll literally be everyone's skivvy forever with no support and no time off - no thanks !!

flumpybear · 17/02/2019 14:20

*lives

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 17/02/2019 15:02

Could you extend you property to accommodate him in a granny flat?

NoIsACompleteAnswerSometimes · 17/02/2019 15:39

Here's my experience. My mum was ill, possibly terminal so she had time to teach my dad how to cook, deal with finances etc. Unfortunately she died suddenly and unexpectedly from something completely different.
My dad found staying at their house upsetting as he could see mum everywhere so it was decided he'd stay with us for a while. In the daytime he'd go back home as he decided to sell the house, so he had stuff to d
sort out there, but he had meals at ours and slept at ours every night.
My siblings did sod all to help, only had dad over for dinner about twice I think. Even my sister said later she could and should have done more, and I certainly didn't disabuse her of that thought.
We had a few issues, main one about the favoritism shown to my other sibling (could do no wrong!) and after 6 months when dad moved back to his own house permanently I was very pleased. He'd got too comfortable about me running about after him, plus other issues that have left a permanent rift. I'd never do it again.

DeniseRoyal · 17/02/2019 18:40

God no OP!! I would be horrified at the thought! Fuck that! 😱

PragmaticWench · 17/02/2019 19:45

I've had personal experience of my grandmother moving in with us. Lots of positives, more negatives, for me but especially my parents.

OP have you decided how to approach this with your DH? It's obviously a very emotional time now with your MIL nearing the end, so you will all be feeling much more sensitive than normal. Wishing you luck with discussing it with your DH, it's not easy.

EvaHarknessRose · 17/02/2019 20:13

Its lovely that you want to help OP, but lets be realistic, your dh wouldn’t be teaching your Mum to cook or checking up on her in the same circumstances. Its ok to put your own needs (and especially your own mental health) first. I suggest no big decisions for the first six months - maybe have him to stay for an extended visit (when your dh is home) and then fil goes back home.

AlexaAmbidextra · 17/02/2019 20:37

Could you extend you property to accommodate him in a granny flat?

Well if they do this he might as well move in with them. There will be the same expectation that OP will cook and clean for him. The only difference will be him sleeping next door.

AlexaAmbidextra · 17/02/2019 20:38

Besides which. He’s a fit 68 year old. He doesn’t need a bloody granny-annexe.

Floralhousecoat · 17/02/2019 21:00

Don't think the op is coming back folks.

Reader56 · 17/02/2019 23:03

Would it be possible to use some of the money from selling his house to build an extension to your house so he could be be completely self-contained? At least you could retain some privacy...sorry if this has already been suggested, haven’t read the entire thread.

ineedaholidaynow · 17/02/2019 23:06

Reader there can be issues with this if FIL ultimately needs to go into a care home which needs to be funded.

Maybe OP hasn't been back for awhile as MIL is terminally ill and she needs to support her DH

GreenTulips · 17/02/2019 23:08

Reader56

Several times along with the possible issue of FIL needing long term care in the future and OP having to sell their house

Plus FIL becoming reliant on OP for meals and entertainment

sleepylittlebunnies · 18/02/2019 01:26

OP you work full time, have a five year old with school runs, homework, clubs and play dates as well as a 9 month old baby who doesn’t sleep through, nursery runs and eventually all the additional activities. So after picking up both DC from presumably 2 different locations, cooking tea and bath and bed you must be shattered. You are doing all this on your own for 3 out of every 4 weeks! And your DH expects you to take on the caring/housekeeping responsibilities for his DF on top as well as losing your own privacy and limited freedom. It really sounds like you’ve got more than enough to deal with already OP.

I dare say he wants DMIL to die without the worry over how her widowed husband will cope. It’s too late now but basic life skills of cooking, cleaning and laundry should have been learnt a long time ago. However it’s not too late to learn.

I haven’t read any information regarding DH’s work arrangements. For those 3 weeks is he moving around, abroad or in one place in UK. If in one place could DFIL stay with DH there or buy a place there and DH stay with him for those 3 weeks?

I wouldn’t agree to a trial, it may be better for DFIL to come to yours for a week after the funeral while DH is off, you go to work and don’t make any special provisions. After that week DH could travel back with his dad and start teaching him some basics and see what there is locally to get his dad out a bit. DH needs to look into how he might need to change his work and lifestyle if his dad were to move close by. He hasn’t done this to lighten his own wife’s load and spend more time with her and his DC. I’m therefore not sure he’d be willing to do it for his presumably recently retired, physically and financially stable Dad.

So ultimately no to moving in, no to trial moving in, no to adding a grandad annexe or having him move into your street, no to him handing over money. Discuss increasing FIL’s independence, changing DH’s lifestyle, buying a small low maintenance flat or bungalow and learning to keep house or him paying someone to or him moving into a retirement village. The last suggestion might offer the best of everything for all of you. The one local to me has a gym, bar and social club, large lounge, library, cafe and bistro, hairdressers. They also have occasional evening entertainment and organised day trips and even rooms that can be rented out for visiting relatives. It’s certainly not a nursing home.

Whatever happens I can’t see FIL moving in or too close to you being a positive move. He could have 30 years left, he needs to live them and make them count. This will be a new chapter in his life it doesn’t need to ruin his son’s marriage.

MargaretRiver · 18/02/2019 04:42

The man is only 68!
A quick google says he is the same age as Richard Branson, Julie Walters, Phil Collins and Agnetha from Abba
4 years younger than Donald Trump & Cher and 7 years younger than Mick Jagger.
If, as you say, he is healthy and mentally with it , why would he need any care for the next decade or more

Wallywobbles · 18/02/2019 06:29

I'd be booking your FIL on a cooking course for starters. And any other household management course I could find.

Gault500 · 18/02/2019 15:11

Thanks everyone! So i've been mulling over the granny annex but I just don't think it would solve the problem. The way our house is configured It would be difficult for him to have his own front door so would probably be more of an extension with his own living area. So still privacy issues, and I expect I'd still be expected to cook and clean. Plus we'd be sinking his cash into our house, making it harder to sell if we ever needed to move and tying up the money so we'd be stuck if he needed residential care.

I totally agree with those suggesting that he hold off moving here for a year or two, but I don't think that is going to happen. PIL had already decided to move here a few years ago but put it on hold when MIL started to deteriorate as she wanted to stay with the doctors she knew and trusted. So FIL has already had it in his mind that he'll move once she's gone and has had for some time. He also needs a knee replacement which he has been putting off while MIL is ill as he needs to be able to drive her to her appointments. DH will take unpaid leave to help him as he won't be able to drive for 6-8 weeks afterwards, and it would be much easier for that to happen here rather than DH having to disappear for 6 weeks. It's a flight rather than car journey so we couldn't just pop back and forth.

DH is home on 10 days so we're going to chat about it more and I'm just going to have to put my foot down. I've got some good ammunition to support my argument from this thread, so thanks for that!

OP posts:
Gault500 · 18/02/2019 15:17

Oh and in relation to courses, a cookery course would be a good idea if he'd be up for it (the antisocial issue might knock it on the head but it would definitely be useful for him). He worked in IT until 4 or 5 years ago so is very computer literate, he dealt with all the paperwork, bills, etc, and he has been doing the grocery shopping on his own lately so all that is fine. They live independently at the moment (except for the housekeeper which is a new thing since MIL went into hospital) so no reason he couldn't do the same here.

OP posts:
TaimaandRanyasBestFriend · 18/02/2019 15:18

You need to put your foot down for the sake of your kids' lives, family life, yourself and your marriage.

The knee replacement needs to happen there and you'll have to go without your DH or you will end up him forever and you will be expected to cook (what he wants), clean up after him and wait on him whilst your husband gets to be away.

Do not get saddled with this or let your H manipulate you into this because the bottom line is that he is not there 3 weeks out of 4.

If he wants to move to your town he needs to buy his own place.

TaimaandRanyasBestFriend · 18/02/2019 15:21

It'll actually be really good for your H to be his carer for 6-8 weeks on his own. I can guarantee he'll see it all differently then.

Surfingtheweb · 18/02/2019 15:28

I wouldn't be able to cope with it. If it's too much for you you have to just say so & be honest. Could you look at retirement homes near you that would be more suitable for him to move into? That way he can be close by & be supported?

ineedaholidaynow · 18/02/2019 15:39

If he was going to move near you anyway, then keep to that plan, not moving in. I know some people on here are aghast at suggesting a retirement complex as he is only 68, but as many of us have said there are many variations so that might be an idea. I know he is not very sociable, but it is an easy way of getting to know people and not relying solely on you, if he won't otherwise know anyone in your area.

That was partly our reasoning when DM moved into retirement complex near us, after DF died. It was partly for security but partly so she would would not be totally reliant on us for her social life. And it has worked really well. I see her regularly , sometimes just for a quick chat, but she also joins in with a few of the social activities going on, but also spends a reasonable amount of time on her own, which she likes, as she is quite a quiet person.

reallybadidea · 18/02/2019 15:49

I live my DH, but I can say with no hesitation at all, that if he insisted on his father moving in then I would be moving out.

I think that actually you need to encourage him to have a go at living on his own where he is now. He might actually be happier! At the moment I expect he's really scared of what the future will bring and the security of being close to family is comforting. But as others have said, he's still relatively young and he needs to try and make a life for himself IMHO.

Otterseatpuffinsdontthey · 18/02/2019 15:50

Q

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