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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not let my brother come stay with me?

155 replies

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 11:37

Brother and I were close growing up. Drifted apart in late teens early twenties. He's now 30. I'm 26.
Mainly because I think I realised what an ar*e he can be.
I feel he can be very entitled & spoilt and expects everyone to do everything for him.
We have a lot of disagreements because of this and to be honest he mostly only ever contacts me to ask for money and it's been that way since I was about 17.

Our mum died last November. I had no help from either of my brothers with paying for or organising my mums funeral. It totally broke me.

Fast forward to the current situation. He is separated from his sons (1yo) mother due to a lot of reasons and their relationship wasn't working. They're amicable and co parent well from what I know. Happily take the baby out together and he spends time their with them both. I'm pretty sure he stays over every now and then too.
Anyway, he's renting a house from a friend. Friend told him she needed the house back as she needed to move in and gave him a month to get something sorted. That month ends on Saturday
He has just messaged asking if he can stay with me for a "few weeks" until he saves enough for a deposit. So he hasn't bothered to try find somewhere else to live.
He's apparently asked his ex to stay in her spare room. She said no because she likes her own space. Fair enough.
I'm reluctant for the following reasons

It won't be a few weeks. It'll be a lot longer because he's a very unmotivated person and and won't be bothered to look because it's convenient to be here.

I have 2 DD's. 4yo & 3mo. I'm breastfeeding the baby so often sat on the sofa for long periods of time while she feeds/sleeps.

We don't have a spare room. Well the baby isn't in the nursery yet but it's a nursery so no space for a bed. So he'd have to stay on the sofa. The living room is used everyday. Where my children play etc so I couldn't imagine what I'd do if it then became a bedroom. I don't want to have to be confined to the upstairs in my own home. He works evenings so doesn't get home till after 1am most nights and then sleeps in late. We are up at 6am.

My husband is a great man and would do anything for anyone so he'd probably say it's okay but really I know he wouldn't be happy with it. And I feel bad because this is his home too and I feel like he is always picking up the pieces for my family. There have been various other situations where he has done a lot to help them out.

My baby currently has bronchiolitis, which I know isn't forever but it's stressful and worrying nonetheless. My DH and I have a great relationship but the tiredness and stress that comes with a new baby and being parents are a problem at the moment. He works long days so we barely see him till the weekend. I just don't want to add another stressful element to our relationship.

If I thought he would be helpful while here it might be different but I doubt it. I can't see him offering to contribute to costs of him being here or helping to tidy up etc.

We grew up in poor area. My mum was a single parent on benefits with her own struggles but she did her best.
I have worked incredibly hard to get to the position I'm in now. We own our home in a nice area, my girls are far from spoilt but they never want for anything which is the opposite to what I had. I think he seems to think I'm the 'privileged' one because of this. So it's up to me to fix all his problems. But really we had the same start in life and I have just made better choices and wanted to get away from that life. His ex said one of the reasons they broke up was because he wanted to be mothered and she wasn't willing to do it.

sorry for the long winded post!
Would you put him up in my situation?

OP posts:
Hilda40 · 28/07/2021 11:40

No

Underpaidsnackbitch · 28/07/2021 11:40

Absolutely not. He is a grown up and you have enough going on with your own family

timeisnotaline · 28/07/2021 11:40

Just say no - say you don’t have room, you’re up several times in the night with baby and everyone’s up at 6 so your living room is not available. You will feel wonderful when you’ve said it.

hellcatspangle · 28/07/2021 11:41

Nope. He can find somewhere else to be a lodger (where he may not need much of a deposit. Send him the link to www.spareroom.co.uk

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 11:42

@Hilda40

No
Thanks! I know my reasons are valid but I just didn't want to be selfish leaving him no options. He has a couple of other people he could ask but that would take more of a hit to his pride. I think I've been too much of a push over
OP posts:
Meraas · 28/07/2021 11:43

No way! He will NEVER leave. You owe him nothing, OP. I have a similar brother and I have written him off years ago, it's much better for my mental health.

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 11:43

@timeisnotaline

Just say no - say you don’t have room, you’re up several times in the night with baby and everyone’s up at 6 so your living room is not available. You will feel wonderful when you’ve said it.
You are right! I said I'd speak to DH when he got home from work. I'm just going to say no, we don't have the space. Which we don't
OP posts:
Skiptheheartsandflowers · 28/07/2021 11:44

No way. You don't have a spare room for him to sleep in, his work shifts would mean the kids disturb him in the mornings, and you need your living space. That's three reasons and you only need one.

coconutpie · 28/07/2021 11:44

Absolutely no under any circumstances. You have listed a million reasons to say no. You don't need a million reasons. It is your home. You can say no, you do not need to justify your no.

Remember the MN mantra - no is a complete sentence.

"Sorry brother, it will not be possible for you to stay with us. Good luck with your search."

Blanca87 · 28/07/2021 11:45

Don’t let him stay, he will take the piss. Seriously he should have sorted his shite out a long time ago. Also it seems he’s a shite parent, why is he not sharing the responsibility of parenting. How convenient he visit his ex partners place for access. The guy needs to grow up and not rely on women sorting his life out.

Meraas · 28/07/2021 11:46

Thanks! I know my reasons are valid but I just didn't want to be selfish leaving him no options. He has a couple of other people he could ask but that would take more of a hit to his pride. I think I've been too much of a push over

He has really done a number on you, he should have been thinking about his pride when he he was told to move out of his place.

Sounds like you would have a third child to look after.

Wjevtvha · 28/07/2021 11:46

You don’t have a room for him to stay in so it’s a no brainer

Tibtab · 28/07/2021 11:47

It’s a pretty easy no from me. He sounds like a user. He won’t be grateful he’ll just take and take. He’s an adult that needs to look after himself, he’s not a child. If he’s homeless he will have to go through the Council’s procedure.

KateTheEighth · 28/07/2021 11:49

You don't have room

End of story

You know that it will end up being months, it will ruin the relationship you have with him, it will disrupt your family life, it will ruin your sofa, where would he put his stuff? etc etc

withiceplease · 28/07/2021 11:50

Apart from himself, surely there'd be all his stuff from his room? Where on earth would you put all that?
Easy 'no'

Twoforthree · 28/07/2021 11:51

Nope

youdoyoutoday · 28/07/2021 11:51

No, absolutely not!!
You don't have the room, you have a sick baby, you're breastfeeding! Just no!!!
He's a grown man and he will have to sort his own shit out!!

Takenoprisoner · 28/07/2021 11:52

He'd still be there months down the line. Just say no.

Also wanted to add, please don't offer him money, or help finding somewhere to stay. This is not to be uncaring, this is so he learns to stand on his own two feet. Sounds like you've been bailing him out all your adult life. It needs to stop.

Branleuse · 28/07/2021 11:52

say "sorry, no can do, dont have the space otherwise we would have already got a lodger. Good luck with finding somewhere though. Sounds stressful"

warmandtoasty2day · 28/07/2021 11:53

sounds like potential c -fery. give it a few months and you'll be on here complaining he is still with you and how to get rid of him as he's taking over the house hold dh says it's best to say nothing and your have reached the end of your tether. while db bangs on about 'family' and all that shite.
Don't let him step foot over your threshold he'll assume you've adopted him.

kidsatuniemptynester · 28/07/2021 11:53

You have no room. His ex partner needs to put him up, they get on well, they co-parent, she can't just have the good bits without the irritating bits too.

antwacky · 28/07/2021 11:54

Definitely no! Been there done that a couple of times and it's awful and I soon found out these family members are never around if you ever need a bit of support. You concentrate on your own little family, your brother is big enough to fend for himself.

Liveandforget · 28/07/2021 11:57

Take it from someone who did something similar, had family member to live temporarily, with a 3mo baby and no sleep. My marriage never recovered.

icelollycraving · 28/07/2021 11:57

No.
Also, because you said you’d speak your dh, he may think he’s the problem. Tell him, you have your own children and with little ones you can’t have more disruption to their routine.
He’s unmotivated and that’s lost him his partner and his current home. If you have him there, you’ll never get rid. How long would he need for a deposit to be saved? Would he not get a deposit back from the friend?
Speak up, you’ll be proud you did.

Ilovecaviar · 28/07/2021 11:57

No and don’t even give it a second thought. His lifestyle is not your problem to fix in any way. Just tell him and don’t offer reasons which he can work around.