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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:
billy1966 · 28/07/2021 13:38

OP,
Glad you did the right thing but that you even needed to check is worrying.

Your 100% responsibility is to your wellbeing, your children, your husband, your family as a whole.

The needs of a selfish brother that you know is a user is not someone you should EVER say yes to again.

He has shown you who he is, clearly.

Never, ever entertain him again.
Never be put out or inconvenienced by him again.

Should he ever ask you for ANYTHING again, remind him of his behaviour during your mother's last period alive.

Some selfish men think once their mother is gone, their sister or sisters can step into the role🙄.

Best to brutally disabuse them of THAT idea promptly!😁

FrenchBoule · 28/07/2021 13:38

No.
His lack of planning is not your emergency.
A few weeks might turn into several months.
Besides I wouldn’t let anybody stay for so long if they were arsey to me,family or not.

He’s an adult,he should sort himself out.Sod what he thinks.

MagnoliaBeige · 28/07/2021 13:52

Well done for saying no, and for not using your DH as an excuse, it’s empowering Smile

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 13:58

@MagnoliaBeige

Well done for saying no, and for not using your DH as an excuse, it’s empowering Smile
It was! Thanks! 🙂 I feel lot better for just doing it rather than sweating over it all day.

Of course it took a MN thread to persuade me!

Family or not, I don't owe him anything. If he'd been a decent person in the past it might have been different.
Thanks everyone!

OP posts:
NotTheMrMenAgain · 28/07/2021 14:08

Hell no! No way would he be staying at my house just because of his shitty, entitled attitude. Add in the facts of a young DD and a baby and it's a disaster waiting to happen - you know exactly how it would end, and it wouldn't be pretty!

AlfonsoTheMango · 28/07/2021 14:29

I'm glad you said no to your brother, OP.

EKGEMS · 28/07/2021 14:43

Great job saying no! My SIL and BIL had their BIL move in and he was supposed to have moved out after a set time period and he was procrastinating and wound up having an emergency appendectomy and my poor SIL and BIL who were moving to the NE and had sold their house and SIL wound up having to pack his belongings while caring for two children under two about same age as yours.

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 15:16

He's now asked if he can store some things here.
Which I don't mind as we have a large basement but he's definitely trying to make me feel guilty 🙄

OP posts:
Meraas · 28/07/2021 15:18

No way, say no. He won't move it all, he will probably rent a room as a lodger and take the bare minimum.

Time to say no again. Oh what a shame, you have a project planned....

Takenoprisoner · 28/07/2021 15:20

He'll end up living in your basement. Say no

AbbieLexie · 28/07/2021 15:23

NO - its a complete sentence. The more you use this sentence the easier it becomes. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from Mumsnet.

billy1966 · 28/07/2021 15:27

No.
If you entertain this, he will tey and move into your basement...just for a bit.

He's neither a nice nor good man.

It wouldn't be good for your marriage and you would find it even harder to get him out of a basement.

Tell him No.

You are not his mother, that he had so little regard for.

You owe him nothing.

You will bitterly regret if you say YES to anything.

If you do, this will be your life as his go to person for anything he needs.

Establish boundaries now.

You are NOT his go to person.Flowers

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 28/07/2021 15:30

I wouldn’t. Point him at Spare Room or similar.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 28/07/2021 15:31

He's now asked if he can store some things here.
Which I don't mind as we have a large basement but he's definitely trying to make me feel guilty 🙄

Say no to this as well. He'll keep popping round for stuff. And then, "well as x y & z is at yours I may as well stay for weekend/week/unspecified."

No sorry we've got a load of stuff stored already. Try local storage/lockup/big yellow whatever/pay for it.

Seriously, you owe him nothing. Do not feel guilty

DrunkenKoala · 28/07/2021 15:31

It would be a no from me, both sleeping on your sofa and storing his stuff in your basement. He’s now reaping what he’s sown - although I doubt he’ll ever accept that, it’ll always be someone else’s fault.

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 28/07/2021 15:36

Beware the camel in the tent!

Don't store his stuff!

RampantIvy · 28/07/2021 15:38

Why can't he rent a room somewhere, or is he hoping to not have to pay any rent at all?

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 15:39

I've sent in a link from spare rooms for a cheap/nice room in the same area his son lives in which is close to his work and closer than he currently lives to him. Took me 5 seconds to find🙄

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 28/07/2021 15:41

Well done for sticking to your guns.

Nerfelite · 28/07/2021 15:46

@daisydaisy7

He's now asked if he can store some things here. Which I don't mind as we have a large basement but he's definitely trying to make me feel guilty 🙄
The answer is also NO
Ambo21 · 28/07/2021 15:47

And now you have said 'NO' to him once...you will find it easier with practice.. 'No'.. No'.. 'No'..☺☺☺

Well done!!

daisydaisy7 · 28/07/2021 15:50

@RampantIvy

Why can't he rent a room somewhere, or is he hoping to not have to pay any rent at all?
I think possibly yes. He's always lived with partners, sponged off them. The house he's in at the moment, he moans about having to pay rent etc. I don't think he's grown up at all. Paying for a roof over my head would be my number 1 priority.
OP posts:
Drinkingallthewine · 28/07/2021 15:56

Don't store his stuff. He'll come over to get something then stay the night etc and before you know it he will have moved in by stealth.

Or you could agree, then say that when he comes over with the stuff he can give you the money for his share of your DM's funeral costs and tell him how much to bring. You'll not see him for dust.

lastcall · 28/07/2021 16:07

He's 30?! And had a month to sort himself out?

That would be a big fat no, that doesn't work for you. No other explanation required.

Maskedrevenger · 28/07/2021 16:08

Plenty of options available to him to rent storage space from tiny to massive units. Companies do a monthly rental so he would only need to pay for it for a short time til he got settled. I had cause to look into it recently, didn’t end up needing it, and the cost was reasonable.