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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Freeloading children at home that treat you and the home like.....

29 replies

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 15:12

I've read a few threads here about children like that. The children I am referring to are often over 18 years of age and staying at home in their 20's 30's etc and treat the home and you like shit

I've seen for my own eyes similar adult children in a relative's home.

The adults/children I am referring to and their behaviour or lack of it is not a one-off but a day-in, day-out event.

These children often assume you own them a roof over their head, make food for them and possibly the washing of clothing. They will often blame you everything that has gone wrong in their life and is going wrong on you, unfairly so.

These children often are ok as long as you agree with them but say no or ask a question they don't like, be preapred for a backlash, swearing, cursing etc.

The same lot will tell anyone and everyone about how nasty you have been to them. These children will complain to family/cousins/relatives etc and along the way, meet one or two that are winding them up.

You've had enough, you want them to fuck off out of the house. They won't go. Lock them out with more than a fair warning, they will make threats to take their own life and rant and swear at you for making their life miserable as well as their health

They make you life in your own home very miserable and make you ill and all this in the home you have worked hard to pay for, house them, and house them free of charge. God forbid if they had paid something towards their keep at one time or another, they will exacerbate the figures and tell you that you are making a profit from them.

They may tell you that you won't dare kick them out as it will cause embarrassment

They will tell half of the story to your family/siblings etc where you have shouted at them/etc.

Its happening more and more often

The best thing to do is, give them fair warning to leave and often they wont, so kick them out. No physical force should be used, just change the locks or bolt the doors. Easier said than done.

If something happened to your child when you kicked them out, you will regret it for the rest of your life. However, most manage and do become better people and often they will respect you as they should have in the first place.

We've been lucky with our kids but have seen first-hand re on sibling have two children like that, one male other female. The situation became worse during covid when they were at home working from home. The children stayed working from home. According to my siblings, their children it easy at home and not having to dealing with some awful people at work so took it out on them. Both were kicked out - given notice but left several months after - parents helped them with a deposit - a year on, they got on with their parents very well,

Some may even dictate to you who you can have in your own home as they may have fallen out with them

They may accuse you of not being fair to them but had other sibling/s as your favourites when you did not.

IMO, staying together in one home as they get older often over the age of 22ish, things can go wrong. Its hard, but at times kicking them out and telling them they are welcome back once they have modified their behaviour is the best way forward IMO

Btw, - if your nasty, adult children get other family involved - dont talk about it as some want to see a soap opera. Just tell them to believe what they want to believe politely as they should know you pretty well and not falling for the total bS spouted by your adult child.

AIBU to think like this? (thankfully, we have been lucky and told our children early on, "Get a property, you are free to stay here but when you get married or financially settled, move out and they all did before getting married)

Parents are not always perfect but in the eyes of some adult children, some parents are bastards when they are clearly not

One is never out of the woods as then you have to think about how your GC may turn out

OP posts:
AutumnCrow · 02/03/2024 15:32

You're not unreasonable to have an opinion. But each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way - so we maybe shouldn't generalise too much.

I do feel desperately sorry for families (usually mothers and adult DC) caught up in living together unhappily through economic necessity. It's not so easy to scrape together the magical deposits, guarantors, furniture, moving costs, advance payments, legal fees, etc etc, these days. But shitty behaviour is a no-no.

CharSiu · 02/03/2024 15:38

In the entire history of my family this has never happened including extended family but we do not parent in the very liberal manner that English parents do. My parenting was watered down a lot as DH is English but my children had Chinese parenting overall. This is much stricter. Theirs was nothing like the way I was raised which was very strict. People want to be friends with their children and that is a big mistake. Love between a parent and child is different to that between friends. But my upbringing with respecting authority, following rules it’s such a different world it’s hard to explain. My DS as an adult has actually thanked me and DD said she was very proud of me.

Absent Fathers are also an issue. If there are two of you then you can tag team the discipline.

JJathome · 02/03/2024 15:40

You seem to have very strong opinions on other folks kids.

CharSiu · 02/03/2024 15:43

I need to add there is no shame in inter generational living either plus alcohol is just no where near such a big thing in our culture. That causes so many problems.

When I laid rules down to my children they knew I meant it.

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 16:27

AutumnCrow · 02/03/2024 15:32

You're not unreasonable to have an opinion. But each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way - so we maybe shouldn't generalise too much.

I do feel desperately sorry for families (usually mothers and adult DC) caught up in living together unhappily through economic necessity. It's not so easy to scrape together the magical deposits, guarantors, furniture, moving costs, advance payments, legal fees, etc etc, these days. But shitty behaviour is a no-no.

Its not always "economic necessity" its purely freeloading buy possibly saving for for their hols away, clothing/designer goods etc or being just bloody lazy and not wanting to work ot work part-time as they want a 'life balance' life.

It may be as you said sometimes but not always

OP posts:
DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 16:34

CharSiu · 02/03/2024 15:38

In the entire history of my family this has never happened including extended family but we do not parent in the very liberal manner that English parents do. My parenting was watered down a lot as DH is English but my children had Chinese parenting overall. This is much stricter. Theirs was nothing like the way I was raised which was very strict. People want to be friends with their children and that is a big mistake. Love between a parent and child is different to that between friends. But my upbringing with respecting authority, following rules it’s such a different world it’s hard to explain. My DS as an adult has actually thanked me and DD said she was very proud of me.

Absent Fathers are also an issue. If there are two of you then you can tag team the discipline.

FYI - I'm not "Enlishg" not are my sibling - the children do not come from what is percieved as a broken home etc - the paprents did not spoli them, EG we know of people that just len their car to their childre and the children drive around and when empty park it back up - we never did or would do that.

Me and my siblings ic my OH and siblings parents tried to teach them from the outset, and at 16 - if you want more, bloody work for it - sounds harsh but work ethics often go a long way along with having to support a place of your own as this comes with resposbilites etc. This in turn gives them less time to the "I want.. you are not fair.." etc, etc as they are worn out from work/life etc and often they will appreciate it when parents give them a gift, give them presents of money etc and help out other ways if required. If they are staying at home, not all but some will be little b's just like those I have mentioned in my OP

OP posts:
badhappenings · 02/03/2024 16:35

YANBU
I couldn't agree with you more @DistingusedSocialCommentator

What do you think you did differently from your sibling when you brought up your own children?

Were there things your sibling did, that you knew would lead to her children being like that?

TheYearOfSmallThings · 02/03/2024 16:36

What is really bothering you? You are very worked up about this.

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 16:37

JJathome · 02/03/2024 15:40

You seem to have very strong opinions on other folks kids.

Grow up buddy. Post is clear re woes my siblings faced and they turned to me. The thing is the children had already tried to seek support from me, my family but those kids were not happy with the answers so turned to others.

If you had seen the situation in their home at the time when they'd had to change the locks on one of them, it would have brought you to tears. It was hard but it did the trick, those kids/adults better behaved but still have their tantrums when they don't get what they want

OP posts:
Dweetfidilove · 02/03/2024 16:37

None of that happened in my grandparents’/parents’ or extended families’ homes and I am 99.99% sure it won’t happen in mine.

We do not practise lax parenting and even at my 40+ years old, I couldn’t try any of that disrespectful shit with my parents.

queenMab99 · 02/03/2024 16:59

That was a very long lecture, my opinion is, their parents brought them up, so should take some blame. If the parents don't like it, there is no law to say they have to support their children once they are adults.

mathanxiety · 02/03/2024 17:09

TheYearOfSmallThings · 02/03/2024 16:36

What is really bothering you? You are very worked up about this.

Same poster has a few threads recently, all from the vantage point of a high horse...

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:09

Dweetfidilove · 02/03/2024 16:37

None of that happened in my grandparents’/parents’ or extended families’ homes and I am 99.99% sure it won’t happen in mine.

We do not practise lax parenting and even at my 40+ years old, I couldn’t try any of that disrespectful shit with my parents.

Sadly, it does happen and imo, the younger children these days are easily led by the shit they all see/read on the net and the shti many of them would chat

I and my siblings gave a little back chat to mu and ran when she became angry just a little and that was it and we all feared our dad - god forbid a respot from school saying we were naughty, we feared our parents. 2 of our children/adults are very respectful, one can get a little lippy but that is about it and its only done on a one to one babsis or just the immediate family at home

The children/adults I am talking about and many stories on this site - the parents looked after their kids and like us did not leave their children with a child minder the parents always worked, always had their own home. The parents could have easily bought them a car or lend theirs but the did not as it spolis kis in our opinion.

Trsut my you are lucky like us but when it happens, it often happens over nothing and some children often wrongly claim they were never liked

Never, say never is what I say

If you visit the site frequently, you will soon see how an adult child from even what most of us perceive as a nice, balanced house, the child is a right B.

Parents dont kick their adult children out of their home for the fun of it as its truma on the parents as well

Sadly, too any free-loaders aroudnt hese days

BTW - I forgor, my sibling/sister said to her husband every so often" the chidren are ok with me... they bechave like that with you as you rant/swear/hit back." He used to tell her. "Trust me, wait until I just shit up and take the shith they will tur on you." The husband went quiet ad left the kids rant/etc. Then my sis started to tell them to stop and guess what, the children turned on my sister. My sister never swears like our mum never raises her voice and is a really nice lady and othe say that. The children were right b's - but out on their ear with help from the parents and paying bills/mortgages, they are on the whole much more pleasant people to their parents. These kids were always pleasant to everyone else.

OP posts:
Coconutter24 · 02/03/2024 17:09

I only read half the post but these ‘children’ are actually adults. Why have they been allowed to act this way? My children are actually children and wouldn’t be so disrespectful because of how I’ve raised them.

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:12

mathanxiety · 02/03/2024 17:09

Same poster has a few threads recently, all from the vantage point of a high horse...

You jealous?
I could have easily changed my username but have no reason to as I like to make people aware what some people experience in their lives through no fault of their own.

Re "high horse" - to me its you trying to tell me what to post and what not to post.

OP posts:
DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:14

Coconutter24 · 02/03/2024 17:09

I only read half the post but these ‘children’ are actually adults. Why have they been allowed to act this way? My children are actually children and wouldn’t be so disrespectful because of how I’ve raised them.

Trust me, until it happend to my sis and her family - me, we all thought it happened to others and it was as good as a guarantee that if you bring up children well, they will behave/respect you etc. In most cases yes, but possibly about half a percent of all good parents will get a problem child and if very unlucky, you may get two

Never say never is what I believe and practice in

OP posts:
DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:15

CharSiu · 02/03/2024 15:43

I need to add there is no shame in inter generational living either plus alcohol is just no where near such a big thing in our culture. That causes so many problems.

When I laid rules down to my children they knew I meant it.

To adult children that are livivng at home?

OP posts:
Dweetfidilove · 02/03/2024 17:24

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:09

Sadly, it does happen and imo, the younger children these days are easily led by the shit they all see/read on the net and the shti many of them would chat

I and my siblings gave a little back chat to mu and ran when she became angry just a little and that was it and we all feared our dad - god forbid a respot from school saying we were naughty, we feared our parents. 2 of our children/adults are very respectful, one can get a little lippy but that is about it and its only done on a one to one babsis or just the immediate family at home

The children/adults I am talking about and many stories on this site - the parents looked after their kids and like us did not leave their children with a child minder the parents always worked, always had their own home. The parents could have easily bought them a car or lend theirs but the did not as it spolis kis in our opinion.

Trsut my you are lucky like us but when it happens, it often happens over nothing and some children often wrongly claim they were never liked

Never, say never is what I say

If you visit the site frequently, you will soon see how an adult child from even what most of us perceive as a nice, balanced house, the child is a right B.

Parents dont kick their adult children out of their home for the fun of it as its truma on the parents as well

Sadly, too any free-loaders aroudnt hese days

BTW - I forgor, my sibling/sister said to her husband every so often" the chidren are ok with me... they bechave like that with you as you rant/swear/hit back." He used to tell her. "Trust me, wait until I just shit up and take the shith they will tur on you." The husband went quiet ad left the kids rant/etc. Then my sis started to tell them to stop and guess what, the children turned on my sister. My sister never swears like our mum never raises her voice and is a really nice lady and othe say that. The children were right b's - but out on their ear with help from the parents and paying bills/mortgages, they are on the whole much more pleasant people to their parents. These kids were always pleasant to everyone else.

It must be tough watching it happen.

Thankfully my daughter and I understand each other well, so we don’t cross each other’s boundaries. She also knows disrespect lives on the other side of my door, so she can be disrespectful from outside.

Long may luck be on my side, because I’m not built with the patience or tolerance for any of this 🙏🏾.

NewName24 · 02/03/2024 17:26

Wow!

Not sure if you are writing a long lecture or the start of a book there.

I don't recognise the circumstances you write about, and I have had adult dc (and their partners) live with me.

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:32

Dweetfidilove · 02/03/2024 17:24

It must be tough watching it happen.

Thankfully my daughter and I understand each other well, so we don’t cross each other’s boundaries. She also knows disrespect lives on the other side of my door, so she can be disrespectful from outside.

Long may luck be on my side, because I’m not built with the patience or tolerance for any of this 🙏🏾.

Thank you

Sadly, with spolit adult babies, "boundaries" only means if you as a parent agrees that is fine and if not, then an arugmanet

The adult babies I am talking about are just unreasonable is the best way I can put it

Actually, a nephew on mine, in his early 50's, married and at home living at mums with his wife and children - they have bought their own place rent it out - they live there as his dad died years ago - mum, daughter in law and GC now at uni all get on really really well - but the son is a right bastard at times to mum, and his wife especially after a drink. The only reason they are stating together is its the diL and GC love nanny and they support each other

At times its drin but most of the time the younger one 18 to 40 are just ureasonable and blinkered view of what they want is right everyhting else is wrong

OP posts:
Coconutter24 · 02/03/2024 18:06

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:14

Trust me, until it happend to my sis and her family - me, we all thought it happened to others and it was as good as a guarantee that if you bring up children well, they will behave/respect you etc. In most cases yes, but possibly about half a percent of all good parents will get a problem child and if very unlucky, you may get two

Never say never is what I believe and practice in

Now as adults do they get consequences for their awful behaviour? It’s a tough one because it’s easy for people to say their adults throw them out but what parent ever wants to do that (I know some get to the point where it is the only option though)

spicedlemonpie · 02/03/2024 18:48

I must be from a different bread im sure there are others.
I was not a pammer parent or gentle parenting.
I think in to days world there is way to much gentle parenting kids.

Parents are not parenting anymore because it may hurt the child feeling.

CharSiu · 02/03/2024 18:50

Yes to adult children living at home, they are pretty basic no drugs in this house ever, pay your rent on time, just let me know in advance any plans if you can that may affect dinner.

vodkaredbullgirl · 02/03/2024 18:55

That's todays lecture started.

mathanxiety · 02/03/2024 19:01

DistingusedSocialCommentator · 02/03/2024 17:12

You jealous?
I could have easily changed my username but have no reason to as I like to make people aware what some people experience in their lives through no fault of their own.

Re "high horse" - to me its you trying to tell me what to post and what not to post.

You're right. High horse wasn't the term I was looking for.

I'm not sure why you feel it's your job to make others aware of what somenpeople experience in their lives for whatever reason.

Most of us have ears, eyes, friends.

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