Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My mum wants brother to come and stay with me

127 replies

Breakitc · 25/11/2025 19:14

This is my first thread. Apologises for the long thread. Don't want to drip feed.
I have a younger brother, he's almost 17. We have the same mum, different dad. For various reasons, I lived with my dad and stepmum for most of my childhood.

His dad cheated on my mum and they split when he was 1, he was still involved and had him regularly. As did I, I lived close by and we spent a lot of time together and he was honestly the sweetest toddler/child. A few years later his dad moves abroad, I think brother was around 8 at the time and after that contact slowed down. In the beginning he'd come and visit him but that stopped and went to birthday texts and then nothing at all. I also stopped seeing him, my mum has MH issues (agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, she's also a functional alcoholic) and our relationship is rocky, we’d fall out and then she’d tell my brother i didn’t want to see him etc. Which wasn't true.

He was her baby and she blamed everything on other people, he could do no wrong. She'd blame other kids on their street for influencing him, blaming the school and teachers and just everyone but her/her parenting and my brother. She never set any boundaries. He stopped attending school in year 7. Mum said she was homeschooling him but I don't think they did any work together. He has Irlen syndrome and still can barely read and write and I'm not doubting he struggled in secondary school but he only lasted a term, if that.

Things really changed when he was 13, he started being aggressive, smashing things when he didn't get his own way. He smashed many iPhones and mum just brought a new one/got them repaired with no consequences.
He was very mouthy and eventually started with homophobic and racist language, my mum isn't like this nor me and he barely has contact with his dad so I don't think it's learnt behaviour from any of us.

Anyway, the older he's got the worse he's got. He steals from my mum, smokes weed, drinks, he's been involved with the police (it didn't go anywhere legally), mum said his room is a tip and she suspects he is doing a lot more than weed. The racist & homophobic language is very much the same. He uses the p racial slur a lot which mum has asked him many times to stop especially as they have neighbours which are other races etc. He just laughs and says its not aimed at them.
My mum can't cope with him and the final straw was a neighbour knocking on their door furious with brother as he'd had his hands down his trousers outside in front of her teen DD(13 or 14), she threatened to report him to the police but he just laughed and made a joke of it about how he was doing it because of the mum - not the DD. until that comment I thought he was just doing what teen boys do but now I honestly don't know. His behaviour and the knocks to the door is causing my mum significant anxiety. She asked me if I could have him, I live a few hours away and they live in London. I initially said no and she went off at me and blocked me and said I don't care about her or her mental health and threatened suicide (something she's done a lot hence why we have LC now). This was toward the end of October.

She'd told him she wanted him out when he turned 17 on NYE, she said if he didn't go she’d phone SS. He called her a birch and said he wasn't going into care. He’d just run away and go to his dads and she’d never see him again. I don't know if he meant it, if he's even had any contact with his dad recently or even if his dad is back in the UK. Brother doesn't have a passport.

Since then my mum has said he's hardly been home, she messaged me earlier and told me on Saturday night he'd been stabbed in the stomach, obviously went to hospital etc and is physically ok, he hasn't said who did it. He said he doesn't know, wouldn't give a description or what happened leading up to it. Apparently he went out again yesterday.

She's asking me again if I would have him but I really don't know. WWYD? Please be kind.

OP posts:
ThatLemonBear · 25/11/2025 19:21

What an awful situation, I’m sorry you’re having to go through this. Personally I wouldn’t have him live with me unless he was very clear that his life at the moment is a mess and he wants help to turn it around and have a fresh start. It doesn’t seem like that is the headspace he’s in, so honestly I’d stay clear

NeverDropYourMooncup · 25/11/2025 19:21

It's not your responsibility to try and fix the mistakes of his parents.

Freshstartyear25 · 25/11/2025 19:23

I won’t be having him live with me, he’s beyond your help at this point and your mum should be trying to see if she can get professional help for him. He’ll be an adult soon so time to start learning that actions have consequences

Zempy · 25/11/2025 19:26

Absolutely not. 💐

Sunnydaystoday · 25/11/2025 19:28

Absolutely not.
Do not entertain this shit show in your home and life.

Your mother has failed him, as did his father.
This is not your responsibility.

Do not underestimate just what a shit show you would be allowing into your home and life.

Tell her NO.
Let her block you.

Do not bend on this.
You will bitterly regret it.

Sunshineismyfavourite · 25/11/2025 19:29

He is not your responsibility OP. He needs professional help but that will only work if he is prepared to engage. Your Mum is the parent - you are his sister - there is a big difference. Do you have any contact with him or is all of this through your Mum?

I honestly think it would be a nightmare for you to have him live with you. It sounds like your Mum needs some kind of respite and support but he is not your responsibility and you don't owe it to your Mum to be his proxy parent. I would try to get Mum and him some support but that's as far as I would go. At 17 he will only make positive changes if he wants to and it doesn't sound like he is in that mindset yet.

PinkyFlamingo · 25/11/2025 19:32

I'm sorry his life is such a mess but you would be making the biggest mistake of your life if you took him in and I can't believe your Mum has the nerve to ask you.

CalmAdvice · 25/11/2025 19:34

No. Please do not do this.

BeepBoopBop · 25/11/2025 19:34

Absolutely not. Please don’t even consider it. You are not equipped to deal with a violent, drug user in your home.

Allthebeernoidea · 25/11/2025 19:35

No way

LoveHearts69 · 25/11/2025 19:35

I wouldn’t be having him live with me at all but it may do him good to meet up with you occasionally for a walk or coffee if you don’t already? Your mum needs to realise that she is responsible for most of this and you aren’t ❤️

Namechange822 · 25/11/2025 19:36

I think that you should call social services, tell them everything in your post, including your mums suicide threats, mental health, drinking etc. You also need to tell them mum is claiming to be home educating but isn’t doing any schoolwork.

There is help out there but it usually drops off dramatically once a child reaches 18 so now is the time to get some help for him in place.

Dont offer to have him at yours.

TomatoSandwiches · 25/11/2025 19:37

I would stop answering the phone to her, this is her responsibility and I wouldn't have either of them in my house.

Leave them to it and focus on your own life.

Nearly50omg · 25/11/2025 19:37

He’s a violent drug addict!!! Why the fuck would you let him over your doorstep?!?! NO!!! If your mum wants him out then she deals with him and calls the police and has him put out and charged for everything he’s doing!! Not calling the police is doing him more harm than protecting him

Breakitc · 25/11/2025 19:38

Sunshineismyfavourite · 25/11/2025 19:29

He is not your responsibility OP. He needs professional help but that will only work if he is prepared to engage. Your Mum is the parent - you are his sister - there is a big difference. Do you have any contact with him or is all of this through your Mum?

I honestly think it would be a nightmare for you to have him live with you. It sounds like your Mum needs some kind of respite and support but he is not your responsibility and you don't owe it to your Mum to be his proxy parent. I would try to get Mum and him some support but that's as far as I would go. At 17 he will only make positive changes if he wants to and it doesn't sound like he is in that mindset yet.

Its mostly through my mum, we do message occasionally but we don't have any proper/serious conversations, he usually just sends silly GIFs to try and change the subject

OP posts:
Lookingforthejoy · 25/11/2025 19:38

I think you need to contact SS and raise your concerns with them. He has clearly been neglected for a long time.

Pollqueen · 25/11/2025 19:41

No, what PP said, it's not up to you to clean up your mother's mess, which is what this is. Basically, really poor parenting. You can be concerned from afar and offer advice, but don't bring this into your home

Nofuckingziti · 25/11/2025 19:44

No fucking way. Absolutely not.

She needs to involve the police and social services for support. There is absolutely no way I’d take him in.

Linenpickle · 25/11/2025 19:46

There is no way he got stabbed in his stomach and is okay so she’s clearly lying. Absolutely no way and how should you be looking after him or have him staying at your house. She needs to take responsibility or your brother needs to take responsibility because he’s not a kid anymore and don’t listen to your mum cause she’s giving all sorts of shit and giving you a guilt trip.

Genevieva · 25/11/2025 19:48

Yo can’t rescue him. You can visit, but please don’t take him into your home.

InterestedDad37 · 25/11/2025 19:48

Absolutely not, unless you want your life in tatters, through no fault of your own.

RescueMeFromThisSilliness · 25/11/2025 19:51

Don't do it OP. Please don't. It will be a complete nightmare. He is not your responsibility, and YOU CANNOT FIX HIM.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 25/11/2025 19:52

Your brother is no longer the sweet toddler. This is the 'real' him and it's not a pretty sight. He's not entirely to blame, his parents have mucked up his entire life by the sounds of it, but he is absolutely not your problem. He needs professional help and he needs to want it sufficiently to ask for it, you can't 'model good behaviour' to an addict and have them suddenly change..

outerspacepotato · 25/11/2025 19:52

It's not up to you to fix what she broke. And you won't be able to.

He needs professional help. Contact your social services, but do not have him move in.

Yamamm · 25/11/2025 19:54

Ask yourself why you’re even on here asking people if you should do this. Of course not. You don’t owe your mum anything.

Swipe left for the next trending thread