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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

2 nights staying over is enough!

154 replies

Anonymous2211 · 07/12/2025 18:38

I'd like to get a general vibe of how many nights you can have people staying over at your house before you just want your space back!. I'm a private person, my social battery drops off a cliff by the second evening so I am considering having a 2 night rule. My husband doesn't agree (because it suits him to not set boundaries plus its his side of the family that stay as they have to travel 1.5 hours to get to us). For my particular situation, I have a small house and this puts one of my children out of their bed which really stresses me out. They are OK on the sofa or air bed but again, more than 2 nights I find really overwhelming and not fair. You also can't relax in the evening as I have to make the sofa or air bed and leave the lounge so they can sleep.(no space in bedrooms for air bed) It just really affects house dynamics and causes me so much work! Typically every 6-10 weeks. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
KookyPinkHare · 07/12/2025 20:42

I couldn't bear the set-up as it currently stands, particularly no proper rest and straight back to work. You need downtime. Hosting is hard work. I think reducing the frequency of visits and reducing them to one night is fair.

swingingbytheseat · 07/12/2025 20:45

Zero nights. I’m not a morning person and unless people are really chilled out, they’re annoying. I’ll pay for their hotel

shellyleppard · 07/12/2025 20:46

Two nights maximum..... anything else I'm breaking out the gin when they leave!!!

gogomomo2 · 07/12/2025 20:48

1.5 hours is close, 2 nights is plenty, if it was 4+ hours then that’s different

Tollington · 07/12/2025 20:50

1.5 hours = zero nights staying

YellowGuido · 07/12/2025 20:52

I’m with you, OP. My BF and his son are at my house for Christmas & Boxing Day. He wants them to stay over from Christmas Eve. They live ten minutes away, and I feel really mean but dont really want the hassle. As you say, the shuffle of beds / bedrooms and just losing the ability to fully relax as you’re now ‘entertaining’ guests (I know, I know - I’m an awful person…)

IceIceSlippyIce · 07/12/2025 20:52

2 or 3 nights max us my preference.

PiL are coming for 10 days for Xmas. I've volunteered to do any call outs between Xmas and new year.

tinyspiny · 07/12/2025 20:54

1 night is enough for me and we have spare rooms , I just prefer not to have overnight guests . 1.5 hrs away is doable easily for a day trip so anyone living that far away wouldn’t get to stay .

RandomMess · 07/12/2025 20:56

Bloody hell 1.5 hours is a day trip or one overnight so they can have a drink. So many people commute 1.5 hours per day!

Lamentingalways · 07/12/2025 20:56

Have your Mum stay for 3 nights, bet he wants a limit then!

Teenagerantruns · 07/12/2025 20:58

We live in a tiny flat but have a spare room. The only people who l let stay are my adult children and my sister. Cant stand house guests.
We live in a tourist area lots of hotels nearby, people want to see us they can stay in one and l will host meals. Also when l go to see them l would rather stay in a hotel.

Astra53 · 07/12/2025 20:59

For a short journey of 1.5 hours they should either go home or stay with you one night only. Anything longer = hotel.

Anonymous2211 · 07/12/2025 21:09

YellowGuido · 07/12/2025 20:52

I’m with you, OP. My BF and his son are at my house for Christmas & Boxing Day. He wants them to stay over from Christmas Eve. They live ten minutes away, and I feel really mean but dont really want the hassle. As you say, the shuffle of beds / bedrooms and just losing the ability to fully relax as you’re now ‘entertaining’ guests (I know, I know - I’m an awful person…)

I do get it and I agree, Christmas especially brings out these issues because its so hectic.

OP posts:
Larymarylary · 07/12/2025 21:11

My thoughts? Fuck that even one night would be one night too much!

EveryChairIsWobbly · 07/12/2025 21:15

2 nights is more than enough. If they stay Friday and Saturday I’d be finding a nice spot for Sunday lunch that’s on their way home and they leave from there so that you still have Sunday evening to yourselves.
Id also be leaving DH to deal with the evenings once tired, and head off upstairs to chill in bed. (DC could join if they wanted while they have no bedroom) Whilst I do make a fuss of guests especially those just coming for a few hours, I’ve come to learn that regular-overnight-stay house guests (like yours OP) need to slot into your day to day plans a bit more which includes you not standing on ceremony. Let your DH take care of things a bit more. And if their next visit is too soon for you, suggest DH and kids go to them instead.

Firefly100 · 07/12/2025 21:15

Well for a start if it is his family, he should be making up the beds / washing and changing the sheets afterwards. Maybe then he will reconsider if it is no bother.

Millytante · 07/12/2025 21:21

Your DH is surely aware of the degree to which having guests drains your battery, and since these frequent mini breaks are scarcely warranted by the mere 90 minute drive from his family home, he could easily remove this distress for you. (And it is distressing, when you’re the type who gets utterly steamrollered by extended social interaction)
That he leaves you to see to everything is utterly appalling. What kind of man is he at all?

But the setup confused me, all the same. Are the children yours alone, or is he their dad? And the house, is it just yours, with DH a recent arrival in the family? It’s just that you call it your house, and they are your children (might just be the way it sounds to me, and not in your own head, of course)

That there’s a teenager having to give up their bedroom each time is a bit much too. What teen wants older people regularly staying in their private space like this? It’s not on.
I’d think it much fairer if you and your husband camped out in the sitting room instead, tbh. (Might make DH understand a few things, too)

If this is indeed a newish marriage, I’d be very uneasy that the in-laws are happy to turn the household upside down like this, and so frequently. A couple of nights at Easter or Christmas maybe, and any other time everyone can drive to the others’ house, surely!
You paint a picture of a rather thoughtless and demanding family on his side.

As I see it there are two options to present to your husband, and whichever he selects he has to abide by (or he’ll be thrown into the nearest bear pit by a crowd of furious harpies).
His parents get real, and just drive back later the same day.
Or: they stay max 2 nights, but ALL shifting about, mattress-inflating and bedmaking and what all shall be his responsibility.

NutButterOnToast · 07/12/2025 21:24

1.5 hours away is not long enough to justify staying over at all tbh.

If they want to keep the frequency of visits then they come for a shorter time. If they want to continue staying then it's 2 or 3 times a year.

Its easy for DH to be stubborn if none of the hassle falls on him.

We had guests for 4 nights recently and that was at least one night too many. I'm happy to host but it is tiring.

BotterMon · 07/12/2025 21:26

2 nights is my limit but DH's family are in his home country so they usually come for 3-5 nights unfortunately.

CandyCaneKisses · 07/12/2025 21:27

We used to have people stay all the time but now I have said zero nights. It’s was too much extra prep, extra shopping, extra clean up etc all on me. Feeling restricted in my own home felt unbearable in the end as we had guest sleep in the living room and they wanted to laze around/sleep until gone 4pm. It was my final straw.

OneKeenPeachRaven · 07/12/2025 21:34

Are these the same guests each time? Because it seems to me pretty unfair to chuck a teen out their own bed / space every 4-6 weeks for multiple nights for no good reason. If I were a guest in that situation I'd like to think I'd feel a bit awkward doing that on a regular basis.

Bitzee · 07/12/2025 21:38

My parents live 1.5 hours away but don’t like travelling home in rush hour or at night so do often stay the night but it is just the one night and we have a spare room. I think it’s really unfair to expect your child to regularly give up their room for up 3 nights at time. I would honestly say that they can’t stay anymore unless they’re happy with the air bed in the lounge.

TamarindCottage · 07/12/2025 21:43

We occasionally have family and friends stay over and it’s usually for no more than two nights. Equally, after two nights staying over at others, I like to get home to my own bed

Cherrysoup · 07/12/2025 21:45

1.5 hrs is day trip, not staying. I visit family 5 hours away and stay in a hotel for my sanity, even more than theirs, although I’m told I should stay with them, but no thanks!

AlwaysADramaHadEnough · 07/12/2025 21:48

My adult dc max 2 they drain my social battery because the house becomes hectic , although lots of laughs. However I wouldn't say no if they stayed longer

No-one else gets invited.

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