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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

20 years supporting sister- tired of it AIBU?

9 replies

Feralhobbit · 24/12/2024 17:45

Just posting to gain some perspective as I feel I’m being mean. Apologies it’s a long one!!
Quick back story- I am happily married for 15 years, two children and DH and I have good careers. My sister fell pregnant at 21 and has now been single for 20 years. In that time I have been her emotional and sometimes financial support. She never dated again, no more children and no relationship with her ex or his family.
We have no other family apart from aunt, uncle and cousins. My husband and I have been her only source of family for key events/holidays.
My sister has been homeless twice, always needs some help with some crisis and as a result has lost quite a few friends along the way. This makes her more reliant on spending time with us. Both sis and nephew had to live with us for a few months until she found a property to rent again. She is now homeless again but I have managed to find something for her and an acquaintance has taken them both in.
DH and I have had enough- just tired of always being the ones she turns to and spends time with (we have them every Christmas). DH finds spending time with her annoying as she has no boundaries in our house and treats it as her own- she is loud and takes over a room. She also never leaves when she comes over and we have to go to bed before she gets the hint. She is probably lonely but we have our family and want time together without her always being there. She encroaches on many aspects of my life and always wants to know what I’m doing or about my friends etc. I feel I have no space.
Ashamedly we have booked a cottage to spend Christmas away just the four of us. She made a fuss of coming over ‘for a nice dinner and spend time together & do presents’ before we went. Duly cooked dinner and she came over. I gave her their presents as she was leaving and she said ‘oh aren’t we doing presents when you get back?’ I said presents are for you to open on Christmas Day! After she left I noticed she hadn’t left presents so I msgd to see if I had missed them and she said she had them at home and still had some to wrap (not true as she’d told me she had them all!). Feel she is being a bit manipulative and hanging onto them so she can make another day where we spend time together opening presents. On the surface I’m sure I’m sounding mean but I feel she has always tried to steer situations to what she wants and try’s to tell me things like ‘but we have always done …(x,y,z). I feel life evolves and my children and DH come first, although I’m conscious sis and nephew only have each other and lonely.
Are we being mean? Just feel tired of being my 45 yo sister’s mum/sister/friend/partner and general sole source of family and emotional support!

OP posts:
Daleksatemyshed · 24/12/2024 19:25

You should have put in some boundaries long, long ago Op. She's had you doing everything for her for so long that's it's going to be hard to change now. She's an adult, her DC an adult, time you pulled right back

DucklingSwimmingInstructress · 24/12/2024 21:23

I'm afraid @Daleksatemyshed is right.

Doing it now is going to be harder but it's the only way you can change the situation you are in. "if you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got".

If you want to go ahead and adjust the balance of the time spent together then you'll need to plan how, and think about how she's likely to react and how to handle it. You'll be in a mentally much stronger position to handle the fallout - because there will be some - if you plan.

What sort of person is she? Is she the sort to take advantage and consider it fine, because you have 'more' than her? or is she the sort of person who might really not like a readjustment in the relationship but will eventually accept it and see it's fair? Blunt question: does she actually really love you and think you're very close, or is she kinda using you, or is it a mix of the two?

She may genuinely not realise that she's being overbearing. It sounds like she hasn't evolved in terms of what she wants and you have.

How old is her son? honestly, that kinda plays into this too. If he's 7 then it's going to be harder to handle than if he's 16 :( As you are a big presence in his life. Even then there are limits that are reasonable and fair to you all. I think you and your children are probably very important to him and while you are entirely justified in being your own little family of four, it is also the decent thing to do to still be a good presence in his life.

I think you need to decide exactly how much contact you want with her; how often, how late she can stay, how often / if she can stay over. You probably won't get everything you want, but it's going to be a real shock for her to realise things are changing. If you can negotiate enough of a space for you, that may be enough.

Then either simply put it into practice by reducing the number of times she stays over, or making an appointment for next time she comes and making it longer, taking longer to answer if she's a mad texter.

Or more difficult ... a conversation. (Only you know which is the better option, practice or conversation.) "We love you and Nephew dearly, but as the children are growing up we feel the need to sometimes be the four of us more than we are at the moment, and we would like a few things to change, as it feels a bit overwhelming for us at the moment".

She's likely to not take it well - either angry, or hurt. Keep calm and reassure her that you love her and you do want to see her and Nephew, and that you want to be in the situation where seeing her is something everyone looks forward to. Over time she will probably calm down and adjust.

Again, when she does come over, be sure to make an appointment to see her next time - it will reassure her and nephew that you do still want to see her. Gives her a bit of solidity. Answer her texts, but in your own time.

You'll find your own way of handling this depending on her and you .... good luck.

BlueScrunchies · 24/12/2024 21:31

YANBU, it’s exhausting and wears you down.

Start to make changes gradually so she can adjust, be less available so she has to start solving her own problems.

I have had quite a needy immediate and extended family who have all required varying levels of support over the years. It started to be detrimental to me and my own family so I have really pulled back.

I can support in times of crisis, but I don’t immediately jump to solving their problems for them or I would be doing it forever. Have a think about what you can/can’t offer and begin to modify your behaviour accordingly. It’s hard but you will feel better for it with time 😊

DucklingSwimmingInstructress · 24/12/2024 21:35

Oh god @BlueScrunchies you said it so much better and quicker! :D

Feralhobbit · 28/12/2024 11:41

Thank you for your thoughts and comments. Our break away over Christmas has given my DH and I some space and time to think. Agree with all the comments you have all made.
In the beginning when my sis was a young single mum we did a lot more for her and involved her and my nephew in a lot of days out, a couple of holidays etc. Things are different now we have our own children and nephew grown up. We should have put up boundaries years ago- my DH has tried, for example at Christmas my sis would want to come over about 7 so she could be with us when we open presents with the children. We managed to push that back to 10 am over past couple of years but she will insist on having breakfast together- that will change again next time we have Christmas at home.
Will have to gradually change things and I like @DucklingSwimmingInstructress suggestions about reassurance and offering alternatives that suit us in our own time 😊

OP posts:
NobleDeeds · 28/12/2024 11:44

I think you need to take some responsibility for this dynamic, OP, at least for letting it go on so long while internally resenting it.

Feralhobbit · 28/12/2024 12:35

I agree completely @NobleDeeds. I guess I felt sorry for her that she is on her own etc etc but I should’ve stepped back/put boundaries in place a long, long time ago. I dint resent it all the time- just Christmas! My sister gets so offended easily and often plays the victim which guilt trips me into allowing her to do more with us. I think I’ve finally realised I’ve made mistakes and things need to change.

OP posts:
Pumpkinpie1 · 28/12/2024 12:53

You and your H have been incredibly kind and patient.
However your Sister sounds immature and entitled.
Is there a reason she keeps being made homeless, poor budgeting? She does sound like she wants to control your relationship, having you save her rather than sort out her problems herself.
The fact she’s not even given you presents shows how unappreciative she is , that’s unlikely to change unless you change how you react to her dramas.
Stop mothering her , she needs to learn resilience and that no means no

NobleDeeds · 28/12/2024 13:02

Feralhobbit · 28/12/2024 12:35

I agree completely @NobleDeeds. I guess I felt sorry for her that she is on her own etc etc but I should’ve stepped back/put boundaries in place a long, long time ago. I dint resent it all the time- just Christmas! My sister gets so offended easily and often plays the victim which guilt trips me into allowing her to do more with us. I think I’ve finally realised I’ve made mistakes and things need to change.

Well, good for you. I hope you can make changes to your own satisfaction with as little nuclear fallout as possible.

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