A woman on Reddit recounted her experience of accommodating her aging parents in her home. As a single widow with an empty nest, she had ample space in her five-bedroom house. However, she had transformed several rooms into offices and hobby areas, leaving her with only two functional bedrooms.
Anticipating the need for accommodations when her children visited, she decided to convert her garage into a guest house complete with all the necessary amenities and a private entrance. This thoughtful preparation allowed her to provide a comfortable stay for her kids when they came to visit.
Initially, the woman informed her children that they would be staying in the guest house during holiday visits, and they agreed. However, her plans took an unexpected turn when her parents requested her assistance.
What Unfolded with the Woman’s Parents?
Despite her initial intentions to have her children use the guest house, her parents asked if they could move in with her. She agreed to accommodate her parents and also relayed this decision to her children.
She made it clear to her children that their grandparents would be residing in the guest house, and if they wanted to stay over, they would need to share the house. Her children accepted this arrangement.
On the day her parents were moving in, the woman’s children came to her house to assist with their grandparents’ relocation to the guest house. Her children arranged for one family to stay in a hotel to make the space more manageable.
Nonetheless, when the woman’s parents observed the family beginning to move their possessions into the garage, they became bewildered. The woman had to clarify that the garage was intended for her parents’ accommodation. She explained, “They thought they could move into my house since I have five bedrooms.”
The woman explained that she only had two bedrooms since she had converted the others into offices and hobby spaces. The spare bedroom she had was mainly reserved for her dogs.
What Did the Woman’s Parents Say?
When the woman told her parents that she hadn’t expected them to want to live in the house and had anticipated them taking the garage space, which had its own washroom and kitchen, her parents were unhappy.
Despite the guest house being fully equipped for a comfortable life, the woman’s parents expressed their disappointment and frustration. She recounted their words: “They said that they wanted to live in the house, not out in the garage like Fonzie.”
The woman made it clear to her parents that they had only two options: either stay in the room she had prepared for them in the garage or consider moving into a nursing home elsewhere.
The woman was taken aback by her parents’ dissatisfaction with living in a well-appointed, rent-free private garage that met all safety standards. She soon received comments from other Reddit users who empathized with her situation.
One user suggested that the woman’s parents appeared to be acting entitled and warned that if she allowed them to live in her house, they might eventually take over and make it difficult for her to ask them to leave.
Another commenter speculated that the woman’s parents might have preferred living in the main house so that she would take care of their cooking and cleaning, sparing them the need to do it themselves. One user shared a similar experience with more appreciative parents through a friend, stating:
“My friend recently converted her shed into a lovely guest house, complete with kitchen appliances, a private bathroom, and all the amenities. Her parents are currently residing there, and they are quite content with it. They enjoy the privacy and being in close proximity to their child,” the user shared.
There were differing opinions among readers. Some felt that the woman should have communicated more clearly with her parents from the outset. They suggested that she should now have a conversation with her parents, allowing them occasional visits in the main house while setting and maintaining clear boundaries.