'AITA for refusing to let my mom stay at my place after her pipes burst just before Christmas?'

A woman took to Reddit to know people’s opinions on whether she was wrong for not letting her mother stay in her house for another week.

Taking to Reddit’s "Am I The A**hole" (AITA) forum, the 38-year-old original poster (OP) began, “I am celebrating Christmas with my mom 68/F, my brother 47/M and his family.”

In the post titled "AITAH for not allowing my mom to stay another week after her pipes burst just before Christmas?", the OP revealed that her mother lives in another state and came by flight to spend time with her and her brother during the holiday season.

"We are driving to a meetup location to spend time with my brother's family - a place in the mountains we all enjoy just for the holidays. All of us live hours away, our mom being the furthest, on the opposite coast. My brother and I are several hours away by car,” the OP wrote.

Woman does not want her mother to live with her for a longer period

The OP then shared that while her mother was at her place, they got to know that “her pipes froze and flooded her basement,” leaving the old woman sad.

She continued that she then went on to help her mother by having her insurance, “a cleanup team, and a general contractor all working on her place while she is with me. She then broached the topic that she wanted to extend her week stay to ‘two weeks or more’.”

But the woman, under the username ThrowRAGuava6272, claimed in her post that she declined her mother’s request because she wanted to return to her normal routine. 

“She's welcome to stay here as originally planned, which is until Saturday,” she noted.

OP claims her mother has ‘a challenging personality’

The OP also said that her mother thought of staying longer at her brother’s house but failed to “ask him until Christmas, so l gave my brother a heads up last night so he has a chance to speak with his wife.”

“I also told him that he's under no obligation to say yes, as she is still welcome to stay with me until Saturday and her insurance company will be footing the bill for most of her stay at a hotel and meals,” she stated.

However, her brother also refused to take their mother with him. The woman elaborated, “My mom can be a challenging personality and with this unfortunate development, she's even more ... difficult. I love my mom, but I'm tired. I want my house back and don’t want to be criticized or complained at.”

Concluding her Reddit post, the woman added, “I refused to allow my lonely mother to extend her stay with me, despite the recent damages to an unknown state of her home. AITAH for prioritizing my space and personal downtime over my mother's emotional needs?”

Redditors say they understand the woman’s hesitation

People in the comments section understood the OP's point as one fellow Redditor wrote, “NTA. Doesn't she need to get back home to deal with her home and belongings?”

Another said, “NTA. You've already done a lot by coordinating the cleanup and repairs from afar and offering your place till Saturday. Setting boundaries is crucial, especially when it involves switching back to work mode. It's not just about the space but about getting your head ready for the regular grind, right? Plus, your bro getting a heads up is fair play; it’s good to let him work it out with his wife without springing surprises. Mom's situation sucks, but you need to protect your mental peace too. Hang in there!”

“Since insurance will pay to put her up in a hotel, NTA,” a person commented.

Another shared, “NTA, your brother also doesn’t want to bring her to his home. He has plenty of room in his car.”

One individual noted, “NAH - I can understand your hesitation where there isn't an end date and she has a ‘difficult personality’. At the same time, if it can be made more time limited, it would be kind to have some flexibility. I can understand her not wanting to be alone.”

“NAH, but I think you should take this one on the chin, because if you want to keep talking to your mum, you will probably never hear the end of this otherwise. It's a lightning strike situation, there's a good reason she can't just go back to her home that is unlikely to ever occur again,” added another.

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