Daughter-in-law and mother-in-law relationships are not always smooth and perfect.

If you didn’t have a great relationship with your mother-in-law, and if you didn’t have a guest bedroom, would you be okay with her staying in your home for an entire month?

In this story, a woman’s mother-in-law decided she would be staying in their home for a full month.

She wants her mother-in-law to stay in a hotel, but her husband disagrees.

Read the full story below for all the details.

AITA for telling my husband his mom can’t stay at our house after her husband died

My husband had a really rough childhood and doesn’t have a close relationship with his mom.

She’s never been very present in his life, and when we had kids, she didn’t make much effort with them either.

That was partly her choice and partly because we’re both uncomfortable when she’s around.

This woman’s mother-in-law didn’t bother to build a great relationship with her family.

When she does visit, she usually spends most of her time on her phone or at her hotel.

She shows up for birthdays or holidays just long enough to take a photo, but, otherwise, there’s no real engagement.

I also feel like she plays favorites and dotes on the youngest more than our older child, which is something she still does with her kids now.

She lives 8 hours away, doesn’t call or FaceTime the kids, and barely keeps in touch with my husband.

Her MIL informed them that she will be staying with them for a month.

Now, her husband (my husband’s stepdad) recently passed away.

We’re both sympathetic. Grief is tough, and I understand she’s going through something.

But she texted my husband saying she’s coming to stay with us for a month.

Not asking, just telling him.

She also casually mentioned this to me at Easter, saying: “In case you didn’t know, I’ll be to your house by Monday.”

I was completely taken aback.

She didn’t mind the visit, but she was hoping MIL could stay in a hotel instead.

The problem is, we don’t have a guest room.

For her to stay, she’d either have to sleep on our couch for a month, or we’d have to make one of the kids give up their room, which I’m not okay with.

I told my husband I’m fine with her visiting, but I’d prefer if she stayed in a hotel or found another option.

He thinks she can’t afford one, which may be true.

Her husband thinks she was being cold and uncaring to his mom.

But honestly, it feels like she’s playing on his sympathy—something she’s done before—so she can get her way.

She hasn’t made an effort to build a relationship with us or the kids, and now she wants to move into our house for a month while she grieves?

To make things harder, my husband knows I don’t really like his mom.

Our relationship has always been tense, and he feels like I’m being cold or uncaring by not just saying yes.

It’s made things tense between us, too.

So now, she feels like she’s the bad guy in this scenario.

Now, I feel like the bad guy for wanting boundaries in our own home.

I don’t want to be heartless, and I get that she’s going through a lot.

But I also feel like our space and peace matter, too.

So… AITA for not wanting her to stay with us?

Let’s read the responses of other people on Reddit to this story.

This person makes a short but valid point.

This person gives their honest opinion.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

You have to deal with it now, says this person.

Finally, short and simple.

Being family doesn’t mean ignoring your own boundaries.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.