It takes real nerve to complain about free coffee when you’re already living rent-free.

So, what would you do if you politely asked your houseguest how they like their coffee, and instead of a simple answer, they handed you a list of instructions fit for a Starbucks barista? Would you follow their instructions? Or would you put your foot down and let them know that’s too much?

In the following story, one woman finds herself in this dilemma with her daughter-in-law and is unsure how to react. Here’s the full scoop.

AITA for not making my DIL coffee and telling her I am not a barista

My son and dil ( Emily) are staying in our home, probably for the next month, due to water damage in their home. The company is fixing the damage, but the flooring was damaged, so it’s not very livable right now.

They have only been here for less than a week, and I am having an issue.

I work nights. I come back home around 6:30 am and then go to bed. My husband is usually up, so I make him a coffee/ breakfast before I turn in. Just something I like to do, more quality time before he heads to work.

I asked my son and Emily if they would also like coffee or breakfast before they go to work.

Then, she came back with a list of coffee-making instructions.

They said no to food but yes to coffee. That was easy, and I just made two extra cups.

I asked them to tell me if they want me to change how to make their coffee. I thought they would just tell me, use this cream, or if they had a preference on a blend.

Emily texted me last night and said she left instructions for the coffee.

This morning, I came home to very detailed instructions on how to make a complex coffee. It was like a Starbucks drink. She wanted foamed milk on top, different syrups, a specific coffee bean (ground fresh…), and a different brewing method (we have a drip coffee machine). Most of the stuff was on the counter.

Frustrated, she’s unsure how to handle this whole thing.

I decided I wasn’t going to do that and just made the usual coffee.

Emily wasn’t happy, and we got into an argument before she went to work.

I basically told her I am not a Starbucks barista, and I am not going all that.

She told me I shouldn’t have offered in the first place if I wouldn’t make the coffee to her liking. We left on a sour note.

I have been getting texts from my son about not being hospitable, so I am having trouble sleeping at the moment.

AITA?

Wow! While she is a guest, that may have been crossing the line a little.

Let’s see how the fine folks over at Reddit feel about what happened here.

This reader doesn’t think she should make the coffee.

Here’s a great way to turn it around on them.

It is pretty shocking.

This reader gets it.

This is not her problem.

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.