A woman turned to the internet for advice after admitting she doesn’t know how to tell her brother that it’s time for him to move out of her home.
She shared her situation on the U.K.-based forum Mumsnet.com, where people often seek advice about personal and family issues. According to her post, her brother had to leave his previous living arrangement because of problems with the room and bathroom.
“There were problems with the room, the bathroom wasn’t working […] and he didn’t want to stay another month. I suspect he couldn’t afford it. He’s terrible with money!” she wrote.
Wanting to help, she offered him a place to stay with her and her daughter. He agreed — assuring her he’d only stay “for a week.”
“I gave him [my daughter’s] room while she sleeps with me,” she explained.
But that “week” has stretched into nearly two months. During that time, she said, her brother has only looked at one possible place to live and even reduced his work hours.
“He hasn’t contributed a single penny — not even bought a loaf of bread or made any gesture whatsoever,” she said. She added that he recently asked her for gas money because he was short on cash.
Her concern has grown as her daughter prepares to return to school next month and will need her bedroom back.
“I’m a newly single mom going through a divorce and paying for everything on my own; it’s already hard enough without taking on the responsibility of another adult,” she added.
Unsure how to approach the subject, she asked the forum: “How can I raise this topic politely and in a non-confrontational way?”
Most Mumsnet users advised her to stop avoiding the issue and be direct — reminding her that her daughter’s needs should come first.
“You need to be blunt and put your child first. Remove his stuff from her bedroom while he is at work. Today, if possible,” one person suggested.
Another wrote: “So your daughter suffers because you’re too mealy-mouthed to say anything? Her back-to-school is the perfect reason for him to move. Stop making his life so comfortable at her expense.”
Others emphasized that she had already done more than enough: “You sound very kind, but he’s not your problem and you really shouldn’t have offered him a room in the first place. It seems like you have enough going on already. Give him a week to be out and help him pack,” one user advised.
