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Guy Doesn’t Want His Ex-Wife Staying In His Home, Friends Can’t Believe It
A stressed man pinching the bridge of his nose, contemplating his ex-wife staying in his home.

Man Refuses To Let His Ex-Wife Stay At His House While He's Away, Friends Cancel The Trip

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Divorce can be brutal. When two people who once shared a life together are left to untangle everything, it can get complicated. Who gets the house? Who gets the kids? And who gets the mutual friends?

One man says he’s finally learning to set healthy boundaries with his ex-wife after a pretty rough marriage. He’s planned a trip away with his new girlfriend and a couple, who are friends with both him and his ex. All was going according to plan until the friends insisted he allows his ex-wife stay at his house while he’s away. When he refused, they called him “selfish” and pulled out of the vacation.

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    He wants to hire a pet sitter to look after his pooch during his upcoming vacation with his new girlfriend and another couple

    Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

    But the friends are insisting his ex-wife stays at his house, and they won’t go with unless he agrees

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    Image credits: RemoteDiligent7640

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    Image credits: karlyukav / magnific (not the actual photo)

    Many fully understood where the man was coming from and questioned his friends’ motives

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    Some felt he was being “weird” and should try a more healthy approach

    Why healthy boundaries are essential after a divorce, according to experts

    Image credits: Vitaly Gariev / unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Boundaries come in all shapes and sizes but what they have in common is that they are essential for anyone who wants to maintain peace in their life. This is especially true after a divorce or breakup when you’re trying to heal and rebuild your life.

    As the experts from Schipani Law Group explain, emotional boundaries help you manage your reactions and protect your peace, physical boundaries set limits on personal space, and communication boundaries outline when, how, and why communication happens.

    “In a divorce, it is also common to revisit financial boundaries,” they add. “This may include clarifying your budget, updating accounts, and ensuring that any financial agreements are carried out as intended.”

    The lawyers, who have seen what happens when divorced couples don’t have boundaries, explain that while navigating a difficult split, it’s essential for each party to protect their emotional space. Without boundaries, they say, old patterns from the relationship may continue, making it harder to move forward. 

    Suzy Brown, the founder of Midlife Divorce Survivor says that setting boundaries after divorce gives you time and space to grieve your losses, and start healing from the overwhelming ordeal of the divorce itself. 

    Brown believes that the boundaries should extend to your divorce narrative, too. This means at some point, you need to stop replaying the same story about how and why you and your ex parted ways.

    “When you’re ready, let friends and family members know that you are taking a break from conversations about the ex and the divorce,” she suggests, noting that this is particularly important if you’ve started dating again.

    “No friend or potential future partner wants to hear a continual barrage of horrible stories about our ex or about our broken or furious heart,” Brown writes.

    As many of us know, friends often get caught in the middle of a divorce. It important to set some boundaries with them, too. For example, you may want to create a rule that there will be no trash-talking the ex. It might also be helpful to discuss early on whether you’re comfortable attending events where your ex-spouse could be present.

    But always be prepared to lose a few friendships along the way.

    “Despite your best efforts, some mutual friends will inevitably gravitate towards one spouse or the other. This often happens organically, based on deeper pre-existing connections or simply who they feel more comfortable with,” explain the experts at the Brandon Legal Group. “Don’t take it personally. Acknowledge the loss, mourn it if you need to, and then focus your energy on the friendships that remain genuinely supportive and respectful of your new situation.”

    He later responded to those who accused him of being inconsistent and clarified a few points

    Image credits: RemoteDiligent7640

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    Robyn Smith

    Robyn Smith

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    Robyn Smith

    Robyn Smith

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Robyn has produced work for several international media outlets. Made in Africa and exported to the world, she is a lover of words and visuals. This Panda has two bamboo tattoos: A map of Africa, and the words "Be Like The Bamboo... Bend Never Break."

    What do you think ?
    Catherine Kane
    Community Member
    11 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    she's an "ex wife" for a reason

    Tabitha
    Community Member
    6 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sounds to me like friend’s wife and OP’s ex have cooked something up together for ex to do something to chase OP’s girlfriend away. Something like they come home from the trip and ex has put all of GF’s stuff outside—-or in the garbage. Or maybe they come home and ex has moved in and set up housekeeping—-and maybe greets them in some s**y lingerie and starts coming on to OP in front of his GF. I am a 65 year old woman who has had friends who had broken up or been divorced before, and we’re not over it and desperate to get their exes back, especially when the ex has gotten over it and has started dating again. People (women AND men, though men sometimes tend to get violent, while women sometimes just get desperate) who haven’t gotten over a breakup can get crazy and cook up some really hairbrained and ridiculous ideas for getting their ex back. I have heard too many of those ideas, and talked friends down from following through on them—-or at least tried to, and finally gave up and just let them embarrass themselves to hopefully shock themselves out of it. So I believe the friend’s girlfriend got huffy because OP was not going to let the ridiculous plan unfold.

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    Catherine Kane
    Community Member
    11 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    she's an "ex wife" for a reason

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    Tabitha
    Community Member
    6 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sounds to me like friend’s wife and OP’s ex have cooked something up together for ex to do something to chase OP’s girlfriend away. Something like they come home from the trip and ex has put all of GF’s stuff outside—-or in the garbage. Or maybe they come home and ex has moved in and set up housekeeping—-and maybe greets them in some s**y lingerie and starts coming on to OP in front of his GF. I am a 65 year old woman who has had friends who had broken up or been divorced before, and we’re not over it and desperate to get their exes back, especially when the ex has gotten over it and has started dating again. People (women AND men, though men sometimes tend to get violent, while women sometimes just get desperate) who haven’t gotten over a breakup can get crazy and cook up some really hairbrained and ridiculous ideas for getting their ex back. I have heard too many of those ideas, and talked friends down from following through on them—-or at least tried to, and finally gave up and just let them embarrass themselves to hopefully shock themselves out of it. So I believe the friend’s girlfriend got huffy because OP was not going to let the ridiculous plan unfold.

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