“It Was Hell. Hated Every Second Of It”: Couple Swears Off Hosting Family Ever Again After Their Last Visit

Hosting can be a lot of fun. You get to cook delicious food, spend time with friends or family, and enjoy the occasion together. But even when everything goes smoothly, it still takes a lot of effort, and when things do not go as planned, it can quickly turn into a complete disaster.

That is exactly what happened to one woman who turned to Reddit to share her experience after inviting her in-laws over. Their poor manners left both her and her husband stunned, and the visit soon descended into chaos, leaving a huge mess behind.

Now, she refuses to host them again, and her in-laws are clearly not happy about it. Read the full story below.

The couple decided to host a family get-together after buying a new home

Image credits: Kindel Media / Pexels (not the actual photo)

But the in-laws turned out to be such awful guests that they were no longer welcome back

Image credits: Nicole Michalou / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Liza Summer  / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Poplar_Flower_4409

Image credits:  fauxels / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Hosting means taking on a certain responsibility

Historically, a great many cultures and religions around the world have argued strongly in favor of the rights and privileges of a guest.

In general, the host was expected to take responsibility for wining and dining, entertaining, and protecting the people who entered their home. Hospitality has long been seen as a valued trait for good reason. In the days before Uber and Airbnb, traveling often meant putting yourself at significant risk.

In some ways, this is still true today. Who can forget the uproar and confusion sparked by the revelation that Swedish parents will not feed their children’s friends when they come over? Incidentally, it is not quite as bad as it sounds. It is simply a way to avoid putting a child with a specific diet or food allergies at risk.

All in all, hosting already comes with more than enough chores and responsibilities. Cooking and cleaning, or at least paying for these services, is generally expected, and once kids are involved, a certain amount of mess and chaos is bound to follow.

However, as the woman in this story and just about anyone else can confidently confirm, her husband’s family went far beyond what might reasonably be expected. A mess can be forgiven, but violating someone’s personal space is a step too far.

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Sometimes family members might think you owe them something

The things she lists range from deeply annoying to downright disturbing. First and foremost, there is the matter of whoever went through the medicine cabinet. There are really no good explanations here. Either some kids started helping themselves to random pills, or there was an adult who decided they needed the woman’s medicine.

She also mentions the food waste and dirty plates left behind. On their own, these details might not seem like much, but anyone who has dealt with roaches or ants knows that leaving food lying around is a major risk.

It is also telling that the only person who actually checked whether the hosts needed anything was not one of the husband’s blood relatives. Unfortunately, entitled behavior from family members is nothing new.

It is also worth pointing out that, as far as we know, none of the guests offered to bring food, snacks, or a dish. While much of the work naturally falls on the host, in many cultures it is considered rude to show up empty-handed. At the very least, guests are expected to bring something to add to the table. The level of entitlement on display here is genuinely concerning.

Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)

At the end of the day, guests shouldn’t wreck your home

Under the circumstances, the woman’s desire to ban her in-laws from the house is well-founded and completely justified. Who even knows what kind of damage they might do over time?

As new homeowners, it is perfectly normal to feel attached to the place you live. The fact that they dismissed her concerns entirely is also troubling. If they already see this kind of behavior as normal and acceptable, what might they do once they grow even more comfortable?

Fortunately for the woman in the story, she has both her husband and the internet firmly on her side.

In fact, her feeling the need to ask the internet whether it was wrong not to host people who trashed her home says a lot about how much her in-laws’ gaslighting had gotten to her. Hopefully, this experience will only strengthen their resolve to keep these people away.

The author later shared a few more details with readers

The commenters wholeheartedly sided with her

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